Fish doing great, everything else dying!!!! Help!

Water change tomorrow....At least they were apologetic and took 100% responsibility for poor service. From now on, the owner is overseeing the maintenance. He has his store manager physically doing the work and is requiring the log be maintained and reviewed by him. Let's hope this resolves the issues.

Turns out my SG is actually 1.030. I sent a water sample to the store and apparently my hydrometer is not accurate. They used 2 hydrometers and a refractor (???) to come up with 1.030.


I am beginning to feel like I was led down the path (whether intentionally or not) because after speaking to another service, it seems like my equipment is antiquated.

here is my set up:

300g acrylic tank (I wanted glass but was talked out of it)
Premier 400 wet dry (I am hearing that wet drys are yesterday's technology)
Impact 400 protein skimmer
96" HQI halide lighting system
36w UV sterilizer
1/2 hp aquachill chiller
3/4 HP circulation pump

We also added an ozonator that is being replaced (Red Sea I believe).

That's the whole thing...did I get the right stuff for a reef set up?

I have another service coming out today for a consult. Based on my conversation, the wet dry was the wrong move. This guy was talking about an algae tank and a calcium reactor. I have neither of these....boy am I confused.
 
Basically, the wet dry system IS a little old school for a reef setup. Still works fine in a fish only tank...

But for a reef system of about 300 gallons, it'd be best if you had:

~400-500 lbs of live rock

LOTS of flow. for 25x turnover, you'd need to be pumping around 7500 GPH. Probably some nice Tunze pumps, or a closed loop system of some sort. Just a lot of flow to promote gas exchange, keep detritus from settling, and to feed corals.

For a sump, something like a 75+ gallon tank with a few baffles, a good skimmer (don't know much about them, but yours might be great) and a good sized area to grow chaeto. Chaeto is a good, easy to care for, low light requiring 'macroalgae' (basically seaweed). It eats the same thing that the 'nuisance algae' eats, but since it's macro rather than micro, it will outcompete the nuisance for food (given good ro/di water, rather than input water high in nitrates and phosphates as well as no overfeeding).

The calcium reactor, I also don't know much about, as I use a 2 part system (I have a small tank, so it's no biggie).

Basically, you need to keep your calcium, alkalinity, and magnessium at a good level, and this will promote coralline algae growth (as well as corals). Corraline is a calcium based algae, which when it covers your rocks and such, it leaves no space for the nuisance algaes to grow.

Basically, you want as much 'good' biology combating bad biology as possible. In a tank that size, you also want the good skimmer, but other than that, you shouldn't really need much mechanical filtration.

Anyway, I'm a little short on time, but that's pretty much the setup I'd shoot for, if'n it were me. And that sump/fuge...I'd use as big a tank as you can fit (either in the stand or in the basement).

:)
 
goodwork sir.

i hope your reef makes a full recovery. its good to hear that your LFS is honoring his mistakes.

it may be hard to appreciate now, but this tramatic loss of life and capitol will actually allow you to appreciate your dilligence and hard work better than most reefers.

cause you never really know if you lows are really low, or if the highs are so high the seem out of reach.

shake some crushed coral in a conch shell and flush some mysis down the john as an offering to the reefgods.

and remember, you gots all of us.
 
I actually prefer the second companie's plan for a refugium and a reactor with your tank. However, the wet/dry is still a viable system provided it is maintained...which you thought you were getting.

In my opinion the present service company should be giving you more than credit on dead stock....for your water to be 1.030 and they're doing the water changes they just weren't maintaining the tank the way that it should be or didn't train you to do it. Those numbers show that it was either measured wrong to begin with or someone was topping off with SW instead of FW between water changes.

I'm glad that you're on top of this now. And oh by the way..they measured with a refactometer which is a good thing, much more accurate than a hydrometer.
 
OK, here is what company "B" is proposing I get over and above or in replacement of what I already have:

Refugium (get rid of wet/dry)
Larger Protein Skimmer (mine is too small....no guy likes to hear that!)
Calcium Reactor (new)
Phosphate Media Reactor (new)
Kalkwasser Doser (new)
Remove some of my sand bed...have too much.

I am still awaiting a formal proposal so there could be more.

They are implying many thousands of dollars more (didn't specify whether it is 2 or 9, but much more). I have looked at some of these items online and I based on my tank size it doesn't seem all that expensive. I am seeing refugiums for around $500 and huge skimmers for around $350. Any recommendations on brands/sources for this equipment?

I went into this in round one trusting everyone, round two I am trusting only those with nothing to gain...which is all of you. I will not get screwed this time around. Company "A" has promised FULL credit against any equipment I replace, no charge for labor, and also full credit for the 7 months of service I have paid for plus 6 months of free service moving forward. I think they feel bad.....but not as bad as I feel.

Again, I really appreciate the time everyone has spent with their advice and recommendations.
 
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I have an older picture before the millwork around the tank was competed. You can see the RO and protein skimmer and top of the wet dry only.

How do I post it?
 
You can upload to the photos to a free hosting site like photobucket.com and then use the code they supply to post the photos on any site you'd like.

I agree with Subliminal about asking the large tank forum over at reefcentral.com for specfic advice on some of the skimmers. However...let me add there are many ways to have a successful tank and sometimes over there they only look at plan X which can be the most expensive way. Plans A-V are pushed aside.

I'd get a list together of all your equipment, then a list of all your livestock (fish, inverts, corals, etc) Then tell them what Company B is suggesting and ask for advice. Don't take the first person's advice...wait until there is a good consensus and it sounds reasonable to you.

Of course, we'll help too so give us the same list and we'll add more opinions for you to weigh.
 
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