Guys I'm so discouraged, P***** Off, ready to give up

[mandyplo]

I've put so much money and time into this tank trying to rescue it from my boyfriends and turn it around... It was finally starting to clear up and look good and I'm right back to square one. I don't know what I'm doing wrong I don't know how to fix it I don't even know WHAT IS wrong... All my tests come back fine, I'm doing everything I'm supposed to, I have a sump now, I have 45 lbs live rock 20lbs Eco rock, I have a skimmer I use RO/DI water I do weekly 20% water changes, I have high quality salt I have high end expensive test kits I have a filter from brs that doesn't bleeping work! They are taking for ever to replace it my MasterCard is maxed out I'm a poor-a** university student, I can't buy a new better filter until I get a refund for this if BRS will even refund me... In the meantime I have a tetra HOB filter with carbon and gfo media bags until I can get a proper filter again, I put filter floss (that poly-fil quilt batting stuff, yes the hypoallergenic kind) in my sump today in two places where my water is forced to flow through it...

My tank is cloudy green and I cannot clear it up. It was clear for about a week and now it's gone to sh-- again. One of my corals died from RTN last night in sure from my water. I'm at a loss, I'm frustrated exhausted discouraged hysterical and have spent the whole time typing this while crying. I do not know what to do....

The time about a week ago when the tank finally went clear again was when I had my lights off for about a month... As soon as we turned the lights back on and lowered them over a weeks time is when this happened again.

Pardon my french and sorry for my poor language... I'm just so .... frustrated!!!

In need of some serious guidance here is my sad excuse of a reef tank:

[wmcinnes]

Okay, easy does it! No need to panic. The friendly folk of Canreef will help you through this.

First things first, what are your parameters that you are getting with your test kits. Calcium, Magnesium, Alkalinity, Salinity, Phosphate, Nitrate??

If the water is green like you say, a large water change ~50% may be in order.

Also, I am curious as to what kind of 'filter' you are talking about..? If you have a sump w/ protein skimmer. And are running some sort of carbon/GFO media you should be good without one. Canister filters tend to do more wrong than right when it comes to a reef tank. They have been coined the name 'Nitrate Factories'.

The picture of your tank shows me promise, so I would not worry too much. It can get turned around.

[Northernseacorals]

Do not fret about the canister filter, I've used them exclusively on reef tanks in the past with no problems, your filter is just fine

As another member said, I would look into a larger water change and possibly run a little carbon and GFO (Granulated Ferric Oxide) double check your temperature settings; also if possible try another test kit.

[Nizzmo]

perhaps some of your filter media wasn't properly cleaned prior to putting it in the tank? I've seen stuff like that before in my tanks if I don't wash them good... But it eventually goes away...

[wmcinnes]

The fact that her tank cleared up when the lights were out for a month and then went bad again after they were turned on leads me to believe that it is a nitrate or phosphate problem

[mandyplo]

Originally Posted by wmcinnes

Okay, easy does it! No need to panic. The friendly folk of Canreef will help you through this.

First things first, what are your parameters that you are getting with your test kits. Calcium, Magnesium, Alkalinity, Salinity, Phosphate, Nitrate??

If the water is green like you say, a large water change ~50% may be in order.

Also, I am curious as to what kind of 'filter' you are talking about..? If you have a sump w/ protein skimmer. And are running some sort of carbon/GFO media you should be good without one. Canister filters tend to do more wrong than right when it comes to a reef tank. They have been coined the name 'Nitrate Factories'.

The picture of your tank shows me promise, so I would not worry too much. It can get turned around.

I had the dual carbon & gfo reactor from BRS. It didnt work straight out of the box - gfo wouldn't tumble and no water would run out of the product line.

[wmcinnes]

Thats crappy. Is that what you meant by 'filter' in the first post?

I would at least get some media bags and put carbon in one and GFO in the other and put them in a high flow area of the sump for the time being. Until you get another media reactor.

[mandyplo]

Originally Posted by Northernseacorals

Do not fret about the canister filter, I've used them exclusively on reef tanks in the past with no problems, your filter is just fine

As another member said, I would look into a larger water change and possibly run a little carbon and GFO (Granulated Ferric Oxide) double check your temperature settings; also if possible try another test kit.

I am running carbon and gfo I stated that in my post.

[jagermaier]

What kind of lights are you using? It might just be a lighting problem you have. How old are your bulbs?

[mandyplo]

Originally Posted by wmcinnes

Thats crappy. Is that what you meant by 'filter' in the first post?

I would at least get some media bags and put carbon in one and GFO in the other and put them in a high flow area of the sump for the time being. Until you get another media reactor.

This is exactly what I did, yes my "reactor" is not working so I have carbon and gfo in media bags in a HOB tetra filter which is running on my tank.