Can't get anything to grow

[standam]

Is that yours maximum daylight? Looks pretty dark to me.if not show picture with highest light
Reef looks good

 

[Fishfinder]

Judging by the looks of the light I think that's your problem. Not enough

 

[AbsoluteZer0273]

I don’t see any powerheads. What are you using for flow?

 

[ketchup318]

Yeah, I see the problem with the pictures, they were taken at 7pm, the lights ramp down and shut off at 9. I'll get better pictures tonight.

I have two powerheads at the back of the tank, they push water from back to front. My return tee's off and goes sideways. So I have a mix of sideways and front & back motion. I'll get better pictures tonight.

 

[JaimeAdams]

It is super dark looking.

I would increase the intensity of the light. That 5-8W per gallon formula that you mentioned is not accurate. We don't really use that in reef keeping, different light sources and color spectrum of diodes makes that number way too variable to base it on wattage.


First I would increase your lighting schedule. I would run it at max intensity for the majority of the day. Since you are on the low side of PAR/PUR values I would also increase the duration. DO NOT do it instantly. Do it rather slowly over a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to the more intense light. I would also be looking to increase your lighting by either adding another a160, a LED light strip, a couple of T-5 Bulbs.

Your parameters are fine. Your PH is fine. You just need to increase your lighting and remember that corals don't grow over night.

 

[HB AL]

I would run your 160's at 100% the whole time. I have 5 over my 92gal and run them all at 100% for the 14 hours they are on. First and last hour the color is 100% blue, then the rest of the day there at about 75% white/ 25% blue.

 

[Richards_reef]

I agree with everyone else. Change your lighting and minimize your use of nopox unless you end up getting a nitrate problem. I had the same problem as you, once I switched from led to 5tho growth and color exploded. I don't use nopox but I do water changes every week to help reset my tank.

 

[dMiles]

You need better lights. I had a Kessil a160we over my RSM 130 for about 6 mo with no growth. Replaced it with a SBreef 16" wifi and had more growth in a month than in 6 with the 160.

 

[standam]

I would run your 160's at 100% the whole time. I have 5 over my 92gal and run them all at 100% for the 14 hours they are on. First and last hour the color is 100% blue, then the rest of the day there at about 75% white/ 25% blue.

Yes increase Kessil's ,first increase intensity and more houers. But do that slowly end give on corals time to adapt atlases one week . If they're ok and no algae growing go up.If still no growing +2 t5's.Full spectrum Kessil's with good t5 bulbs.

 

[Rakie]

I believe in nitrates and phosphates. I also believe you could use more light.

 

[rsljr81]

I still curious as to where your alk and calcium are going if nothing is growing? 72 ml of each per day is a lot.

 

[Esage]

Looking at your kessil schedule, I would recommend bumping the peak time up to 8hrs over a couple of weeks. After the peak time has been increased I would start bumping the intensity up 5% a week until I reached 90%

 

[fishbox]

I still curious as to where your alk and calcium are going if nothing is growing? 72 ml of each per day is a lot.

Me too.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

It is super dark looking.

I would increase the intensity of the light. That 5-8W per gallon formula that you mentioned is not accurate. We don't really use that in reef keeping, different light sources and color spectrum of diodes makes that number way too variable to base it on wattage.


First I would increase your lighting schedule. I would run it at max intensity for the majority of the day. Since you are on the low side of PAR/PUR values I would also increase the duration. DO NOT do it instantly. Do it rather slowly over a couple of weeks to allow the coral to adjust to the more intense light. I would also be looking to increase your lighting by either adding another a160, a LED light strip, a couple of T-5 Bulbs.

Your parameters are fine. Your PH is fine. You just need to increase your lighting and remember that corals don't grow over night.

I have to agree more light and longer lighting period.
Corals do grow over night some you can see the difference and some you can't. My two Duncans averaged 2 new heads each every week for 4 years and I have montis you can see the growth almost every day. Some I don't realize how much they have grown until I look at older pictures.

 

[Tek]

In these cases I would remove any chemical variables and go back to basics. Just water changes and top off Mg, ALK, and CA. No other additives. I have had similar issues as yours due to running carbon, low P04, low nitrates, or lighting issues with LEDs.

Once the water chemistry is simplified focus on the lights and make changes slowly. Best would be to use a PAR meter or a cheap LUX meter to measure light at the water level. I was able to help a few local reefers with LED issues using a LUX meter. All of them had too much light. What we see with our eyes and what the corals receive are misleading.

 

[Nobbygas]

I had something similar. Started a new tank with Triton. I also had a Rhowophos reactor, Marine Pure block, NYOS Skimmer, Hydra HD26 LED's........and nothing would grow. ICP tests came back with everything looking fantastic, and my normal water tests were all looking good, but nothing grew.
So, I went back to basics. I got rid of the Triton stuff, and I now just complete a 15% water change per week. This tops up the Mg, Ca and Alk. The only thing I put into the tank is Red Sea Energy A+B for the corals, and the corals are all growing and look healthy ! My water tests all the look the same as before the change, but something was obviously not right, and now it appears to be so ! Why? I've no idea!

 

[RobertN]

Yes increase Kessil's ,first increase intensity and more houers. But do that slowly end give on corals time to adapt atlases one week . If they're ok and no algae growing go up.If still no growing +2 t5's.Full spectrum Kessil's with good t5 bulbs.

I'm also considering adding t5's to my LED boxes. What would you consider good bulbs? Also, I've heard some say that the t5's they would add to complement LED boxes are actinics and UV range bulbs. Do you agree? Thanks!

 

[Seminoles76]

I'd think about shooting RS an email and inquiring if they recommend nutrient levels that low for the coral (LPS/Softy) that you have. They may tell you to bump the energy dose or lower the NOPOX dose. I'd make sure I'm good to go there first, and if you are I'd then make lighting corrections as necessary. Everything else looks good.

 

[Richards_reef]

If you just add 2 t5 to the 2 kessil a160 I'd say a coral plus and a blue plus or if you want it bluer just 2 blue plus by ati. I had both combinations with a kessil a360 and I liked the whiter coral plus and blue plus combo best. Actinic are nice but they put out very low par usually.

 

[Roggio]

+lights +72 alc sounds too high

It could be something small you're overlooking. When I first got into the hobby I had the same issue. At the time I didn't realize you had to calibrate the refractometer and my salinity was off. Just a thought

I've always though of those lights as Nanos. I attempted to supplement an island in my reef with one and even visually I felt it was way too weak and returned it. Aquatic life has a new inexpensive t5 fixture you could all the lights to.