Starting my FIRST saltwater tank!!!!!!!

[Riceymo91]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

Do a water change. The solution is always dilution.

I did, everything is still unhappy. And now even more things are not happy. My blastos are closed, my mushrooms as well.

[Sniperhank]

Something is going on, that's for sure. I'd keep doing large water changes to address it.

[Riceymo91]

How large? 50%?

[Riceymo91]

And how soon should I do another one? I just did a 25-30% on Saturday

[Sniperhank]

I would do another one around Tues/Weds. Keep in mind, you are just now trying to lower the nitrate levels in the system. If they were 100 for example, a 50% water change would still only be bringing the nitrates to 50...and then they rise again until the next water change. This can be one of the most frustrating parts about addressing nutrient issues in the water column, in whatever form they show up in. It can be a lengthy battle depending on how high the nutrient levels actually are...which is almost always an unknown since the tests will hit 0 when the algae/cyano in our system is at an outbreak large enough to consume them before they can be tested for.

[Riceymo91]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

I would do another one around Tues/Weds. Keep in mind, you are just now trying to lower the nitrate levels in the system. If they were 100 for example, a 50% water change would still only be bringing the nitrates to 50...and then they rise again until the next water change. This can be one of the most frustrating parts about addressing nutrient issues in the water column, in whatever form they show up in. It can be a lengthy battle depending on how high the nutrient levels actually are...which is almost always an unknown since the tests will hit 0 when the algae/cyano in our system is at an outbreak large enough to consume them before they can be tested for.

But I really feel the nitrates isn’t the issue. My nitrates have been steadily at that level for awhile now and the corals where thriving before. It all started after this starfish started dying but I already flushed it and did another water change. Did more tests today, phosphates are 0, calcium is around 500. So I really don’t know what’s wrong

[Sniperhank]

Like I said, algae and cyano growth will consume the nitrates so it won't be able to be detected. I wouldn't even test for phosphates if your test doesn't go under 0. A phosphate level of 0.1 is high and can cause issues. It still won't change that the solution is manual removal and large water changes.

[Riceymo91]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

Like I said, algae and cyano growth will consume the nitrates so it won't be able to be detected. I wouldn't even test for phosphates if your test doesn't go under 0. A phosphate level of 0.1 is high and can cause issues. It still won't change that the solution is manual removal and large water changes.

Okay got it, I’ll keep changing the water! Thanks

[Sniperhank]

No problem. My powder brown showed a cloudy eye today when I woke up. So, water change. Might have only been a 10 on a system over 100 gallons, but it isn't realistic to have huge amounts of water mixed up for everyone. Do as much as you can until you get ahead of it.

[Riceymo91]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

No problem. My powder brown showed a cloudy eye today when I woke up. So, water change. Might have only been a 10 on a system over 100 gallons, but it isn't realistic to have huge amounts of water mixed up for everyone. Do as much as you can until you get ahead of it.

Wow okay, but I shouldn’t do it everyday right?

[Riceymo91]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

No problem. My powder brown showed a cloudy eye today when I woke up. So, water change. Might have only been a 10 on a system over 100 gallons, but it isn't realistic to have huge amounts of water mixed up for everyone. Do as much as you can until you get ahead of it.

Wow okay, but I shouldn’t do it everyday right?

[Sniperhank]

You sure can do water changes everyday. As long as those water changes aren't so large that it will put additional shock onto the livestock in your system. One should never do more than a 50% water change...though not something that is realistic in those of us that have large systems to begin with.

[Riceymo91]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

You sure can do water changes everyday. As long as those water changes aren't so large that it will put additional shock onto the livestock in your system. One should never do more than a 50% water change...though not something that is realistic in those of us that have large systems to begin with.

So I’ve been doing water changes, everything is still in check. I guess only thing I can do is wait it out... ;( just sucks to look at the tank for over a week now and everything is so unhappy. Maybe lighting is too much? 6 hours of white, and then 4 hours of moonlight which is 10% blue. That’s about it. A friend of mine says just leave it on blue for now without white. What do you guys think?

[Sniperhank]

What lighting is this? I'm not really understanding your light schedule. If anything, it'd be blue-white-blue for no more than a 10 hour period. What intensity are things set at?

[Riceymo91]

Originally Posted by Sniperhank

What lighting is this? I'm not really understanding your light schedule. If anything, it'd be blue-white-blue for no more than a 10 hour period. What intensity are things set at?

Well it pretty much is, 100% white for 6 hours and then 10% blue for 4 hours. It’s the Current Marine Pro light

[Sniperhank]

That's pretty odd to have that high of a drop off and not sure why the blue isn't on at the same time as the whites during your 'peak' time. Similar to noon when the sun is high in the sky.
If I remember correctly, this might help.

[Riceymo91]

Alrighty guys! It’s been awhile since I’ve updated my thread! So as you all read above, I had a mini crash due to a rotting starfish. That was in July! 2 months later, everything is once again thriving! Will be posting updated pics now as well!

[KRL]

Looks amazing! Did you lose anything in the crash? What's your current stock?

[Riceymo91]

I lost a bunch of hairy mushrooms that were on a rock, I lost one head of a hammer, I also lost one of my favorites which was the wall hammer. Now my current live stock: I have 2 Davinci Clowns named Ne and Mo , I have 2 purple fire fish and a algae blenny. I have a bunch of different zoa’s, I have a black torch, a double head green torch, I have a hammer, a green frogspawn, a pinkish frogspawn, and a black and gold frogspawn, Kenya tree, Duncan, rainbow bubble tip anemone, orange yuma w/baby, rainbow yuma, orange jawbreaker, rock with a bunch of lava lamp shrooms, green blasto and a red blasto. Have a few more but yeah, thats the majority

[Riceymo91]

And I can’t believe to add my GIGANTIC green bubble coral