I am new to this....HELP

[delta]

I think you might find if you get things under control, members here will be willing to donate some things to your project.

But first off I would worry about getting things stabilized, I also would add anything until the tank is stabilized.

 

[kswanson7]

That would be great!! I am going to focus on stablilinzing the water over the next 2 weeks taking dailiy readings!! Then if all is well I will be looking for donations of any kind....fish...rock..coral!!! Wish I had known about this site earlier....would've saved myself a ton of money in the lost fish over the last month!!! Again thank you all!!

 

[delta]

Just so you have an idea of what it takes for change in a saltwater. A saltwater tank matures in about 1.5-2yrs , if you keep your hand out it as much as possible. In two weeks you may get parameters in order but the it will take a bit longer for everything to stabilize.

Try slowing down just a bit

 

[wrassefan]

my guess is that if you are using city tap, you might have chlorine as well as chloramines in the water....bad for fish and corals. Also in the evenings when the janitor cleans the classroom, do they spray "stuff" to wipe the desks, etc.. Does the power stay on so that you have flow and heat in the tank? I would consider changing out 100% of the water with fresh mixed saltwater made with rodi water.

 

[Km2]

Just curious as to how the tests have gone and what test kits you are using? Sometimes the brand can make a big difference (i.e. some brands are much better than others at detecting). Also are you using r/o water now? Hope things are improving

 

[jimrawr]

I have to agree with what everyone else is saying, that the water is likely your problem. If you spent $300 on fish this month, I would imagine you would be ok with spending a couple hundred on a good RODI system to make your own water. Also it looks like you need at least a powerhead or two to get the water moving in the tank.

Good luck, reef keeping needs a lot of patients and learning, its a really involved hobby..

 

[newenglandreef]

What are you doing for nutrient export? Looks like you have a skimmer on the right side? Is there any water leaving the tank into a sump or filter? I don't see any type of overflow. Your levels may be higher than is showing on your tests if the nuisance algea is eating it up. Some people use only live rock, but about 1-1.5 lbs per gallon with good flow. Water does seem a little cloudy/stale, but that could be the photo.

 

[newenglandreef]

sorry I just re-read your original post--can you take a photo of the filtration? With the water level low, there must be some type of siphon overflow?