Need some Nano help

[DyM]

So my neighbor has a nano, it's 23gal, but around 15gal when you take out the back section and minus the rock. His tank looks healthy, has a ton of coraline algae, and all parameters test out good. He has two fish and a clean up crew, and tank has been in place for more than a year. Regular water changes are done weekly or bi weekly. The problem? Corals do not do well at all. He has a 150 hqi that is 14k. There are some leathers which are doing ok, zoa's rarely open, and LPS doesn't survive long. The tank isn't overheating at all, but however doesn't have a skimmer. Are most skimmers external on nano's? There doesn't seem to be much space in the back overflow. If anyone has a small skimmer for sale, let me know. Is there anything else I can look at? As I'm writing this, I'm curious if there may be stray voltage. There is no algae. He tests and I reconfirmed CALC, ALK, MAG are fine. PO4 and NO3 are really low.

How exactly do I test for voltage in the tank? I have a multimeter - do I put one end on the ground of an outlet and the red probe in the water and test for volts?

 

[Craigar]

Majicmike has a cool little sump with a return pump and skimmer pm him you should just put both leads into the water and it will tell you! Just to be safe elite has grounding proves for $10

 

[cdrewferd]

Too much light? I don't run a skimmer on my 29g Biocube and everything is doing great. I have LPS, SPS, and a few softies.


Drew

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[tlsrcs]

Yea IMO skimmers are needed for sps dominant tank. I do not skim my system(about 100g total.) And everything I have is happy. Lps, sps, softies, zoas. Check for voltage and I am thing the lps are getting to much light in a biocube with a 150w. Try shading them with some shelf peices.

 

[Cake_Boss]

I'm no expert, but I seem to agree with the excessive light issue. He has the lights to grow acros, but chooses to grow low light coral. Another issue might be that his water is too clean, all said coral like slightly dirty water. He could try raising the light or putting a cover of some sort(eggcrate) to reduce PAR

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[freedominco]

How old are the bulbs?

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[jahmic]

How old are the bulbs?

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This was going to be my question.

I have a 28 cube with a 150w 14k bulb supplemented by 2 18w actinic pc bulbs. I do run a chiller to keep the temp in check but have been able to keep everything in my tank happy over the past 3 months. Lps dominant with a few sps and zoas...my galaxea is being absolutely blasted by light at the top of the tank and is growing new polyps. My hammers have also been sprouting new heads...even the one that was placed halfway up the tank.

All that being said, I lost an acan and that's been the only casualty so far...this occurred prior to replacing my bulbs. In general, most of my lps loomed unhappy and would shed xoanthella prior to swapping out the bulb. Once that was replaced colors came right back and I noticed more polyp extension from my lps.

fwiw...I also skim. I'm running an aquamaxx hob-1 skimmer. As the name implies, it hangs off the back of the tank, has an internal pump, and is near silent. Definitely not on the cheap side, but everything in the tank is happy. I do get slow zoa growth, but I'm ok with that.

 

[ShelbyJK500]

Too much light? I don't run a skimmer on my 29g Biocube and everything is doing great. I have LPS, SPS, and a few softies.


Drew

x2...skimming isn't an issue with small-ish cubes, imo. I have been running my 28g Nano for a year now with LPS, SPS, softies...you name it's pretty much in there. Everything thrives, and I only do a water change once a month. It has a very established sand bed and liverock, which helps I'm sure. I'm somewhat a believer now that "dirty" water helps a touch. However, I don't have any high end SPS, just some birdsnest, etc. Could be the amount of light, especially if zoas aren't opening? I don't have any experience with Halides, so I can't chime in too much on that.

 

[Wicked Color]

New bulb, cut daylight to 2-3 hrs a day, weekly wc, and some super buffer every couple days......should fix all that ales ya.