Whats wrong with my toadstool leather??

[Gregcoyote]

I finally invested in a Hanna meter. It took a lot of the guess work out. I now can see the levels that affect corals, especially SPS where phosphate has to be .05 or lower.

 

[Clownfish25]

I am using RO/DI water and it is tested while its being made in my holding container and before mixing salt with a tds meter , it measures 0 tds. Also the test kits I am using are all API. What brand is better?

All of my other corals are doing great. I believe it is just shedding. Also I think the leading cause of my algae growth may be feeding the tank twice a day as well has having a lack of activated carbon.

What do you all think?
I think in time it will get better, my algae scrubber is working and I've added activated carbon and margirita snails .

 

[Gregcoyote]

I am using RO/DI water and it is tested while its being made in my holding container and before mixing salt with a tds meter , it measures 0 tds. Also the test kits I am using are all API. What brand is better?

All of my other corals are doing great. I believe it is just shedding. Also I think the leading cause of my algae growth may be feeding the tank twice a day as well has having a lack of activated carbon.

What do you all think?
I think in time it will get better, my algae scrubber is working and I've added activated carbon and margirita snails .

The algae grows on available nutrients in the water, so the feeding schedule is probably most of the cause. Leathers can be finicky. I have had them grow like a weed, then crash. Most of the time they seem to come right back.

 

[Audiew]

You really need to get that hair algae under control. Phosphates are the driving force behind it. I have a small neon green toadstool, I haven't seen it have any polyp loss yet.

Did you order that online? That's amazing!

 

[Readingexcalibur]

Did you order that online? That's amazing!

Sent you a PM to not hijack the thread to badly.

 

[Clownfish25]

That's a 14 hour light period which is 2 hours longer than I would ever go. It could be part of the algae issue. The bio-balls should be pulled. You have an algae scrubber in a refugium which is so much better than the trickle filter. The only thing the bio-balls will add to your system is nitrates. If you remove them, get some snails and maybe a couple of hermits to wipe out the algae, find good RO for water changes and rinse out your filter pads in tap water each week your tank should improve very quickly. You have an excellent system. The source water, light cycle and trickle filter are the only things I would adjust.

It is a little odd that your toadstool hasn't opened up all of his polyps in more than two weeks. Do his polyps sway in the current? How old are the light bulbs? And again, what livestock are in the tank right now?

Sorry I haven't responded in awhile. Question should I remove the bio balls over a course of a week? Also once they are out do I just let the water continue to flow over the filter pad and drip tray and then trivkle

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Sorry I haven't responded in awhile. Question should I remove the bio balls over a course of a week? Also once they are out do I just let the water continue to flow over the filter pad and drip tray and then trivkle

Yups. I responded to your PM. Did you get it? I don't mind reporting it here if you didn't. You can pull out the tray if you want unless you find it makes more noise if it's gone. I'd remove it personally.