What challenges your reefkeeping these days?

melev

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As a club, we've been mostly disconnected for nearly a year due to the pandemic. Many seem to have found a way to work from home, which means you are near your tank much more than before. How is your reef doing? What challenges have you overcome? 
My own reef continues to do what it wants, and I try to keep the gear running and my hands out of the water. The biggest problem I've had has been nitrate... it's really high, measuring about 80ppm. All my other parameters are easy to control.  My plan for the next few weeks are some massive water changes.  Last night, after a 160g water change, all the baby brittle starfish decided to spawn, which will likely just re-polute the water.  I need to test and see if the nitrate came down at all.
 
Same here, Nitrates 25 to 50 with Phosphates at 0.01. Also having trouble with algae.
 
 
The fish looks tiny along those massive corals. The tank looks so different without the Red Montipora.
 
In August our home AC died and the temperature inside out house reached almost 90. It was rather miserable for us for a day and a half before a new unit could get replaced, but it also caused a massive die-off in my tank. When it was said and done I lost most of the hermits, most of my fish and all my corals except one toughie that came in on my live rock. 
I had two PJ cardinals left, all my pistols, ruby emerald crabs, and most of the snails including my conch. 
It's was heart-breaking to feel like I was starting again. I went just to maintenance mode for awhile before I had the heart to buy any more fish. I still haven't started replacing any corals. Everything was doing so well and then.... ** shrug **
I've been slowly rebuilding and have three pink skunk clowns, a lawn mower blenny, a small shrimp goby for my pistol, yellow eye kole tang, an orchid dottyback, and a serpent star added to the tank along with a CUC boost of mixed snails and hermits. 
I JUST picked up a 125 g drilled tank with 50 g sump that I'll be moving everything over to which will be a nice step up both in length of the tank and in terms of having the sump. The stand was trashed so my husband will need to build a stand for my before I can move. I won't add any more stock until after I make the move but I'm really excited about finally being able to set up a sump and fuge. :) 
 
 
 
 
Wow sorry to hear that Angela hope things are coming together for you guys 
 
@drex Yeah It's getting better. I just picked up a drilled 120 6' long tank that is in great condition - perfect glass. I'll finally be able to set up a sump, upgrade my tank size, etc. Since I'm rebuilding the tank anyway this was GREAT timing. Came with an RODI system too so hopefully that works out well. 
 
I might well take you up on that - especially when we get to the plumbing stage. Sidney might have questions. :) He's going to be the master builder behind this operation. Operation Reef-Ready-Upgrade! 
 
I am having insane Nitrate problems hovering in the 45 range. Finally getting my Alk and Calcium stable after several years. But it always seems like life takes precedent and I have to leave the tank to its own for a while. Sometimes I want to get out but keep pushing forward. 
 
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