Beaux Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 I am very new to reef tanks and thought I would give it a try. I have read, researched and listened to all the lfs advice but I am just not there. I need a mentor, maybe someone to come and look and fix what I am doing wrong. I have a 20L with all soft corals. After months of trying to get my water flow at it's best I am failing miserably. I don't even know if my live rock is placed correctly, which might be some of the problem. I try not to adjust or move corals more than once every 2 weeks because I do not want to stress or kill them. Lighting, live rock placement, flow or all the above. If I see that a coral is thriving i leave it alone, but then others stop doing well. I move things around, then others stop thriving. I only go to 2 lfs and they give conflicting advice always trying to get me to purchase way expensive equipment which I do not think I even need. I live in North Austin if any one lives close enough, I would be more than willing to pay you for your time and advice, or at least gas money. I have fallen in love with this hobby and am getting discouraged. I do not want to stop, I love it that much. However with lack of knowledge I don't want my corals to start suffering and die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 can you post some picts? what are your water parameters at? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaux Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 21 minutes ago, Isaac said: can you post some picts? what are your water parameters at? The water quality is well with in range. Very slight elevation in ammonium (.02) I do not have the live rock pushed back against the back side, thought it would help with cleaning. The solo pictures of corals are the ones that are not doing well. The green one I have never moved and its been closed down for weeks it has long greenish tentacles and clear white stingers that used to come out. The purple one I just moved again this morning because of no flow but it has been like that for weeks as well. The toadstool opens broadly but when I got it, 3 qeeks ago it was standing straight up, it has not since, always laying to the side. Low med flow for the toadstool and a bit higher flow for the others. I only have 1 jebao sw-2, removed a power head because there was to much current. It was ripping off some of the corals from their base. The lfs is recommending another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 until ammonia and nitrite are at zero, you have not fully cycled yet. even a trace of ammonia would cause some the probs you are experiencing. do you have a full shot of th tank showing where the powerhead(s) or return pump is coming in? might get a better idea of the flow that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaux Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 It is only a 20L so I only have the 1 pump in back and the propeller on the side. Trying to balance the current with no dead spots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaux Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 PS the tank is 8 months old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 what kinda light is that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaux Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 It is an over sized (to big for this tank) marineland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 is it a reef light or a fresh water light? i dont see much actinic on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaux Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 I am petty sure the rise in ammonia is from a shrimp that I had to get rid of. It ate my hermit crab and 2 nassaruis snails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaux Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 I can not remember about the light. Bought it years ago for a terrarium but aquatech said it's fine for reefs. Not the best but I am on a limited income and saving for a better one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Is that an aquaclear 30 filter you are using? I found that filter to be way too small for a 20L I was using as a quarantine tank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaux Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 Yes it is an aquaclear 30, fluval. It has a kind of canister attached and the things it came with were changed specifically for reef. It has 4 different cartridge chambers that was altered by aquatech for me. I believed them telling me it would work. So it's to small?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 I am running an aquaclear 30 AND an aquaclear 50 on my 20L quarantine tank. I added the 50 because the 30 just wasn't keeping up with the bioload. Everything is so much better with the 30 and the 50. But I do not have live rock in my qt tank, so that is a difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaux Posted November 3, 2017 Author Share Posted November 3, 2017 I wanted to thank everyone for the advice/help. I did get my minor problem fixed. I needed to rebuild my live rock structure and get an additional wave maker. Now my tank is thriving again. It was exactly as you said placement and current. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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