Requesting help... 15 gallon AIO Reef tank debacle

[Antho446]

Hello everybody, FNG here to R2R forums. I have a 15 gallon AIO that I have used to experiment and try out reefing for the first time bought it 2 years ago. (The tank was a 100 bucks, why the hell not give it spin.) I have a lot of freshwater experience, and once I mastered that I thought entering the reefing hobby wouldn't be a bad idea.
I'll get the the break down of what is my equipment.
-RO/DI Aquatic Life Buddy
- 15 gallon AIO Innovative Marine aquarium
- Substrate: Caribsea Aragonite
(In Refugium)
> inTank Media Basket (aquarium floss top chamber) other chambers are empty
> Custom basket in next section holding Crushed Live Rock and Chaeto (added submersible RGB light with chaeto for growth).
> Aqua Ready NANO Bullet-1 Protein Skimmer
> Sicce Scuba contactless heater (50W) set to 78 degrees
> Spin stream nozzle to OEM pump
> AI Prime 16HD
- Live Stock
(inverts)
3 red hermits
2 blue hermits
1 pin cushion urchin
1 blue button urchin
1 Feather duster
1 Acid Rock Flower anemone
1 Ultra Green Bubble Tip anemone
1 Sexy shrimp
1 Trochus snail
Added Galaxy pod and Eco pods
Isopods spotted in tank and thriving

(Fish)
1 Clarkii clown (murderer)
1 Regal Damsel
2 Banggai Cardinals

(Corals)
Toxic Torch
Facination Galaxea
Splash Safari Chalic
Zoa Colony
Red Setosa Montipora
Random acropora (was a freebie/ no info)

Testing equipment
API Reef kit
Refractometer
Hanna Test equipment (on its way to me)

Now to explain my issues, the tank is 1Y 6M old, I just added my Zoa colony and Montipora, Zoa colony is not happy (closed with a few opening here and there.) The random freebie I got just bleached and my chalic hasn't been happy since I added it a month ago (skeleton is peeking out), my rock flower is loving it and is very happy/vibrant but my bubble tip is closed and pale in the middle... I'm in panic. I have noticed alot of algae in my refugium for a while now, I try to manually clean it out but to no avail of eradicating it. To make matters worse... I found a Aiptasia hanging out in my refugium (Time of post 1st sighting).
Recent parameters: 1/3/2025
kh - 161-179
Phos - 0ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm
Calcium - 500ppm
Water changes are done weekly/ biweekly (5 gallons) with RO/DI water and Instant ocean Reef Crystals to reach salinity 1.026
Feedings are heavy 1 a day with Seachem flakes (waiting on my hatchery to come in for brine and supplement)
I purchased Neophos and Neonitro and dosed 2 days ago, I took a quick Nitrate test and STILL at zero...
I took a peak at my chaeto and it isn't really growing
I know I'm doing something wrong here and seeking a little help from the community.
Is my cycle dead? What should I dose? Do I dose at all? What are my next steps/ how do I approach my solution. I've reached a point where I'm lost.
I will add photos when I can

 

[Antho446]

Here are some photos, the buildup on the live rock also has been annoying, I try to blow it off with a pipette before doing water changes

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Sorry that you’re having trouble. I’m sure you’ll get some help here. What I notice is zero nitrate and phosphate, which is not good for corals they need nutrition in the water. One feeding a day is usually not enough for marine fish, I feed 3-4 times per day. I would remove the chaeto and skimmer for now, your tank is over filtered IMO. My 15 gallon has only a hob filter to run activated carbon, too much filtration is not good. I notice no powerheads listed, do you have good water movement? I have 2 sicce powerheads in my 15 plus the hob filter, flow is very important. What intensity is your AI Prime? Mine is set at 70% on my 15 gallon. Your tank looks very nice, I’m sure just a few minor tweaks will set you right.

 

[Antho446]

Sorry that you’re having trouble. I’m sure you’ll get some help here. What I notice is zero nitrate and phosphate, which is not good for corals they need nutrition in the water. One feeding a day is usually not enough for marine fish, I feed 3-4 times per day. I would remove the chaeto and skimmer for now, your tank is over filtered IMO. My 15 gallon has only a hob filter to run activated carbon, too much filtration is not good. I notice no powerheads listed, do you have good water movement? I have 2 sicce powerheads in my 15 plus the hob filter, flow is very important. What intensity is your AI Prime? Mine is set at 70% on my 15 gallon. Your tank looks very nice, I’m sure just a few minor tweaks will set you right.

Thank you for the response, My AI is running using the BRS AB+ profile. The only power head that I really have is the orbital spin stream attached to the return pump from the refugium (I was told that would be enough) and a cheapie that I use to help stir my bucket of salt mix for water changes.
Ill have to look into an auto feeder to get more feeding in throughout the day (I work 12hrs/day and live solo).
To pull that chaeto I have to solve that issue with the Aiptasia. I'm not sure if he's attached to the box or the glass.
I will remove the skimmer, reason I added it was during the algae bloom stage it was REALLY bad and lasted 3 months, everywhere I looked for a solution pointed to a skimmer and chaeto. (pic attached below).

