Corals don’t like new tank

[BeckyW]

Hello! Why are corals not ok in my new tank? LFS can’t figure it out. Reef expert at BRS can’t figure it out. I’m at a loss. I took the beautiful zoas from my old tank with acclimation and they just close up. Parameters are in point. Diatom bloom is clearing up. What am I missing? Tank is 3 months old.

 

[spiraling]

Parameters are in point.

Please list them.
The tank is still quite new. What are your nitrate and phosphate in particular?
What is your water change schedule?
Do you have a skimmer or refugium that might be cleaning the water too much?

As a side note when I have corals that don't look good I use red sea amino acids. They seem to help a lot. I think they are an easy energy source for the corals.

 

[stylolvr]

Is the lighting where they are located the same as there spot in the old tank? Too much light too fast could possibly be a cause.

 

[nano_ryan]

What are you parameters?
Filtration?
Fish?
Zoanthids and other filter feeders require dirtier water
to survive, feeding of of phosphates and nitrates. Fish provide waste which is ends up into these. Not providing no3 and phosphate will kill the coral.

 

[danschoenherr]

I had same problem with my latest tank. It took a year and a half before zoas would start doing well. Other corals were just fine though. I believe the tank needed to build up a needed levels of nitrates and phosphates that zoas prefer. I just needed the tank to mature. Fortunately I had a larger frag tank to keep my zoas in until the main tank was ready.

 

[Reefer508]

I've been going through same thing, Zoa and chalice don't like new tank. Had to move back to my frag and temp tanks. Even did an ICP test, Iodine is low and Bromine is high. Doing extra water changes to get Bromine down and started dosing Iodine.

 

[BeckyW]

Redsea reefer 350-90gallons
Redsea testing:
PH 8.2
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 5-10
Not testing Phosphates
Sal 1.024
Temp 77.8
Skimmer, Refugium, biomedia and filter sock
Weekly-ish H2O change (only 10%)
Lighting: Redsea LED 90x2 at preset RL90-23K

Fish list:
2clowns, cardinal, melanarus, foxface, midas

 

[BeckyW]

Please list them.
The tank is still quite new. What are your nitrate and phosphate in particular?
What is your water change schedule?
Do you have a skimmer or refugium that might be cleaning the water too much?

As a side note when I have corals that don't look good I use red sea amino acids. They seem to help a lot. I think they are an easy energy source for the corals.

Redsea reefer 350-90gallons
Redsea testing:
PH 8.2
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 5-10
Not testing Phosphates
Sal 1.024
Temp 77.8
Skimmer, Refugium, biomedia and filter sock
Weekly-ish H2O change (only 10%)
Lighting: Redsea LED 90x2 at preset RL90-23K

Fish list:
2clowns, cardinal, melanarus, foxface, midas

 

[BeckyW]

What are you parameters?
Filtration?
Fish?
Zoanthids and other filter feeders require dirtier water
to survive, feeding of of phosphates and nitrates. Fish provide waste which is ends up into these. Not providing no3 and phosphate will kill the coral.

Redsea reefer 350-90gallons
Redsea testing:
PH 8.2
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 5-10
Not testing Phosphates
Sal 1.024
Temp 77.8
Skimmer, Refugium, biomedia and filter sock
Weekly-ish H2O change (only 10%)
Lighting: Redsea LED 90x2 at preset RL90-23K

Fish list:
2clowns, cardinal, melanarus, foxface, midas

 

[BeckyW]

Is the lighting where they are located the same as there spot in the old tank? Too much light too fast could possibly be a cause.

I started the zoas on the sand and moved them up after a day. Lights are not up 100%. Lighting was brought up with a reef specialist from BRS too. Not confident with lighting with my new system...

 

[BeckyW]

Please list them.
The tank is still quite new. What are your nitrate and phosphate in particular?
What is your water change schedule?
Do you have a skimmer or refugium that might be cleaning the water too much?

As a side note when I have corals that don't look good I use red sea amino acids. They seem to help a lot. I think they are an easy energy source for the corals.

I wonder if I should move them back to the small tank. I don't want to loose them.

 

[living_tribunal]

Redsea reefer 350-90gallons
Redsea testing:
PH 8.2
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 5-10
Not testing Phosphates
Sal 1.024
Temp 77.8
Skimmer, Refugium, biomedia and filter sock
Weekly-ish H2O change (only 10%)
Lighting: Redsea LED 90x2 at preset RL90-23K

Fish list:
2clowns, cardinal, melanarus, foxface, midas

Well you should test phosphates, they are pretty dang important for corals. Corals don't tolerate very low/nonexistent phosphate levels very well. It's one of the biggest coral killers...

 

[BeckyW]

I had same problem with my latest tank. It took a year and a half before zoas would start doing well. Other corals were just fine though. I believe the tank needed to build up a needed levels of nitrates and phosphates that zoas prefer. I just needed the tank to mature. Fortunately I had a larger frag tank to keep my zoas in until the main tank was ready.

What other corals did ok?

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

Just to be clear, you took zoa from an established system and stuck them in a new tank that appears to be cycling, is that correct? If so, it won't really matter what your testable parameters are, the bacteria colonies are still populating and the tank is not mature enough for coral to thrive.

 

[BeckyW]

Well you should test phosphates, they are pretty dang important for corals. Corals don't tolerate very low/nonexistent phosphate levels very well. It's one of the biggest coral killers...

I can start testing for phosphates. Can phosphates be added to the water? Is there a non-dosing remedy for low-no phosphates?

 

[LeftyReefer]

Have the zoas opened up at all in the new tank? Did they open when they were down lower on the sand?

 

[living_tribunal]

I can start testing for phosphates. Can phosphates be added to the water? Is there a non-dosing remedy for low-no phosphates?

I wouldn't dose with the fish you mentioned.

Another consideration, and I apologize if I didn't read this, but do you possibly have new dry rock?

Reason I ask is dry rock acts as a phosphate buffer. It will bind a very large amount of phosphates initially. It will then leach phosphates when levels are low and absorb them when levels are high.

 

[stylolvr]

I started the zoas on the sand and moved them up after a day. Lights are not up 100%. Lighting was brought up with a reef specialist from BRS too. Not confident with lighting with my new system...

I'm not sure what you mean by "not confident with lighting," but a day in my experience is not enough to acclimate corals to higher light levels if that is, in fact, a contributing factor. It can't hurt to move them back to the sand. Then figure out what your phosphate level is like living_tribunal noted. Assuming your cycle is complete at 3 months, it may just take some time for them to get comfortable.

.

 

[Tired]

Is the tank being cycled? Even if the parameters are fine, tanks that are very new often aren't stable enough for corals.

Yes, phosphates can be added. Increased feeding and reduced water changes can help.

 

[BeckyW]

Just to be clear, you took zoa from an established system and stuck them in a new tank that appears to be cycling, is that correct? If so, it won't really matter what your testable parameters are, the bacteria colonies are still populating and the tank is not mature enough for coral to thrive.

If parameters do not matter, what am I looking for then to start adding a coral or two?