Corals keep dying... What am I doing wrong?

[brilovescats]

I've spent the last hour carefully reading every post/suggestion in this thread from your first post as it all sounded fairly familiar.

I am DYING to see the Triton tests!!

I feel like I've been battling a very similar situation, using similar equipment (2x XR15 pro, carbon, GFO. No zeo tho, nor 0 NO3s or PO4s).

Tagging along to see what the tests says!

Sounds really similar. I stopped the Zeo a couple weeks ago on the advice of the kind folks here. We'll see how it goes. Sadly, Triton is difficult to get here, I could only find one supplier in all of Canada, and their wholesaler only ships them to Germany on the 14th of every month. This mean two more weeks before it will even get there.

 

[VTek]

Any update yet on the Triton?

 

[brilovescats]

I just checked - there is nothing in my account yet. I got a notification on March 22 that they had scanned the barcode, but the report still has not been posted. As a quick update, my Bryopsis and GHA is about 95% gone, and I have a few SPS that are now growing like weeds! Looks like you guys fixed my issues... Only odd one is that my Nitrate has gone up to 4ppm since last week, but no effects in my tank so far.

 

[edosan]

It is, check it good, not in the bar code

 

[brilovescats]

It is, check it good, not in the bar code

Sorry - Not quite sure what you meant.

 

[edosan]

If you have the email by 22, your test is ready, check triton page good, if the bar code conection is not in colour your test is done!
100%sure

 

[edosan]

Ask here any doubt: https://m.facebook.com/groups/729738600413073?tsid=0.95760848370495&source=typeahead

 

[brilovescats]

If you have the email by 22, your test is ready, check triton page good, if the bar code conection is not in colour your test is done!
100%sure

I don't see it there...

 

[edosan]

Wierd, dis you took a picture of the code?
Send them an email asking, usually it takes no longer than 2 or 3 days

 

[edosan]

Try the facebook page or [email protected]

 

[edosan]

Ok, sorry, my mistake.
In US, it takes longer...The scanned code was in US, they need to send the sample to Germany...and that takes more days...like 15 in total. You will recieve another email when arrives to germany and then 3 days.
In Chile is different...sorry

 

[brilovescats]

Hey guys -

Just thought I'd give you another update... This is about 5 weeks after I added Fluconazole. Most of the corals pictured below (the ones not permanently affixed yet) have been living and thriving in my tank for about 2.5-4 weeks depending on the coral. I would say - you all saved me from giving up on the hobby and quitting altogether (which is basically where I was at). Still no sign of the Triton test results, and I will post when I get them. Parameter updates (running filter sock -> chaeto -> skimming - > GFO/Carbon -> Return pump) and adding Vibrant every 2x a week (I'll stop that next week and go back to normal Vibrant dosing q2weeks):
Sal 1.025 (I got a refractometer)
pH 7.96
NH3 0.001ppm
NH4 22.18
O2 8.4
Nitrate 4ppm (spiked up to 4 this week, but I think that's because of the increased inhabitants/feeding)
Phosphate 0.01ppm
Ca 415ppm
Alk 15.7 (high, I know, it was 8.9 last week, but I added a bunch of kH because the pH was going too low at night)
Mg 1200ppm
K+ 440 ppm (up from almost zero post-Zeolite)
I 0.075
Fe 0 ppm (I've been dosing, not sure why this isn't going up, but I'm not too worried about it)

 

[shovelhead]

Don't chase the PH let it do what it's going to do. Concentrate on keeping alkalinity as stable as possible.

 

[brilovescats]

Don't chase the PH let it do what it's going to do. Concentrate on keeping alkalinity as stable as possible.

Will do. I was just worried about the other stuff that comes with pH shift... But I'll trust you. I know red sea suggests a high KH where AF keeps theirs around 8. What's good in your experience?

 

[shovelhead]

This is my opinion. If you want to keep high phosphate and nitrate then you can keep alkalinity high (10/11). If you like to keep things cleaner and have low phosphate and nitrate then you want alkalinity lower (8/9). Everything is a balancing act, lol.

 

[Rick.45cal]

You need low alkalinity if you keep undetectable nutrients. You can have higher alkalinities if you maintain nitrates and phosphates.

I'd stay where you are at NO3 wise and not worry about it, everything is clearly happy. Just keep feeding and doing what you are doing.

I'm glad to see such a dramatic turnaround in your tank!

 

[Rick.45cal]

Don't sweat the iron not showing up in the tests. It is quickly changed into a form that's undetectable once in the system. Even Triton's ICP test has trouble detecting it. (Think about it iron in a corrosive enviornment, it doesn't stick around very long).

 

[Rick.45cal]

Let the alkalinity drop slowly on it's own

 

[brilovescats]

Sounds good - I didn't know that the Fe would disappear into the system so quickly, but good to know. I will only dose small amounts of it here and there, then.

Great to know about the relationship between higher Alk and nitrates. I'm actually pretty happy with where the nitrates are currently, despite them being higher than "normal". The guy at the LFS had always told me to keep the nitrates at 0, but now that I know more, it makes total sense for them to be <5, around 1-2ppm.

 

[Paul J]

Hi I agree tank water too clean. Place a piece of Polyfilter in the filter system and monitor the colour changes look out for the following colours - Blue = copper, Light green = Ammonia, Orange = Aluminium, Yellow = Lead. Black over a long period of time = Heavy Organics
I got an orange in my Copepod bucket and Ammonia in another