Where would I aim to add more flow if I want and added a power head

 

[Nano_Tuners]

Zoas/LPS like dirty water. I find even my anemones prefer a little dirty water vs pristine. I have great success w zoas around 1ppm Nitrate and 1-2ppm phosphate

Might consider dosing a little reef roids occasionally into the water column, that will quickly raise your phosphate numbers

15g is tough to keep things balanced in, honestly I would cut down the water change routine to about 3 gallons per week. Do you have a dedicated grow light in the back for your chaeto? its prob not gonna do much on a small aio hidden away in the filtration without direct refugium light. You can scrape the black off the back section of the AIO and mount a cheap little amazon grow light to the glass for a few bucks. Ive found a solid chaeto refugium the heart of stability in my AIO filtration systems.

 

[Nano_Tuners]

Thank you for the response, My AI is running using the BRS AB+ profile. The only power head that I really have is the orbital spin stream attached to the return pump from the refugium (I was told that would be enough) and a cheapie that I use to help stir my bucket of salt mix for water changes.
Ill have to look into an auto feeder to get more feeding in throughout the day (I work 12hrs/day and live solo).
To pull that chaeto I have to solve that issue with the Aiptasia. I'm not sure if he's attached to the box or the glass.
I will remove the skimmer, reason I added it was during the algae bloom stage it was REALLY bad and lasted 3 months, everywhere I looked for a solution pointed to a skimmer and chaeto. (pic attached below).

Where would I aim to add more flow if I want and added a power head

is this pic the tank condition now? the other pic looks completely different.

 

[Antho446]

Zoas/LPS like dirty water. I find even my anemones prefer a little dirty water vs pristine. I have great success w zoas around 1ppm Nitrate and 1-2ppm phosphate

Might consider dosing a little reef roids occasionally into the water column, that will quickly raise your phosphate numbers

15g is tough to keep things balanced in, honestly I would cut down the water change routine to about 3 gallons per week. Do you have a dedicated grow light in the back for your chaeto? its prob not gonna do much on a small aio hidden away in the filtration without direct refugium light. You can scrape the black off the back section of the AIO and mount a cheap little amazon grow light to the glass for a few bucks. Ive found a solid refugium the heart of stability in my AIO filtration systems.

Yes I added a little RGB light in the back for the chaeto, honestly I think it isn't enough. I've looked into reef roids and it was on my list of things to test out but id like to solve the issues with my double doughnut in parameters (I see I fell for the "cleaner the better" motto)

No that is an old pic from when it bloomed like crazy (tank is 3 months old in old pic)

 

[Nano_Tuners]

Yes I added a little RGB light in the back for the chaeto, honestly I think it isn't enough. I've looked into reef roids and it was on my list of things to test out but id like to solve the issues with my double doughnut in parameters (I see I fell for the "cleaner the better" motto)

I have one of these taped up to the back of a biocube and it grows chaeto well

 

[Nano_Tuners]

If the first pic is the current state, it looks pretty good to me! particularly the SPS colony in front.

A lot of guys would kill to have such low no/po4 levels in a small aio - you could just go the direction of making it an easier sps tank

 

[JTP424]

In my experience agreed with overfiltering. I'm running a 15 gallon and only running a bit of filter floss and a tbspn of carbon. For the acro you would have wanted it super high up for that type of light to get the necessary par.

 

[Antho446]

If the first pic is the current state, it looks pretty good to me! particularly the SPS colony in front.

A lot of guys would kill to have such low no/po4 levels in a small aio - you could just go the direction of making it an easier sps tank

this is my light
here
My issue is that my acropora in the front just bleached, saw it today and its white, so definitely an issue somewhere. I'm just going to do what was recommended and rip out my skimmer and run a smaller water change.

 

[Nano_Tuners]

Oh sorry I missed that. The issue with the SPS is prob related to lighting vs chemistry, but most wouldn't successfully get away with keeping SPS in such a small tank anyways

Yeah the neophos stuff should get the job done too, id just go slow raising those levels. You definitely don't have a cycling issue - if anything your tank is cycling too well

Interesting that the Nem is unhappy, it may be the rapid chemistry changes by doing such large water changes. I know mine does not like when i do 5g in a 32 biocube once a week and it takes him about a day to open back up

 

[JTP424]

this is my light
Amazon product
My issue is that my acropora in the front just bleached, saw it today and its white, so definitely an issue somewhere. I'm just going to do what was recommended and rip out my skimmer and run a smaller water change.

Keep us updated on results!

