175 Gallon improvements Light/Flow

[Twocoralsonetank]

Ok guys/gals really trying figure out what to do to get my corals (mix reef) to thrive but I just cant find the right balance.

Main issue is SPS colors are not bright just look faded. The encrusting base of some of the SPS has turned mostly white but its not traveling up the coral. Growth is very slow or none at all. Some corals have polyps extended during the day but not very many.

Tank has been up for 6 month and I have made some mistake but just seems like I cant find the right balance. Last month the Alk slowly went down to 6.5 (calculated Hanna incorrectly) and stayed there for 3 weeks while the NO3 bottomed out. I now dose NO3 to say between 1 to 2 and alk is now 7.9 - 8.2. Salinity was at 1.022 to 1.023 for awhile. I was using RO/DI to calibrate the refractometer, got some calibration fluid and found I was off. It is slowly going back up with saltwater in the top off. Now I am at 1.025.

One thing I cant seem to figure out is flow. I have a 6ft tank with gyres on both sides of the tank and 1 MP40 on the back wall. Not sure how high to set these gyres or use one of the random modes. MP40 set in the back in them middle turned up to 30%.

Lighting is another beast that just stumps me. I have 2 razors 180w 27 in fixtures in the middle and 4 80w T5 bulbs, 2 on each side of the razor. Currently have three blue plus bulbs and one 10k bulb. I run the razors at 70 percent white and 100 blue. I get about 150 to 180 par on the bottom but it seems like this is really hurting my other corals such as my blasto, burning banana and sunset monti pretty hard with light. They don't have any color but they don't grow much. That just seems like the trend for my tank, little grow not that much color. Just thinking for a mix reef this is too much light. (high tank par is 350 mid par is 250)

Parameters are

Calcium 425
Alk 8.2
Mag 1500
No3 1 to 2
PO4 .007

Razor run 10 hours a day, 7 hours of 70 percent white and 100 percent blue
1st of T5 (two blue plus bulbs) run 7 hours
2nd T5 (one blue plus one white) runs 3 hours

Maxspect gyre runs 100 percent one side for 10 seconds, then switchs to the other for 100% for 10 seconds

Have about 12 fish, feeding 1/2 sheet of nori a day, 1 1/2 cubes of Mysis a day.

10% water changes every week with normal red sea salt.

Anybody think of some improvement or changes I could do to help my coral thrive?

 

[Radman73]

Try turning your LED's down. I actually think you have too much light. Full disclosure, I'm not a lighting expert!

As for flow, did you mean the gyre's alternate for 10 seconds each or is it 10 seconds on one and 1 second on the other?

Turn the MP40 up, they're great power heads when used properly. Set it to pulse between 30-70%.

All my opinion.

 

[Twocoralsonetank]

Here is a picture of the general set up of the tank. Give you a better picture

 

[Twocoralsonetank]

the 1 second was a typo sorry about that.

I figure I have to much light, was going to remove the white bulb T5 and replace with another blue plus. I think the 18k looks and can use the whites from my LEDs.

 

[Radman73]

the 1 second was a typo sorry about that.

I figure I have to much light, was going to remove the white bulb T5 and replace with another blue plus. I think the 18k looks and can use the whites from my LEDs.

Reduce the % on your LED's too. You're running those razor's almost full blast. Drop each channel by 20% for a week and see how things look.

 

[Twocoralsonetank]

It is a 30 inch deep tank. I am a fan of Razor but to me the power isn't there. That's why I had to add the T5s. I mean at full power the razors only product 150 Par in the middle of the tank.