Cant keep corals alive and thriving

[Franki]

I don't really agree with this. I do 10 L automated water changes, daily, via APEX Neptune DoS, with a 16 gal tank, which is around 13.7% daily water change with very good results. Caveat: I do dose full ZEOvit system.

Using sea water i dont know if it suits doing so many water changes. The values dont seem ideal like the salinity which sits at around 1.028 give or take. Maybe im wrong but either way i dont think i can get such amounts of water with such frequency.

 

[DiZASTiX]

* For me, I use NO3O4-x that I manufactured, plus

ATS for one tank
Giant mangrove tree for other tank.

 

[DiZASTiX]

Using sea water i dont know if it suits doing so many water changes. The values dont seem ideal like the salinity which sits at around 1.028 give or take. Maybe im wrong but either way i dont think i can get such amounts of water with such frequency.

I don't think you need auto water changes (such high frequencies) or such high volume. I'm just making the point that a higher volume of water changes won't adversely harm corals.

 

[Franki]

I don't think you need auto water changes (such high frequencies) or such high volume. I'm just making the point that a higher volume of water changes won't adversely harm corals.

Oh ok. So what would you personnaly recommend for a 13g tank like mine?

 

[Franki]

If you're confident of that reading, that would be important. I had a calibration thermometer that was different from another, that was off by 0.5 C, which would be critical if you're closer to the top of the band. 27 C is okay.

I'd suggest checking nitrate and phosphate. You technically just have to have one be the limitation reagent to stop algae from growing, but it's better to have both be at reasonable levels. (i.e., it's okay theoretically to have 0 nitrates but 1.00 phosphates).

I suggest using a nitrate exportation mechanism first, then a phosphate exportation mechanism. Doing it the other way will cause nitrates to not drop (unless you use a denitrator).

Also im guessing my nutrients are not at 0 since i have a decent amount algae specially on the substrate and on top of some corals. But even the ones that dont have that much algae on top of them are not growing and have close to no polyp extension.

 

[DiZASTiX]

Also im guessing my nutrients are not at 0 since i have a decent amount algae specially on the substrate and on top of some corals. But even the ones that dont have that much algae on top of them are not growing and have close to no polyp extension.

One of your either phosphates or nitrates could be zero, but not both.

 

[NS Mike D]

Also im guessing my nutrients are not at 0 since i have a decent amount algae specially on the substrate and on top of some corals. But even the ones that dont have that much algae on top of them are not growing and have close to no polyp extension.

LRS Reef Frenzy and Reef Roids gets the polyps going in my tank. Reef Energy by Red Sea is another product that created a lot of coral excitement. IME, corals love when those amino acids and fats get in the water column. Sea Water is pretty baron. However at night that changes with marine snow and other goodies moving into the reef.

long shot, check for stray voltage. I had a pump wire fray and took out an anemone and some soft corals and lead to a tank crash.

Lastly, I found that disc mushrooms and frogspawn are the easiest corals for me to grow. While I am currently growing gsp on my back wall, I had no luck with it my first two tries with it (no clue why). I have some nice healthy SPS, but some reason I can't keep birds nests alive. Go figure. There are threads where folks talk about not being able to keep some of the so called easy to keep corals while having otherwise successful tanks. Mother nature has a sick sense of humor for reefers.

 

[Franki]

LRS Reef Frenzy and Reef Roids gets the polyps going in my tank. Reef Energy by Red Sea is another product that created a lot of coral excitement. IME, corals love when those amino acids and fats get in the water column. Sea Water is pretty baron. However at night that changes with marine snow and other goodies moving into the reef.

long shot, check for stray voltage. I had a pump wire fray and took out an anemone and some soft corals and lead to a tank crash.

Lastly, I found that disc mushrooms and frogspawn are the easiest corals for me to grow. While I am currently growing gsp on my back wall, I had no luck with it my first two tries with it (no clue why). I have some nice healthy SPS, but some reason I can't keep birds nests alive. Go figure. There are threads where folks talk about not being able to keep some of the so called easy to keep corals while having otherwise successful tanks. Mother nature has a sick sense of humor for reefers.

I used to feed my corals phyto plankton from seachem but it seems pointless, they cant even eat properly from what ive seen. I thought about checking for stray voltage but then i gave up on that because all the fish are doing fine, do you think this may affect the corals only? Ive tried a few coral species like gsp, kenya tree, euphylia, leathers and even an anemone, so im guessing is not that i cant keep some corals is that i cant keep any corals at all.

 

[Steven La Torre]

I used to feed my corals phyto plankton from seachem but it seems pointless, they cant even eat properly from what ive seen. I thought about checking for stray voltage but then i gave up on that because all the fish are doing fine, do you think this may affect the corals only? Ive tried a few coral species like gsp, kenya tree, euphylia, leathers and even an anemone, so im guessing is not that i cant keep some corals is that i cant keep any corals at all.

Hi, so funny you mention the stray voltage, so i started my biocube about a year and a half ago and about 5 months in i bought a powerhead. About a week into having it running everything started dying. I couldn’t figure out for the life of me what the issue was, my ammonia levels were off the charts, nothing i did fixed it, took sample after sample to my lfs and he got all the same reading. I was really ready to break the tank down. I decided one day to take the powerhead out and within a few hours my tank started a mini cycle and within a few days it was back on track.. never lost anything but coral.. very weird... just my own experience

 

[LesPoissons]

Also do you have a powerhead or anything in there providing a good bit of flow to the lower part of the tank? It looks stagnant?

 

[Jennyw]

Your lfs sounds a little...understocked? Have you considered buying tests online or going somewhere else?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I would reduce water change s to every 3-4 weeks, temperature at 78 deg and maintain salinity. Looks like numbers are being chased and parameters are fluctuating .
Lights seem too white. Add blue ( even a 12" Stunner bar) to the equation and reduce white brightness. I suspect also, water flow is minimal and would suggest addition of a nano powerhead for added water flow and oxygen.
Mainly: I would take a water sample to a trusted LFS and have them test same parameters for both comparison and accuracy of your tests.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Possible stray voltage , and copper wires leaching, maybe ?