Not happy with my tank

[snakeblitz33]

I don't know of too many people who are truly happy with their tanks, but I am unhappy.
I am having problems with it and I can not figure it out.
1. Microbubbles are entering the display tank somehow through my return plumbing and I can not figure out where.
2. I don't like my current fish, but my wife doesn't want to exchange them.
3. Practically every coral I have put in there has died or done poorly.
4. The lighting spectrum sucks. Its too blue and makes it look washed out to me.
5. Brown algae is starting to form on everything because of my neglect as well as lack of water changes and increased feeding to save my montipora which is now completely bleached.
No nitrates, no phosphates, alk and ca are a little low. Temp hovers around 81-82. I use instant ocean salt and did a water change two weeks ago. I use rodi water. Blah blah blah. Ask me anything. I think it might be something that inadvertently gotten into the tank somehow.
I'm about to throw in the towel on this one and upgrade to a 55g with metal halides. I'm jus sick of my corals not thriving.

 

[snakeblitz33]

As for positives, the tank is pretty stable, coralline algae is covering everything - I have had no fish deaths at all...
Fish:
2 tomato clowns in display tank
3 bluegreen chromis
1 bicolor blenny
2 percula clownfish in the sump
Inverts:
various snails
cleaner shrimp
Macroalgae:
Chaetomorpha
Caulerpa mexicana
Halimeda
Equipment:
500gph JBJ wavemaker kit
1x Koralia nano 240
1x powerhead 300
Mag 3 return pump
SC cone skimmer
Eshopps nano 200 overflow

 

[snakeblitz33]

I forgot to add to my equipment list:
1 two little fishies phosphate reactor
1 little pump to run the reactor
1 100w heater
5g reservoir with auto top off on a float valve
4 bulb T5 lighting system:
Bulbs:
2x ATI Blue Plus
1x ATI Purple Plus
1x ATI Coral Plus
The lighting is too blue to me... I'm a little color blind so it makes everything look washed out to me. I thought the combination was going to be more 14k and it ended up being 20k. I know my bulbs aren't the cause of my corals dying. I wish I could just figure this out. This is the first time in almost eight years that I have kept a tank that wasn't able to keep coral. It's frustrating as all get out! I'm asking for the forums help!

 

[rickross23]

THROW IN THE TOWEL! JOIN ME AND METAL HALIDES! haha

 

[snakeblitz33]

Umm, yeah, thanks for the advice.

 

[flower]

LOL...This is really poor advertizing for your snakes methods cyber book. My opinion: I think your tank is too sterile....it's a fine line, we need the water pristine but there has to be enough of everything in balance for the corals to survive.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Hey - Even the most salty of veterans need help sometimes and aren't afraid to admit it.
I don't believe my tank is too sterile. I think there is something "off" that I am not seeing. I've been feeding my tank pretty well the last few weeks and that montipora hasn't been doing any better.
I just noticed that my heater has been turned on for the last two hours.

 

[rickross23]

old tank syndrome?i had a heater EXPLODE like last week....that was the loud popping I told you about. it was SCARY!

 

[snakeblitz33]

The tank has only been set up in it's current spot for 5 months. Not old tank syndrome.

 

[meowzer]

Yeah Seth....I feel your pain....it seems liek the more I try to improve things......the worse things get....I think I am gonna give up on sps all together No matter what I do I can't keep them alive
BUT on the other hand....my leathers, bta's, lps, and shrooms thrive......
IDK what else to check for....and I have to take a break from the head banging against the wall....it is what it is right now AND YES.....I have thought about downsizing.....that's the frustration talking LOL

 

[rickross23]

You should upsize! Haha.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I'm thinking about upsizing to a 55g in the next few weeks and getting rid of my instant ocean salt. I'm thinking about re-using my 150w metal halides and PC's over the top of it.
I know I can have a successful reef, I have done it many, many times before. I just don't know why I am having such trouble with this tank in particular.

 

[snakeblitz33]

someone on another forum suggested that copper might be a problem? But I don't see how since I have a cleaner shrimp and a bunch of snails.

 

[rickross23]

How old are the light bulbs?

 

[snakeblitz33]

Three or four months. Not long enough to be replaced yet.

 

[rickross23]

Not sure the problem then.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I have absolutely no idea either. HAH
I'm open to any and all suggestions!

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/391599/not-happy-with-my-tank#post_3473823
Hey - Even the most salty of veterans need help sometimes and aren't afraid to admit it.
I don't believe my tank is too sterile. I think there is something "off" that I am not seeing. I've been feeding my tank pretty well the last few weeks and that montipora hasn't been doing any better.
I just noticed that my heater has been turned on for the last two hours.
When I say sterile maybe I'm using the wrong words.... The coral foods are only part of what corals need. There is iron, iodine, calcium just to name a few...maybe get test kits for the trace elements, it's possible the Instant Ocean crystals are not adequate or it could be the other way around and there is too much of something.

 

[tjbeams]

Seth, have you ever used copper in the tank your talking about now? If my memory serves me correctly (most of the time it doesn't, just ask my gf) I heard at my LFS that if you ever use copper some of it can get absorbed into the silicone or the glass sealant in the tank, which could give off just enough fornthe corals not to survive? Just a thought...

 

[rickross23]

Do you dose?