Reef Not Acting Right

[sahmof2]

I have had a reef 55 gal tank stocked for about 4 months. I bought it from someone that had it setup for 3 years. It has 110 lbs of live rock. I have chaeto algae in my tank. A week ago the cheato algae started to change a little and hair algea started a little. Now my torch coral and pipe organ I have and glove polyps are not opening completely. I noticed a redish film in the middle of the pipe organ coral. The salinity is around 1.023. Phosphates are less than 0.1. Nitrates,nitrates,ammonia not reading. The alkilinity looks good as well as pH. I recently built an addition for my sump to use as a refugium to put the cheato in that I have not yet added to setup. I may have been overfeeding the corals with liquid playkton and liquid gold. Please help.

 

[SkiFletch]

Hummm, a bunch of things come to mind. Poor circulation leading to dead spots with that much LR. High silicates which its debated as to whether or not they can inhibit calcification and harm corals. Failing lightbulbs leaking UV radiation or improper spectra into the tank. Or perhaps some chemical contamination and/or alleopathic warfare between organisms in the tank.

My reccomendation would be to do a BIG waterchange with matched temp/salinity as soon as possible. Think 50% or more. Then get some carbon and some rowaphos and get those going in the tank somehow to combat silicates and possible chemical contaminants. If the bulbs are older than 2 years, consider replacing those as well.

 

[sahmof2]

I have a T-5 220 watt light that is only 2 months old Which I have measured the light output to be equal to my friends Helide lighting. I have a 900 gph behind the live rock and a 400 gph. I also have a 1400 gph return from the sump which I have verified all to be working. I had a manderin goby to die a week ago that I have not found the remains but I do not have ntitrate, nitrite, or ammonia problems. I did a 10% water change yesterday but can do more.

 

[SkiFletch]

Remember, volume of flowrate means nothing if it's not getting around all your rocks and there are deadspaces. Also remember that while your return pump may be rated for 1400gph, by the time it pumps water up through pipe, fittings, and 4 feet of head its output will be significantly less than its 0 head rating of 1400gph. Probably more like 800gph or less... That's still more than enough "volume" of flow, but if you've got lots of deadspots its not not the best. Anyway you could post pics of the aquascape?

As for the waterchange, go big and don't be afraid to do so. Remember, 5 10% waterchanges does not remove anywhere near the same amount of contamination or water imbalances as one 50% change.

 

[Musho3210]

as long as the water you are using for a change has pretty much matching water params with some exceptions, feel free to change as much water as you feel is needed.

 

[sahmof2]

I have done a couple of 25% water changes. If I do more, corals will be out of water. I have a slime with a redish tint on the pipe organ coral. This slime is preventing the pipe organ polyps from opening. I have placed the coral close to a power head a couple of times to blow off most of the slime for my overflow to remove. Any ideas to beat this redish slime/algae? This slime has only showed up on the pipe organ coral and not anywhere else in the tank.

 

[AndyS]

I have done a couple of 25% water changes. If I do more, corals will be out of water. I have a slime with a redish tint on the pipe organ coral. This slime is preventing the pipe organ polyps from opening. I have placed the coral close to a power head a couple of times to blow off most of the slime for my overflow to remove. Any ideas to beat this redish slime/algae? This slime has only showed up on the pipe organ coral and not anywhere else in the tank.

Redirect constant flow to that area, if the pipe organ can handle the current. Also look into the rotating water deflectors like the Hydor Flo, when i added one of these it ridded all the remaining areas of Cyno i had within a week.

Andy

 

[ReefKing]

I have had a reef 55 gal tank stocked for about 4 months. I bought it from someone that had it setup for 3 years. It has 110 lbs of live rock. I have chaeto algae in my tank. A week ago the cheato algae started to change a little and hair algea started a little. Now my torch coral and pipe organ I have and glove polyps are not opening completely. I noticed a redish film in the middle of the pipe organ coral. The salinity is around 1.023. Phosphates are less than 0.1. Nitrates,nitrates,ammonia not reading. The alkilinity looks good as well as pH. I recently built an addition for my sump to use as a refugium to put the cheato in that I have not yet added to setup. I may have been overfeeding the corals with liquid playkton and liquid gold. Please help.

What are your water parameters? Like others said the red film is cyan bacteria. It is caused by low flow rates. I have a 120 gal. w/ 65 gal sump with over 4000 gal/hr circulating in mine and still have a tiny dead spot.

 

[SkiFletch]

It is caused by low flow rates.

Hah, if only it were that simple. While low water flow might create a beneficial area for cyanobacteria it still needs things like lights and certain nutrients to grow. If you eliminate the nutrients you onquer the bacteria .

To the OP, I suggest reading through the sticky atop the marine chit chat section in the startup thread about cyano