goldenbasketreef Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 My suggestion is to make thing simple and back to basic. Carbon 24/7 and GFO 24/7 offline and let the skimmer do the job If you are afraid nutrient level climbing up then cut down on feeding Go back to basic salt like IO or you can do 50/50 IO & RC I run 20-30 NO3 and 0.08-0.1 PO4, I can assure you coral will not loose color and no nuisance algae issue 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totroc3 Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 After reading through your information twice and reading all the comments, I believe that Higher Thinking may have hit on the problem which is a piece of your equipment leaching something into your water. I have read about this on another website where others had this problem. Of course that’s just my opinion but if it was my tank that’s where I would start. To me it makes perfect sense since you had a lot of success running your tank before this occurred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenJeans Posted August 12, 2021 Author Share Posted August 12, 2021 Great advice, thanks. I've turned off the nopox, carbon, gfo, and uv. Now it's running socks, chaeto, skimmer, and 2 part, we'll see how things develop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenJeans Posted August 12, 2021 Author Share Posted August 12, 2021 I'll also take a close look at all my equipment - reef octopus pumps, titanium heaters, apex probes, and a JBJ chiller...ICP OES came back pretty clean though high on iron (probably from too much gfo) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obrien.david.j Posted August 12, 2021 Share Posted August 12, 2021 One more question - Have you sent your water out to be tested, for the broader spectrum stuff? I sent mine out last month via Eli's Oceamo test service. Got it back last Monday, with a couple of surprises. Completely out of Iodine (Zero, Nada) Low on Manganese and Molybdenum High on Zinc (maybe something leaching) I appreciate how clear it read, and the extra interpretation comments written at the end. (not pasted) Might be worth it, looking for pollutants. (there are other testing services out there too) https://www.pnwmas.org/forums/topic/49073-introducing-oceamo-seawater-analysis-now-available-in-the-us/?tab=comments#comment-475843 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandVib3s Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 19 hours ago, obrien.david.j said: One more question - Have you sent your water out to be tested, for the broader spectrum stuff? I sent mine out last month via Eli's Oceamo test service. Got it back last Monday, with a couple of surprises. Completely out of Iodine (Zero, Nada) Low on Manganese and Molybdenum High on Zinc (maybe something leaching) I appreciate how clear it read, and the extra interpretation comments written at the end. (not pasted) Might be worth it, looking for pollutants. (there are other testing services out there too) https://www.pnwmas.org/forums/topic/49073-introducing-oceamo-seawater-analysis-now-available-in-the-us/?tab=comments#comment-475843 Zinc could be from a lotion, deodorant,shampoo if your sweating into the tank it could be those. Low Iodine wow,lol I randomly hand dose Iodine in my system glad I do now. Also check if you have metal framing for hood/lights that might be flaking into the tank? Idk just some thoughts. Hope it helps,also sunscreen has zinc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obrien.david.j Posted August 13, 2021 Share Posted August 13, 2021 1 hour ago, islandVib3s said: Zinc could be from a lotion, deodorant,shampoo if your sweating into the tank it could be those. Low Iodine wow,lol I randomly hand dose Iodine in my system glad I do now. Also check if you have metal framing for hood/lights that might be flaking into the tank? Idk just some thoughts. Hope it helps,also sunscreen has zinc Good insights. I don't think I'm sweating into the tank, and no lotion. I'll check my favorite soap I use before putting my hands into the tank. All glass tank, no metal framing. Aluminum 8020 bar holds lights over the tank... So It's time for a hunt in the equipment room. Zinc COULD be from galvanized screws I've used to build the equipment stands/etc. I'll go looking for an older one, corroding, without pain on it, and dripping into the sump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandVib3s Posted August 15, 2021 Share Posted August 15, 2021 On 8/13/2021 at 1:51 PM, obrien.david.j said: Good insights. I don't think I'm sweating into the tank, and no lotion. I'll check my favorite soap I use before putting my hands into the tank. All glass tank, no metal framing. Aluminum 8020 bar holds lights over the tank... So It's time for a hunt in the equipment room. Zinc COULD be from galvanized screws I've used to build the equipment stands/etc. I'll go looking for an older one, corroding, without pain on it, and dripping into the sump. You find it yet? Just wondering in case I run into problems later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obrien.david.j Posted August 15, 2021 Share Posted August 15, 2021 1 hour ago, islandVib3s said: You find it yet? Just wondering in case I run into problems later No. nothing obvious. Tank, hood, light rack/etc are all new, as of August last year. Equipment room setup was mostly re-done May last year. A couple of painted shelves are original from many years ago. Equipment reused, which has age. GenX pumps (all plastic impellers), 1/3hp Chiller. Any chance chiller "coils" aren't 100% titanium and have zinc in the middle? Chiller has been in service since the mid 90's. Has been removed and descaled a couple of times. (and serviced, recharged, etc) But I have found nothing obvious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenbasketreef Posted August 