 

[Antho446]

In my experience agreed with overfiltering. I'm running a 15 gallon and only running a bit of filter floss and a tbspn of carbon. For the acro you would have wanted it super high up for that type of light to get the necessary par.

Yea rookie mistake I suppose. I assume no saving it now.

 

[Sw33tdave]

Hello everybody, FNG here to R2R forums. I have a 15 gallon AIO that I have used to experiment and try out reefing for the first time bought it 2 years ago. (The tank was a 100 bucks, why the hell not give it spin.) I have a lot of freshwater experience, and once I mastered that I thought entering the reefing hobby wouldn't be a bad idea.
I'll get the the break down of what is my equipment.
-RO/DI Aquatic Life Buddy
- 15 gallon AIO Innovative Marine aquarium
- Substrate: Caribsea Aragonite
(In Refugium)
> inTank Media Basket (aquarium floss top chamber) other chambers are empty
> Custom basket in next section holding Crushed Live Rock and Chaeto (added submersible RGB light with chaeto for growth).
> Aqua Ready NANO Bullet-1 Protein Skimmer
> Sicce Scuba contactless heater (50W) set to 78 degrees
> Spin stream nozzle to OEM pump
> AI Prime 16HD
- Live Stock
(inverts)
3 red hermits
2 blue hermits
1 pin cushion urchin
1 blue button urchin
1 Feather duster
1 Acid Rock Flower anemone
1 Ultra Green Bubble Tip anemone
1 Sexy shrimp
1 Trochus snail
Added Galaxy pod and Eco pods
Isopods spotted in tank and thriving

(Fish)
1 Clarkii clown (murderer)
1 Regal Damsel
2 Banggai Cardinals

(Corals)
Toxic Torch
Facination Galaxea
Splash Safari Chalic
Zoa Colony
Red Setosa Montipora
Random acropora (was a freebie/ no info)

Testing equipment
API Reef kit
Refractometer
Hanna Test equipment (on its way to me)

Now to explain my issues, the tank is 1Y 6M old, I just added my Zoa colony and Montipora, Zoa colony is not happy (closed with a few opening here and there.) The random freebie I got just bleached and my chalic hasn't been happy since I added it a month ago (skeleton is peeking out), my rock flower is loving it and is very happy/vibrant but my bubble tip is closed and pale in the middle... I'm in panic. I have noticed alot of algae in my refugium for a while now, I try to manually clean it out but to no avail of eradicating it. To make matters worse... I found a Aiptasia hanging out in my refugium (Time of post 1st sighting).
Recent parameters: 1/3/2025
kh - 161-179
Phos - 0ppm
Nitrate - 0ppm
Calcium - 500ppm
Water changes are done weekly/ biweekly (5 gallons) with RO/DI water and Instant ocean Reef Crystals to reach salinity 1.026
Feedings are heavy 1 a day with Seachem flakes (waiting on my hatchery to come in for brine and supplement)
I purchased Neophos and Neonitro and dosed 2 days ago, I took a quick Nitrate test and STILL at zero...
I took a peak at my chaeto and it isn't really growing
I know I'm doing something wrong here and seeking a little help from the community.
Is my cycle dead? What should I dose? Do I dose at all? What are my next steps/ how do I approach my solution. I've reached a point where I'm lost.
I will add photos when I can

I had the same thought as someone else here. Cheato is probably stripping your water of all the nutrition the coral needs. I'd pull it way back or totally pull it out for a bit until you can get your nitrates off the bottom. Coral growers will tell you to keep your water "dirty" which means nutrients rich. Tank looks totally dope. Less cheato, more food, and patience is probably the key.

 

[Nano_Tuners]

Ensure your refractometer is good enough quality and calibrated. You should use a dedicated calibration solution occasionally to dial it back to 1.035... If its not calibrated properly, your salinity could be off significantly and causing all these problems

 

[BryanM]

Phos and nitrate 0 I understand is bad, and I’m working on this myself.

 

[Antho446]

Ensure your refractometer is good enough quality and calibrated. You should use a dedicated calibration solution occasionally to dial it back to 1.035... If its not calibrated properly, your salinity could be off significantly and causing all these problems

I purchased this off Ebay and waiting for arrival, It has a salinity tester aswell so ill be double checking. (200 dollar score)

 

[Nano_Tuners]

yeah hopefully thats the issue, if so get it back to 35ppm. You can ramp down salinity with RODI pretty quickly if its too high, but if its significantly low take your time over a few days boosting it back to 35. Then see how things look after about a week of stability

Also check your temp and that its remaining stable.

 

[Antho446]

yeah hopefully thats the issue, if so get it back to 35ppm. You can ramp down salinity with RODI pretty quickly if its too high, but if its significantly low take your time over a few days boosting it back to 35. Then see how things look after about a week of stability

Also check your temp and that its remaining stable.

another thing that has been on my mind was temp. I don't trust the data from the heater so ill also double check that.