Kinda Hating my Tank Right Now

[snowmansnow]

Yup... I can NOT figure out what is going on here. My tank will thrive for about 4 weeks then bam color loss and tissue necrosis on the SIDE of the SPS.. not the top... just along each SIDE. Then it recovers and BAM there it goes again.

Parameters seem ok
NO3 at 5ish
ALK (which is always my first guess) is 8.9
You guys know me well enough to know I'm running t5 lights, and the lights are plenty adequate.

I'm pulling the heater, and going to look for a new one realizing that it COULD have a short somewhere in the tank and be zapping the tank at night when the water gets cool. I'd never notice it since the lights keep it warm during the day.

I'm also going to pull the sump and clean it all out with a hose and reinstall. Thankfully I set the system up with an easy to pull sump on purpose.

scratching my head... I know I should be able to figure this out.. but i just can't find the issue and solve it long term.

Frustrated - ME

 

[saltwaterwannabe]

I am far from being considered an experienced reefer and no where near as experienced as you, but I keep my NO3 as close to zero as possible, normally at zero on my Hannah Checker. Most sites I have looked at suggest keeping the NO3 at undetectable ranges but not higher than 0.03 ppm. If I ever see it rise from zero, I replace my GFO, although it has been a while since I checked my parameters. I have seen that some of the more experienced reefers here keep a higher level of NO3 than I do, which I need to learn about some day I suppose.

 

[saltwaterwannabe]

Correction, I was thinking about PO4. MarineDepot suggests NO3 between 0 to 10 ppm in a marine tank and shows <0.1 ppm on the ocean surface. I still keep mine a zero though and need to research the benefits of keeping it low but not zero. Good luck and hopefully someone with a bit more experience than I will chime in later.

 

[danh]

Are you still dosing NO3?

 

[Adam]

In my reading I've seen nothing but problems from people running ULNS. I was seeing lots of problems when I was running GFO and PO4 at or under 0.02. I've since pulled the GFO and have a DIY ATS running. With it, my PO4 can still get low if I don't feed enough. I know crazy problem not feeding enough right?

Try try to shoot for NO3 between 4-10 and PO4 between 0.03-0.07.

Are you running a Fuge or anything else besides GFO for nutrient export?

 

[snowmansnow]

hey guys thanks for the responses.
I AM dosing NaNO3 still, thats how I'm keeping it around 5. If i don't it will pop off to near nothing.

I'm also not running GFO. No fuge. Just a tank, skimmer and a sump.
NOW, i am using socks, but they aren't spiking my NO3... I wonder if it could be something in them>?

I sill have to test my PO4. I guess it COULD be off the charts, but I just don't feel thats it. Will test in a lil bit.

 

[danh]

Do you check ph at all? I've noticed how easy it is to have issues with ph in my house due to CO2 build up when using the oven or gas fireplace. Maybe when y'all cook something that takes hours in the oven you get a huge ph drop. That would explain why it happens every once in a while then has time to recover and then comes back.

 

[Adam]

I'd also say if you're not running any form of nutrient export and you have to dose NaNo3 that you could slowly feed a little more and see if that helps. Do test you're PO4 though.

 

[snowmansnow]

PH is constantly monitored and is 8.1-8.4