2 issues- Algae and Dying torch

[reefwithareefer]

ReefPilot
Yes , everyday. I have 235 or so gals. I exchange roughly 2 gals a day. It is actully approx 1.75 gals. so in 21 day I exchange approx 37 gals. That is 16 percent in three weeks. How is that excessive?

I do changes everyday because i believe it keeps all my parameters more consistent. If i change out 37 gals in one shot, my parameters will change much more drastically and it makes it harder to know what amounts to dose etc.

Yes, I use a refractometer. In fact I have 2. I calibrate once a month. I am consitently at 1.025. I check the tanks and holding tank, as I have the apex/tunze doing the topping off of the evaporated saltwater every hour, 24 hrs a day. The water is all run thru the refugium, so it mixes well, then to the sump and back up to the display.



Denny

When I say "just the clear, light brown slime left" I mean that while it is dying, that is what you see. Once it was dead to the skeleton part there was nothing left, nor is/was there anything while dying. What I see is the tentacles dying off, they go kinda clear/brown as they dye and float away in tiny pieces. This occurred over a 3 to 4 day period.

Does that mean that I have Brown Jelly. I took it as the brown jelly was left clinging to the skeleton or was there before the lps died.. Sorry, I am a lil confused and trying to make sure I understand everything. When I look at the pics, it does not seem to look anything like it.

The other LPS just sucked himself into the skeleton and never came out again, or at least that is all i saw happening.

On a side note, I may be moving out to Calgary, so I will have to come look at your new digs. I saw the posts you put up. Looks pretty cool. Plus no point in bring my old tank with me, when I can get a new one..

Sorry, what is "fwiw"?


Yeah, go Hawks!!

[reefwithareefer]

Geesh, the more i post and describe my stuff, the more I see myself as obsessed with this hobby. I admitted to having 2 refractometers!!! Oh geesh, is this how it happens..Ugh...More therapy I suppose.. lol

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by reefwithareefer

ReefPilot
Yes , everyday. I have 235 or so gals. I exchange roughly 2 gals a day. It is actully approx 1.75 gals. so in 21 day I exchange approx 37 gals. That is 16 percent in three weeks. How is that excessive?

I do changes everyday because i believe it keeps all my parameters more consistent. If i change out 37 gals in one shot, my parameters will change much more drastically and it makes it harder to know what amounts to dose etc.

Yes, I use a refractometer. In fact I have 2. I calibrate once a month. I am consitently at 1.025. I check the tanks and holding tank, as I have the apex/tunze doing the topping off of the evaporated saltwater every hour, 24 hrs a day. The water is all run thru the refugium, so it mixes well, then to the sump and back up to the display.

Well, you get a much higher turnover of water and export of nutrients by changing 16% of water every 3 weeks, instead of that same amount doing 1.75 gallons every day. Plus creating a lot of work for yourself. Ideally, should change about 20% every 2 weeks.

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

Well, you get a much higher turnover of water and export of nutrients by changing 16% of water every 3 weeks, instead of that same amount doing 1.75 gallons every day. Plus creating a lot of work for yourself. Ideally, should change about 20% every 2 weeks.

i dont understand or my math is wrong but ....... ....how does removing 16% every three weeks better than removing the same amount rationed daily?

[Masonjames]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

Well, you get a much higher turnover of water and export of nutrients by changing 16% of water every 3 weeks, instead of that same amount doing 1.75 gallons every day. Plus creating a lot of work for yourself. Ideally, should change about 20% every 2 weeks.

That's not actually entirely correct. In an emergency situation, yes a single large percentage water change will be far more effective then the same percentage being changed by smaller multiple changes. But when these two identical percentages are changed over a bi weekly, monthly, etc. period of time the difference of both removal and additions is very very small. A few percent, to points of a percent. So one could argue this is less effective, but the difference is literally so small that it's nearly irrelevant.

Switching to a dialy water change schedule has made my workload easier for me to maintain. Doing my daiky change takes 15-30 seconds and I am done. The same amount of time it takes me to peak into my sump room and make sure everything is running and working. I no longer need to heat the water, I can mix a month or two and store it, at anytime that is convenient for me, not a given day deligated by my water change schedule. Never mind reducing potential stressors on the system by doing larger percent water changes. To me this works best for my schedule. But I certianky wouldn't say its a fit fr everyone.

[Masonjames]

Originally Posted by reefwithareefer

First off, thanks for your responses.

I am not sure about my nutrients. I have no algae growing on anything but the glass. If I spray the rocks etc with a baster, very little, to nothing comes off the item

If I have not changed my husbandry methods and there is more algae now then in then summer, does that not imply that the sunlight does play a factor. It does seem to make sense.

I feed mysis, brine and copepods in the a.m. I have 12 fish, about 24" total for a 180 DT. The food is gone within 1 min. I have the apex feeder that dishes out about 20 pellets twice a day. once at 12 and again at 5. The pellets are gone within 30 seconds.

I either add phyto, fuel, coral frenzy, reefroids etc once a day and less than what is recommended.

I have a bubble king 180 skimmer that is never overworking in my limited experience.

I have all my equipment in the basement. The sump and refugium have zero amount of algae on the glass. The refugium runs halides and CF. Halides are on while they are of in the DT, as are the CFs

I set up a reverse algae scubber in the hopes of not using any carbon. I can not get algae to grow, no matter how many different setups I try. It barely even grows on the glass where the lights are against it. Whats does grow is the typical green slimy algae, not the reddish brown stuff that is like dust, that grows on my DT

Does this not say I have no nutrient issue?

Still at a loss as to why LPS have died and acted funny, while everything else is flourishing.

I love this hobby, but sometimes a simple reason/solution would be nice.

Once again, I do appreciate all the different opions. Thanks

Why not try and take those coral foods offline for awhile and see if that helps With the algae. Those foods are not necessary and I assure you, if your fish have fat bellys your shrimp your crabs your etc etc. are all getting fed, your corals are getting there share too.

The ats can be really tricky to get to take. Especially a reverse. I've ran an ats but for the opposite reasons I assume you are wanting to. But maybe i should ask why you are wanting to run one? Like any form of life, algae needs To feed. You need to create that envioroment where it can thrive. Do you really want to be promoting an environment where it can thrive? Or would you rather promote an environment where it's not so ideal for it? non the less there can be certain benefits from doing so (also negatives) if you choose but just keep in mind that they can be tricky to get going and maintain. So your attempts may or may not have been limited by available nutrients. The algae on the glass can find a meal so there is food to be had.

I understand you seem to be only limited to the algae on the glass. Which you very well may be, and being the tank is receiving more sunlight recently it could very well be the cause for an increase in growth. But as I said before, the only way the algae that is growing on your glass can get an availabe meal is through the water column. So your water has algae fertilizer floating around in it. Is this a nutrient problem? I don't know. Is the algae doing you a favor and consuming 100% of the extra nutrients that are availabe? or is there a percent of the extra not being consumed and is getting sinked someplace else? When you clean your glass of the algae is 100% of that algae and the nutrients they consumed being removed and filtered out?
The algae problem really could be a s simple as your just fertilizing the tank with too much of that fancy "food". Ditch all the extra for while and see if that helps. I'm only trying to stress that the nutrients are there. Work to fix it before those nutrients start to be stored elsewhere else.

I am on board with the gallon a day water change ; ) that be what I do! I don't have mine automated though. Takes about 20 seconds and I'm done. Made maintenance so much more simple for me.

The loss of the corals. Strange indeed. Contamination, disease, etc. all a possible cause.