16, 2021 Share Posted August 16, 2021 Zinc target level is 5 microgram/L and usually when you have higher level could come from salt and trace elements additive If you don't add it is usually will drop down to about 1-3 microgram/L level, at that 9 microgram/L wont affect the coral Redsea ABCD additive are loaded with Zinc, Redsea Iodine has 12mcrgram/L, ESV Calcium has 9 mcrgram/L, Tropic Marine Salt has 1.0 mcrgram/L, Redsea Potassium has 6mcrgram/L, Redsea Iron has 16900 mcrgram/L (loaded), and Redsea Bioactive has 36 mcrgram/L So does many other metal as minor trace elements will be in this type of additive This is why if we are not aware and just adding additive by following other people success with it multiply that with multiple brands use, possible of overdosing is high possibility. We are setting ourselves for tank crash without us knowing it. I just gave examples above on the brand that I have done ICP to know what in it before I use the additive in my system Boron my target level is 7 mcrgram/L, Strontium my target level at 10, and Molybdenum level at 15, these minor trace elements help with healing and growth for all corals and zoa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obrien.david.j Posted August 16, 2021 Share Posted August 16, 2021 Thanks - Great inputs. I've got to watch what i put in closer. Generally I have not been using any general additives. but clearly I need to do some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenJeans Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 Quick update - I turned off the nopox, removed the carbon, GFO, and UV around 2 weeks ago, and started lowering the alk. Parameters seem okay (alk still a little high at 8.3 on the hannah, 7.6 on the triton) except Phosphate is 0.43. Do I really over-feed that much, or is there something else going on here? No apparent change to coral growth. I need to get this phosphate under control, then I'll do some Oceamo testing. One more note - it's running ~3gal/day auto water change... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylaster Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Saw this thread and i just restarted my 312 gallon tank that had the same issue. All my soft corals zoas, anemones fish etc etc are fine, but anything with a hard skeleton died slowly over 2-3 months. I did have a discussion with another reefer with the same issue and he thought it might be a dinoflagellate called ostreopsis ovata. It is toxic to hard corals and will kill them over time. I am not sure if that was teh issue or not. I did end up shutting my tank down. Here is what i did Acid washed all the rocks and let sit in fresh water for 2 weeks. Cleaned the tank and sump out and checked for any rust or signs of metal contamination (none found) Replaced my mp 40 wetsides Replaced my main return pump with a spare i had (hammerhead rated at 6,000 gph) Cleaned my calcium reactor. Added a dos dosing system to my apex and tied that in with the trident and calcium reactor to minimize the amount of alk, ca and mg swings Added a salinity monitor to the apex Changing over my radion gen ones to radion gen5 blues Cleaned skimmer and pump throughly, inspected for any type of rust on screws on the pump. Started tank back up filled with ro/di water (new filters on rodi) Let tank set for 2 weeks Added salt and put in rocks again and let sit a week Then i added a couple pieces of live rock that i saved to repopulate the system with coraline. So far system has show great health again. All old corals and fish are back in system and thriving. I have added a few tester hard corals and they have been doing great for 3 weeks now. In the end do i know what caused the issue? No, but doing a complete reboot of the tank seems to have helped. Ill try and keep some updates posted as things go along. I do plan on adding a reef octopus biopellet reactor in the near future to help with the nitrates. Currently the parameters are salinity 1.025 Temp 77 deg f alk 8.5 ca 462 mg 1289 ph 8.24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stylaster Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 oh forgot to add the tank has been up and running for 6 years before i had an issue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oregonic Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 (edited) My last tank I had up and running for several years. With exception of monti caps and one birds nest, all sps I would add would survive for 2-3 months. They would hold colors decent, but no growth or PE. At the 2-3 month mark they would either RTN or STN. Upgraded to a new tank and have had great success with sticks. Was never able to figure out the direct cause, but do have a few theories. Edited August 24, 2021 by Oregonic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenJeans Posted September 15, 2021 Author Share Posted September 15, 2021 I had an ah-hah/face-palm moment when I realized that I've been neglecting my over-complicated refugium. I removed all the rubble and vacuumed out TONS of detritus. I'm hoping this constant source of organics breaking down was causing the problems. I'm giving the tank time to run stable for a while to see how things respond, so far I have no further coral losses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenJeans Posted October 8, 2021 Author Share Posted October 8, 2021 Just an update - corals are recovering and growing, phosphate is stable around .09 ppm without any gfo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youcallmenny Posted October 9, 2021 Share Posted October 9, 2021 (edited) Watching this. My tank is about to turn 4 and hasn't really ever grown any polyps. My last tank grew corals like weeds. Edited October 10, 2021 by youcallmenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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