38 Gallon Mixed Reef Cube Newbie

[philg3]

Your parameters seem pretty good. Still only the Sailfin Blenny in there? Do you feed heavy or only enough for the blenny? You could be right, maybe the system is starved for nutrients.

You've got a pretty small tank with a big skimmer (BM5 rated up to 140G) and a refugium, and the system is just being stripped of all the nutrients. 6 month old tank with no algae and the refugium dying off are pretty good indicators.

At this point it's almost like you're running an ULNS (Ultra Low Nutrient System). I don't have a lot of experience with these systems, but I know that the theory is to almost starve the system and then feed it only the nutrients you want. The Zeovit method is an ULNS and a good example.

You could go a couple of ways at this point to increase your nutrient levels:
-Add some fish to the system and start feeding heavier
-Start feeding the corals directly using Reef-Roids, Reef Snow, Red Sea Reef Energy, Aquavitro Reef Fuel Etc. Etc.
-Take the skimmer offline?

I'm not an expert and personally have never had an ULNS or a problem similar to this, so hopefully some who has direct experience can also chime in.

[Tigweldpro]

Stock list

1 Sailfin Blenny(very fat)
4 small(1 1/2") Perc clownfish
1 yellow watchman goby(actually grey and female)
1 large tiger pistol shrimp
1 small yellow corris wrasse
1 skunk cleaner shrimp
3 trocus snails
3 hermit crabs
2 RBTA (anemone)

1 green birdsnest
1 candycane coral 7 heads
1 fathead dendro
1 frogspawn 3 heads
1 richordia mushroom
1 featherduster
2 orange plating monti
1 war coral
1 devils hand leather
1 pink gorgonian(small)
various zoas/palys, discosoma mushrooms & GSP

Feeding 1/2 cube mysis a day and reef roids/raw shrimp for coral 2x a week.

I believe the Kalk may be responsible cause I really slowly increased dose over 2 months from 1/2 tsp per 10L upto 3 tsp per 10L but always dosing 1000ml per night. At fist I had a lot of algae but it slowly went away as I increased the kalk.

At this point I'm not sure if I should stop Kalk and move to 2 part or start feeding a lot heavier and get a small amount of bio pellets going for the nitrate issue.....

[Frogger]

It could be a combination of things, higher nitrate and Kalkwasser. Zero phosphate is not good. I lost half of my corals a few months ago when I let my phosphate get to 0. I was dosing KNO3 at the time and as the KNO3 increased the corals, the algae, the coralline algae all starting using up the phosphate and it crashed. I was running GFO at the time which made it worse.

I need to add nitrate to colour up my corals. So I am now adding KPO4 to keep my phosphate at a readable level and adding KNO3 to keep my corals colourful.

[Tigweldpro]

Originally Posted by Frogger

It could be a combination of things, higher nitrate and Kalkwasser. Zero phosphate is not good. I lost half of my corals a few months ago when I let my phosphate get to 0. I was dosing KNO3 at the time and as the KNO3 increased the corals, the algae, the coralline algae all starting using up the phosphate and it crashed. I was running GFO at the time which made it worse.

I need to add nitrate to colour up my corals. So I am now adding KPO4 to keep my phosphate at a readable level and adding KNO3 to keep my corals colourful.

What is your source for KPO4? Potassium phosphate correct?
I think I need to get some phosphate in my tank asap.I have shut down my skimmer and added 50ml of tumbling bio pellets I am also going to feed a full mysis cube until I get a phosphate reading. I have never ran bio pellets without a skimmer...... I wonder how this will turn out 2 garbage cans full of fresh SW ready to go if something goes bad....

[Frogger]

I purchased my bulk potassium phosphate from a local fresh water fish supply company.

You can also buy Seachem Flourish Phosphorus additive available from most fish stores. Be very careful with KPO4 a little goes a long way.

[philg3]

Man just remember to take it slow. Don't shut off the Skimmer, that wasn't a great suggestion. I'd decrease the kalk dosage back to where you had it originally and then see if the bio pellets help bring down your nitrates.

[Frogger]

Before you add phosphates stop using Kalk and see what happens.

Try to balance the nitrates and phosphates with the foods you add. What type of foods are you feeding? Frozen foods (like mysis) tend to have a better nitrogen to phosphorus ratio than other prepared foods or flake or pellets ie foods that didn't come from the ocean or a lake.

In my case I have to add phosphates because I have to add nitrates. You don't need to add nitrates.