20 gallon long softies not growing much

[Orlandoguy50]

I have a 20 gallon long with mostly zoas, kenya leather corals and a couple mushrooms. The leathers are growing like crazy. The zoas not so much. I have a aquasky marine and reef 2.0 and a regular aqua sky for freshwater on the tank. The tank is pretty dam bright when all is at 100%. I dose with trace elements and also a small amount of iodine. I just dont see zoas getting any bigger then when i bought them. One of them looks smaller in my tank not dead but deffinatly shrinking. Ive tried to feed reef roids but doesnt seem to make any different. Are these lights not as good as advertised?

 

[Ron Reefman]

A) I don't even recognize the light fixtures you named. Are those Fluval led fixtures? And one is a freshwater tank light?

B) The term, "Pretty dam bright..." really doesn't help much.

C) With those corals you really don't need to add trace elements, especially if you do water changes.

D) Are you testing for iodine levels before you dose?

E) Zoa don't typically get bigger if they were healthy when you got them. They just duplicate and make a bigger colony. All the polyps will still be about the same size.

I suspect with a 20g tank, the Fluval lights should be enough to keep your soft corals OK. They aren't great lights, but they are OK over very shallow tanks (like 12" deep). I suspect your problem may be with other stuff you are adding to the tank. Especially iodine.

How long have you had this tank set up and running?
That are your water parameters?

Temp:
Salinity or specific gravity:
Ammonia:
Nitrate:
alk:
Ca:

What kind of filtration are you running?
How about a skimmer?

 

[Orlandoguy50]

A) I don't even recognize the light fixtures you named. Are those Fluval led fixtures? And one is a freshwater tank light?

B) The term, "Pretty dam bright..." really doesn't help much.

C) With those corals you really don't need to add trace elements, especially if you do water changes.

D) Are you testing for iodine levels before you dose?

E) Zoa don't typically get bigger if they were healthy when you got them. They just duplicate and make a bigger colony. All the polyps will still be about the same size.

I suspect with a 20g tank, the Fluval lights should be enough to keep your soft corals OK. They aren't great lights, but they are OK over very shallow tanks (like 12" deep). I suspect your problem may be with other stuff you are adding to the tank. Especially iodine.

How long have you had this tank set up and running?
That are your water parameters?

Temp:
Salinity or specific gravity:
Ammonia:
Nitrate:
alk:
Ca:

What kind of filtration are you running?
How about a skimmer?

2 fish clown and pygmy cherub angel, sunsun canister filter. No skimmer, 5 gallon change every two weeks, feed fish every other day. Clean filter media once every 2 months, been set up over a year. No water testing problems. No idea what calcium or other levels are. The trace and the iodine once every couple months. I usually forget to add them. I've been told I should see new zoa polyps monthly. Only one of them have jumped off the plug or created new ones..rest of them on the same plug for 6 months.

 

[Orlandoguy50]

A) I don't even recognize the light fixtures you named. Are those Fluval led fixtures? And one is a freshwater tank light?

B) The term, "Pretty dam bright..." really doesn't help much.

C) With those corals you really don't need to add trace elements, especially if you do water changes.

D) Are you testing for iodine levels before you dose?

E) Zoa don't typically get bigger if they were healthy when you got them. They just duplicate and make a bigger colony. All the polyps will still be about the same size.

I suspect with a 20g tank, the Fluval lights should be enough to keep your soft corals OK. They aren't great lights, but they are OK over very shallow tanks (like 12" deep). I suspect your problem may be with other stuff you are adding to the tank. Especially iodine.

How long have you had this tank set up and running?
That are your water parameters?

Temp:
Salinity or specific gravity:
Ammonia:
Nitrate:
alk:
Ca:

What kind of filtration are you running?
How about a skimmer?

126 salinity and yes fluval aquasky I've only added the iodine 3 times in the last 6 months. Thinking it might make a difference. Originally I had 2 freshwater fluval aquasky on it. Zoa's were slowly dying then I got the marine and reef version and the zoa's perked up a bit. I was considering buying another marine and reef 2.0 but if I could find something better then 2 of those I would.