Diagnose slow decline

[Ross]

Perhaps the deep sand bed is contributing to your issues also? Are you disturbing it at all? vacuuming it or stirring it?

[11purewater]

maybe take the carbon out and see or rather smell the water.May be H2S gas in your sandbed.Also nice tank btw how much biological filtration do you have?live rock etc.

[reefwars]

- amphipod population slowly declined
- chaeto has slowly died off
- cyano and green hair algae on sandbed
- no algae growth on glass anymore (good for maintenance but doesn't seem healthy)
- 2 snails have died
- protein skimmer pulling out less gunk (also more volatile, harder to adjust)

is it possible your tank is contaminated somehow like the silicone??

[Proteus]

Be nice to see more rock. As for h2s. A little peroxide will help that. When I ran a 3" sanded I had h2s. But I'm guessing ha and cyano may be from po4. Some rowaphos would fix that.

I can't grow maco algea either. Which is fine buy me

[11purewater]

Could be just one of those weird cycles a tank goes through naturally.panic =spend money.If your parameters are good maybe just be patient and diligent with your husbandry,I know losing livestock sucks but thats all part of it.Nobody has all there original clean up crew anymore.

[toytech]

All the symptoms sound like the tank is too clean . No film algea for pods and snails to eat , no protiens for the skimmer to pull out . Cyanno and hair algea have a way of popping up and will probably go away as quick as they came . Maybe try running the skimmer less , feed a little more .

[Proteus]

Originally Posted by toytech

All the symptoms sound like the tank is too clean . No film algea for pods and snails to eat , no protiens for the skimmer to pull out . Cyanno and hair algea have a way of popping up and will probably go away as quick as they came . Maybe try running the skimmer less , feed a little more .

And. Possible that its not cyano buy diatoms. Which need to run its coarse

[syncro]

Bulbs: 350w total of 10K MH and actinic T5 about 16" above surface
CUC: 1 hermit, 2x zombie snails, bristle worms, spaghetti worms and unfortunately flatworms.
Water params: ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, phosphates 0, salinity 35ppt, temp 24.3-24.7*C, aquavitro salinity mix

CUC is probably too small now. I'll add more.

Another vote for the "too clean" theory, thanks Hazratty. I'll sell the haddoni (too demanding) then experiment with running less clean. On one hand, I am putting far more food into the system than I was before this decline. On the other, before the decline I was doing water changes once a month or less with the minimal bioload. In any case, I think it is worth experimenting with.

Titus, it could be diatoms. A quick search sounds like diatoms are brown and cyano is red. I'd guess this algae is more red than brown. If diatoms, let them run its course. If cyano, then nutrient problem?

[syncro]

Originally Posted by Titus99

I'm guessing ha and cyano may be from po4.

Phosphates are 0 mG/Lt. Though, I've read algae will expand to consume any extra phosphates so tests will usually read 0.

Originally Posted by 11purewater

May be H2S gas in your sandbed

h2s - I'll remove the carbon and sniff for rotten egg smell in say 2 or 3 days? I don't vaccum though I have moved the occasional rock and once ran a credit card between the glass and sandbed to clear up some the brown algae spots. Is h2s poisoning quick or slow over weeks? Thanks 11Purewater and Ross.

Originally Posted by toytech

All the symptoms sound like the tank is too clean

Too clean - yeah it seems that way Toytech, though with the addition of the 2 cardinalfish I've significantly increased my feeding. Perhaps the filter floss is catching most of it. Previously I used the original mesh that came with the MP10 powerhead and it didn't get quite so dirty. Based on Ross' suggestion, I've removed the filter floss. Thanks, a "too clean" tank isn't something I'd even considered.

Originally Posted by reefwars

is it possible your tank is contaminated somehow like the silicone

Silicone contamination - tank was built by Concept Aquatics which is a reputable tank builder in town. I have heard that one of the GE silicones isn't acceptable anymore so it is possible. I'll do more research. Thanks reefwars.

Thanks for the help everyone!

[syncro]

MH+T5 Odyssea lights are 1 year old. Would that be a likely cause?