ADVICE needed for water parameters and SHRINKING ELEGANCE CORAL

[SaltyFan]

Hello!
I recently noticed that one half of my large elegance colony started to shrivel up and stay that way, I’ve moved it 2x to different areas and now it’s completely shrunk in.
Current Parameters:

salinity 33
Ph 7.8-8.0
Ammonia .5 (EDITED ORIGINAL WAS 5.0 typo)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
Calcium 530
Alk 8.4 dkh
Mag 1480
Phosphate.9

my tank usually runs a low ph with a little nitrates. I struggle to get and keep my phosphates down .... grrrrr.
ADVICE PLEASE

 

[Crustaceon]

——>>> Ammonia <<<——-

If your tank is properly cycled, this should be zero. For now, I’d add some ammonia detoxifier like Prime. You’ll also have to dose beneficial bacteria and hopefully get the tank to cloud up (cycle).

 

[Uncle99]

Salinity low.....s/b 34-35
Ammonia....5......that would kill.....
Phosphate.9ppm......that’s 5 to 10 times normal.
Something wrong with your numbers.

Do you have any pest algae’s or bacteria?

 

[SaltyFan]

——>>> Ammonia <<<——-

If your tank is properly cycled, this should be zero.

Yes it is. I just recently had a restock after a heater mishap took out all my other fishies I was thinking that was the reason for the ammonia? Is that possible?

 

[SaltyFan]

Salinity low.....s/b 34-35
Ammonia....5......that would kill.....
Phosphate.9ppm......that’s 5 to 10 times normal.
Something wrong with your numbers.

Do you have any pest algae’s or bacteria?

Omg... blonde moment, typo. AMMONIA IS .5 not 5.0

 

[homer1475]

How old is the tank, and how fast did you restock.

I would be throwing some prime in there ASAP.

 

[SaltyFan]

Salinity low.....s/b 34-35
Ammonia....5......that would kill.....
Phosphate.9ppm......that’s 5 to 10 times normal.
Something wrong with your numbers.

Do you have any pest algae’s or bacteria?

Yes, I’ve dealt with GHA off and on, have used Flux about 6 weeks ago for it. I always struggle with my phosphate, how can I fix this?

 

[homer1475]

GFO in a reactor used properly so you don't strip the water too fast works wonders on phosphates.

 

[SaltyFan]

How old is the tank, and how fast did you restock.

I would be throwing some prime in there ASAP.

Tank is almost a year. Fish had been gone and a 50% water change about 5 weeks ago.
I have a 50g display and about 7g sump.
I added 5 fish 5 days ago.

 

[homer1475]

Pics of said elegance coral?

Calcium is on the high side too. should be around 400 - 450

 

[homer1475]

Tank is almost a year. Fish had been gone and a 50% water change about 5 weeks ago.
I have a 50g display and about 7g sump.
I added 5 fish 5 days ago.

I see you had a typo. Disregard me previous post.

 

[Crustaceon]

Yes it is. I just recently had a restock after a heater mishap took out all my other fishies I was thinking that was the reason for the ammonia? Is that possible?

Oh yeah, for sure. It probably killed much of the bacterial population in your sand. Letting temp drop too much typically causes newly moved tanks to crash. The water in the sand bucket gets too cold and it wipes out the bacteria, causing a spike in nitrates, phosphates and ammonia. The same happens with a heater failure that cooks the tank. You have to reestablish the bacteria population.

 

[homer1475]

What test kit are you using to measure your ammonia level?

.5 could well be within the test kits margin of error. Meaning it's more then likely 0.

Ammonia I don't believe is your issue. Pics of the coral would help immensely.

 

[SaltyFan]

How old is the tank, and how fast did you restock.

I would be throwing some prime in there ASAP.

 

[SaltyFan]

What test kit are you using to measure your ammonia level?

.5 could well be within the test kits margin of error. Meaning it's more then likely 0.

Ammonia I don't believe is your issue. Pics of the coral would help immensely.

I’m using the Red Sea Foundation pro test kit

 

[SaltyFan]

@homer1475 did the pics come out ok?

 

[homer1475]

Is that a conical shaped one? Meaning the stony base resembles a cone.

If so, push it further into your sandbed so the polyp can layout in the sand. I find they like low flow, and very low light(both of mine sit in under 100poar under an overhang).

 

[homer1475]

Yup see them fine, little blue, but I can see them good enough. I think.

 

[SaltyFan]

Is that a conical shaped one? Meaning the stony base resembles a cone.

If so, push it further into your sandbed so the polyp can layout in the sand. I find they like low flow, and very low light(both of mine sit in under 100poar under an overhang).

I will pull it up and take a better pic .... Also, I just realized I didn’t finish answering your question I test for my nitrates, ammonia, pH, and nitrates using the API Marine salt water kit

 

[Uncle99]

Yes, I’ve dealt with GHA off and on, have used Flux about 6 weeks ago for it. I always struggle with my phosphate, how can I fix this?

So phosphate IMO, should run in the 0.03 x .1 range so at .9 which is high, you need to bring that down slowly.

You can run a GFO to mop up that organic, and running carbon is recommended.

IMO, any ammonia greater than .1ppm should be investigated.

Hanna ULR Phosphorus checker is best for measuring phosphate levels. Other tests are just not that sensitive....we talking about 10-30 parts per billion.....

Elegance corals sometimes just recede and die for unknown reasons.