Sps help

[Treylipp]

My Params are:
Ph 7.8
Salinity 1.025
Alk 9.4
Cal 408
Ammonia Trace
Nitrites trace
Nitrates: 20
Temp 77
The tank has been up and running for 3+ years but only in the past 6 months I have ventured past Xenia, random zoas, and mushrooms in the tank. I’m having a very hard time with keeping certain hard corals alive. Like I have some of bubble gum digi (this has been doing good for about 6m months) , some montis and green slimer doing perfect. Here’s the weird thing when I got my first slimer it wither away in +-2 days, very odd I tested params and no issues then I got another piece free and with NO change no dosing no anything just feeding my fish this piece is doing great going on two weeks now. Another case I got some tri color acros and the same thing has occurred, I put the last piece in the exact same spot as the previous one and it’s thriving. But Bird nest has also been my demise I’ve gotten three piece and not any of the three have survived no matter where I put them in the tank. Any ideas?


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[Treylipp]

Lighting is: Gen 5 XR15 Blue (running AB+ template in Mobius)

Tank size: 25Gs


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[lmm1967]

Ammonia Trace
Nitrites trace
Nitrates: 20

Something is not right with either your tank or your test kit.

If those numbers are true you are in the middle of a cycle - you'll need to do some water changes and get your cycle completed at a minimum before corals are going to last.

 

[Treylipp]

Ammonia Trace
Nitrites trace
Nitrates: 20

Something is not right with either your tank or your test kit.

If those numbers are true you are in the middle of a cycle - you'll need to do some water changes and get your cycle completed at a minimum before corals are going to last.

Tested with api at home got
.25 nitrites
And ammonia .50 didn’t trust my own judgement
Took it to optimum and got it tested there and this is what I got
Everything else I tested at home with hannas


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[lmm1967]

Has something large died in the tank in the last couple days? Like a large fish?

 

[Treylipp]

Not anything besides corals Everything is alive and thriving


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[lmm1967]

You have a filtration issue going on - you should never detect Ammonia or Nitrite in a cycled tank.

I would start with a water change - at least 2 of 25% each over the next 2 days and get that Ammonia down.

Get your tanks biological filtration sorted out and you should be in much better shape.

 

[Treylipp]

Okay thanks! When I’ve read them to me he did say 0 to trace and that the kit they test with always read ammonia I believe they used api too


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[lmm1967]

What kind of filtration do you have? You don't have a canister filter or any type of reactor that could be holding old decaying food or something like that?

 

[Treylipp]

It’s an all in one, filter sock chamber(cleaned once a day) then center chamber with bio balls, carbon, and two filter sponges


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[lmm1967]

Just my opinion:

1. Throw those filter sponges in the trash
2. make sure there is not a ton of detritus in the bioballs chamber. I would SLOWLY replace them with either rubble size live rock or seachem matrix.
3. replace carbon if not done so in the last few weeks.
4. 25% water change

How large is the tank?

 

[Treylipp]

Just my opinion:

1. Throw those filter sponges in the trash
2. make sure there is not a ton of detritus in the bioballs chamber. I would SLOWLY replace them with either rubble size live rock or seachem matrix.
3. replace carbon if not done so in the last few weeks.
4. 25% water change

How large is the tank?

Only 25Gals, what would you suggest in replacement for the sponges? just replaced carbon two weeks ago, water changed after I tested the tank earlier today! Thanks so much for your help!!


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[york1]

What brand is this tank?

 

[Treylipp]

What brand is this tank?

I was incorrect it’s 20gals and waterbox


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[york1]

I would probably ditch the stock filter sock and get a media basket from https://intankaquatics.com/waterbox-cube-20/
Just throw the sponges out and like @lmm1967 said slowly replace the bio balls with a better media.
Also what is your alkalinity? You might want to get some better test kits like salifert, red sea etc...

 

[Treylipp]

Alk was 9.4 tested with Hanna


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[lmm1967]

You have socks - you don't need sponges.

I don't have ANY mechanical filtration in any of our tanks. Pumps, rocks, a skimmer on 1 and bags of carbon. No sponges, no filter socks, nothing like that.

My water stays plenty clear for me - i can see fish fine all the way through the 6' length.

 

[SaltwaterGardening]

What about phosphate? When my tank was too high at just under 0.3, my few hammer and zoas struggled. I now test and keep phosgard around to manage rising phosphates.

 

[Fishtile Exotics]

The thing with SPS is that they can be very unpredictable. Sometimes fresh-cut frags get RTN from possible infection or just stress. Others are fine. Firstly, as said by others, there should be no ammonia or nitrite of any amount. The other thing is that leathers and softies produce toxins as a form of chemical warfare to help them outcompete other corals(This is part of the reason they are so invasive). These toxins are really hard on lps and sps corals and can often kill them. Dosing carbon will help remove these toxins. It would also be beneficial to cut some of the softies out, especially ones near the sps.

 

[dball711]

Dosing carbon will help remove these toxins

Will dosing carbon remove toxins?