I GIVE UP. So frustrated. Im forced out.

I dip everything I get, and still have found a few nudibranch's cruising about. Sometimes, things slip by. But I agree...the less you mess with it, the more stable it CAN become. It is up to you at first to find that spot.

 

I hate to hear you having issues. one thing I have found in my 11 years of reefkeeping, is that stability is the key. Post up your water paramaters. that may tell alot of the story for those of us wanting to help.

I have always been of the Keep it simple school. my old tank (sold in move) was incredible yet just had a sump and the pumps. there was no skimmer, no GFO, no carbon running in it. just some Purigen. it was a 10 year old tank when i sold it off. very simple.

Getting a smaller tank does not mean more difficult, it just means that bad things can happen quicker because of the small volume of water. If I were in your shoes, I would get back to the reefkeeping basics first.

1. Good water in. use only Ro/DI water for top off and water changes
2. Dont buy any coral for a few months. work on getting your water params stable and practice holding them there.
3. test it often and precisely. this way you can get the best photo of what is going on.
4. Lastly, STOP READING what the "experts" always say to do. it is collective forums like this that have the best overall information.

 

I agree to that!

 

Everyone is having such a rush to get going with things.
Relax with your new tanks already,


Oh. I just caught my blochii eating my halimeda, first my Xenia, now my calcareous macro algae.
Can't wait till my new house and new tank is done... I hate tangs!

Anyway, one pays years on for newbie errors

 

I see that you took on SPS. Back when I started that was a coral that experts only kept. I am about to say something that may sound harsh when first read but it is usually very true.

The thing that separates a expert sps keeper from a beginner is that the expert sps keeper did not quit when he killed his animals. The expert learned from the experience and continued on.

Many have regarded me an expert SPS keeper but let me tell you I came home plenty of times to the smell of acro death. I have killed thousands of dollars of animals in the process of gaining this so called expertise. Any of us so called experst that have been keeping sps for long periods have also killed plenty of animals. I use the term killed because few of these animals die of natural causes in our tanks. Once you understand that it is part of the learning experience you can overcome.

The only thing that happens fast in this hobby is something bad! Just take it extrememly slow when rebuilding and in 5 years you will have an awsome tank. Unless you make another mistake. Then you start all over again avoiding the issues that plagued you in the past.

Now rub some dirt on that wound and get back in the game! You can thank me later.

 

thanks for the tips guys.

I would not consider myself an expert. As a matter of fact I can say humbly that I probably know less than a fraction of what all there is to know about complete reefkeeping, However I would not consider myself a newbie. I have seen people with even much less knowledge have equal or greater sucess, rather by luck, effort, money, whatever it may be, either way, its not that I dont believe I can. As a matter of fact I know I can if I stuck with it, but perhaps at a later chapter in life.

My tank has been up 15 months so I would not consider it a matter of patience. The Livestock that ive lost has been through the coarse of that time. My fish portion of the reef for example has had 2 members the majority of the time. each time I go for the 3rd or 4th thats when somthing happens. Ive gone months and months without new additions, then an add, most of which have never made it a month or so. Like the wrasse I got last month.....MIA..***? (not the first time its happened) thath wrasse wasnt cheap either. I understand being patience but I believe I should be able to keep 3 fish in a 50 gallon aquarium and I know I have no one to blame but myself for that.

I think I may stick with it but I will have to go bigger which means my light, tank,stand has to go anyway and ill probably need to have the profit from the old build before I can start the new build in which case my inhabitants wont have a place to stay in the meantime, so either way ill have to sell most everything.

I will post my items first to members of 3reef....and ill be back. Soon. Thanks guys.

 

15 months is not very long in the life of a reef tank. Tank success is measured in years, not months. A tank can't even be considered stable for a year or more. NO ONE has a perfect SPS growing tank in 15 months.

Those 2 main fish are clowns. Clowns are VERY territorial and will bully others to death. Clowns are part of the damsel family and act it. I have 4 fish in my 55, and it's full. All are peaceful fish, but there's still a bit of stress in there. I can't imagine putting 2 clowns then any other fish in my 55. It would be constant turmoil.


I hate to see anyone give up so early in.

 

Wayyyyy to soon to give up.Stay away from SPS until later get the tank stable first.
Good luck!

 

I agree with all of the above. My tank has gotten much better now that I'm working 4 days, college 3 and engaged. No time to muck with things, just feedings, topoffs, and waterchanges, that's it.

You've made the initial startup investment, so you mind as well keep it going.

Let's focus in the facts. You struggle with stony corals especially SPS, so forget SPS. Maybe one day you'll have that Tank of the Month SPS haven, but it ain't no time soon.

You have an emerald crab, get rid of it.

Fish death is usually stress, and indictative of an unbalanced community. Let the remaining fish settle in.

That yellow wrasse could be nipping at corals, keep it fed.

That's about all I can manage on an iPhone.

Good luck


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

seriously dude..dont get out..you have some awesome poeple helping you here, and hang in there...what exactly are you doing to your reef tank...literally i do nothing but add top off water to my tank everyday and check salinity everyday, thats it, i take rodi in a 5 gallon bucket on saturdays and on sundays do a 5gallon water change on sunday every week...thats it, no dosing, and my tank is pretty packed...just feed the tank and change the water..i make sure my salinities match up before i change the water and thats it...i dont understand what could be your problem, idk your params, but i keep my salt at 1.026 which gives me around 530 calcium, ph 8.3, and mag around 1530...this is with coralife salt, the cheap stuff and i would say my tank is thriving..i have a hob skimmer with a fuge and run some carbon and gfo in a hob filter...my tank is super low maintenance, i may clean all equipment once a month with vinegar...

what salt are you using, are you dosing or dripping kalk when you dont need to be...also what is your alk, alk in my experience does the most damage to corals..

i also havent tested my water in 6 months...i promise if you just relax and just top off, and do water changes weekly, you will see progress n your tank...