Coral Issues

[JJ8033]

Hello, and thanks!
I have been having an ongoing issue with growing corals in my 2 year old BioCube.
I have a standard (unupgraded) system except for starting a refugium in the back. My water parameters reliably are:
Ammonia = 0
Nitrites = 0
Nitrate = 40 with API test and 5 with Salifer (still haven't figured out what to do about it)
Phosphate = 0
Calcium = 408
Salinity = 1.024 (varies slightly)
pH = 8.0
Temp = 78.6
My corals generally seem to be happy and grow (very slowly) for several months, then suddenly not.
Attached are some pics from today after a water change. Everything has been in the tank from 6-14 months. What am I missing?

 

[homer1475]

Alkalinity number?

Probably the most important of the big three.

 

[JJ8033]

Alkalinity number?

Probably the most important of the big three.

That is one of the things. I actually don't have a test for that. I ordered a Triton ICP test yesterday intending to get that and more.

 

[Samina]

I would invest in a alkalinity test kit and mag also.

How are you testing phosphate? You do not want 0 phosphate as it is needed for growth. But a lot if the colorimetric test kits are hard to discern if phosphate is a true 0. A good way to test phosphate is the Hanna ULR since it tests at really low ranges which would be hard for our eyes to pickup on color comparison cards.

 

[JJ8033]

I would invest in a alkalinity test kit and mag also.

How are you testing phosphate? You do not want 0 phosphate as it is needed for growth. But a lot if the colorimetric test kits are hard to discern if phosphate is a true 0. A good way to test phosphate is the Hanna ULR since it tests at really low ranges which would be hard for our eyes to pickup on color comparison cards.

I currently don't have one either. I have the Hanna Ca, and want the others. Unfortunately I don't currently have a lot of spare income to invest. I am going to do the ICP test in hopes of getting the most information for the least $.

 

[JJ8033]

Hello, and thanks!
I have been having an ongoing issue with growing corals in my 2 year old BioCube.
I have a standard (unupgraded) system except for starting a refugium in the back. My water parameters reliably are:
Ammonia = 0
Nitrites = 0
Nitrate = 40 with API test and 5 with Salifer (still haven't figured out what to do about it)
Phosphate = 0
Calcium = 408
Salinity = 1.024 (varies slightly)
pH = 8.0
Temp = 78.6
My corals generally seem to be happy and grow (very slowly) for several months, then suddenly not.
Attached are some pics from today after a water change. Everything has been in the tank from 6-14 months. What am I missing?

Triton Lab Showroom - Explore this water test results and click on the image above.

Someone wants to show you the water test results and shared this link to the evaluation. Click on the image above to explore the water test results.

www.triton-lab.de