Corals don't grow and shrink up in size

[saullman]

So here is my story and I need some serious help. My tank is not new. Probably about 3 yrs old now, but I am new to keeping corals. I have a small tank (45 gal JBJ AIO). I only have LPS and softies, no sps. I've tried my luck over the past few yrs with various beginner corals, but I always seem to kill them. There is not very much I know about corals, but I do know that lighting, flow, and water chemistry are all very important when it comes to thriving corals. Mine are barely surviving.

Flow:
When it comes to flow I am using a MP10. I have it set to the yellow mode (reefcrest) and it ramps up to half way of what the pump is capable of.

Lighting:
I am running one AI Prime HD. I just changed my schedule to my own after running it on David Saxby's schedule for the last year. I will provide a pic of what my current schedule looks like.

Chemistry:
I just tested today because it has been a while. I will provide the results in a pic. The only thing that threw up a red flag to me was my alkalinity which was at 12.6 dkh. BTW my pH is at 7.9? I know they go hand in hand and should be similar to each other. Also I do monthly water changes. I buy my saltwater and ro from WWC in Orlando. I am running a skimmer and some carbon in my tank currently.

I'm not really sure where exactly to begin or even what questions I should be asking. I do know that I need to bring down my alkalinity. Not sure how to do that???
What else do you recommend me doing or not doing?
Thanks in advance for everyone's help and recommendations.

 

[zuri]

numbers are really wonky having a low salinity while having high counts across the board. from just the numbers i would have assumed you were running high 1.026 or maybe even 7. what are you using to test salinity? corals all look fine btw

 

[Cole.mormon]

run salinity at 1.024 or 1.025

 

[Uncle99]

I would post all 8 parameters as they are now.
I would also indicate how long they have run at that level.
It’s the starting point in getting valued input from knowledgeable members.

Flow seems fine, light seems fine.

If AlK runs 12 all the time, that’s ok....but it’s say usually 8.......now that’s a clue....

 

[saullman]

numbers are really wonky having a low salinity while having high counts across the board. from just the numbers i would have assumed you were running high 1.026 or maybe even 7. what are you using to test salinity? corals all look fine btw

I'm using a salinity refractometer. I calibrated it before I used it today. I did notice today that the saltwater that I bought from WWC and doing water changes with is at 1.023. I didn't realize that before today. I thought it was higher.

In terms of corals. They look ok to you because you didn't see them when I first purchased them. They were much fuller and healthier looking. Now they are small and puny.

 

[saullman]

run salinity at 1.024 or 1.025

The last time I tested for salinity was on Sept 16 and it was at 1.026

 

[Uncle99]

The last time I tested for salinity was on Sept 16 and it was at 1.026

Salinity is one of those parameters that is key....when it’s off....everything else is off.
Stability is everything, I’m watching salinity consistently.

 

[saullman]

I would post all 8 parameters as they are now.
I would also indicate how long they have run at that level.
It’s the starting point in getting valued input from knowledgeable members.

Flow seems fine, light seems fine.

If AlK runs 12 all the time, that’s ok....but it’s say usually 8.......now that’s a clue....

Here are my parameters again:
Salinity: 1.023 (last tested @ 1.026 on Sept 16)
Nitrate: 0 ppm (last tested @ 5 ppm on Sept 16)
Phosphate: .04 ppm (last tested @.10 ppm on Sept 16)
pH: 7.9 (haven't tested in a while)
Alkalinity: 12.6 dkh (last test was at 10.4 on Aug 26)
Magnesium: 1480 ppm (last test was at 1420 ppm on Aug 26)
Calcium: 450 ppm (last test was at 445ppm on Aug 26)

My Alk has been slowly increasing since July when I was at 8.0, then 8.4, then 9.3, then 10.4 and now 12.6.

 

[saullman]

Salinity is one of those parameters that is key....when it’s off....everything else is off.
Stability is everything, I’m watching salinity consistently.

It's hard when your buying water and trusting the source (WWC) This is what I'm buying, but the salinity that is listed doesn't seem to match what I'm taking home.

 

[Uncle99]

Here are my parameters again:
Salinity: 1.023 (last tested @ 1.026 on Sept 16)
Nitrate: 0 ppm (last tested @ 5 ppm on Sept 16)
Phosphate: .04 ppm (last tested @.10 ppm on Sept 16)
pH: 7.9 (haven't tested in a while)
Alkalinity: 12.6 dkh (last test was at 10.4 on Aug 26)
Magnesium: 1480 ppm (last test was at 1420 ppm on Aug 26)
Calcium: 450 ppm (last test was at 445ppm on Aug 26)

My Alk has been slowly increasing since July when I was at 8.0, then 8.4, then 9.3, then 10.4 and now 12.6.

So, that does not appear to have stable chemistry, and that’s key.
Sorry but if you trust some else with your water.....that’s going to turn out bad.
There is never any more consistent water than the 0 TDS stuff you make yourself.
Because your buying premixed saltwater.....you have no idea what the source water was.....usually is not 0.

I recommend the following.
If you don’t know the TDS of the source water, you need to. It must be under 2ppm.
Salt is salt....use what you want....but I would at least mix my own, so I can measure TDS.
Phosphate looks perfect, but nitrate should never be zero......2-5ppm....zero is a real odd number unless you have no bio load and a big, well lit fuge with a big piece of chaeto.
PH.....forget it....
Alk....this ones like salinity, I don’t care what level you run, what’s key is it remains that level all the time.
MG...yah...maybe on the higher side....I like 1260-1360ppm....so as long as it is not continuously rising...no problem
CA....fine.....420...440..500....not concerned.
Also, temp must be stable.
Also, your lighting change....that’s going to make everything unhappy....but....they will adjust.

When we have water at incorrect and not stable, combined with light changes, things are not going to be happy.

Seek stability in both.....everything will flourish.....

 

[zuri]

honestly i would chalk it all up user error (your numbers that is). trust wwc they do know what they are doing. as for the corals starving over time well thats a problem thats easily solved. corals need food nitrate is staple around 10-20 for lps, 5-10 for sps unless ur running ulns

 

[saullman]

So, that does not appear to have stable chemistry, and that’s key.
Sorry but if you trust some else with your water.....that’s going to turn out bad.
There is never any more consistent water than the 0 TDS stuff you make yourself.
Because your buying premixed saltwater.....you have no idea what the source water was.....usually is not 0.

I recommend the following.
If you don’t know the TDS of the source water, you need to. It must be under 2ppm.
Salt is salt....use what you want....but I would at least mix my own, so I can measure TDS.
Phosphate looks perfect, but nitrate should never be zero......2-5ppm....zero is a real odd number unless you have no bio load and a big, well lit fuge with a big piece of chaeto.
PH.....forget it....
Alk....this ones like salinity, I don’t care what level you run, what’s key is it remains that level all the time.
MG...yah...maybe on the higher side....I like 1260-1360ppm....so as long as it is not continuously rising...no problem
CA....fine.....420...440..500....not concerned.
Also, temp must be stable.
Also, your lighting change....that’s going to make everything unhappy....but....they will adjust.

When we have water at incorrect and not stable, combined with light changes, things are not going to be happy.

Seek stability in both.....everything will flourish.....

I would love to make my own water, but the reality is that I can't afford a RODI unit, a few brute trash cans, and a bucket of salt right now. Nor do I have the space in the garage to set up a station. So what I do is I bring a tds meter with me when I buy my fresh water and test it before I leave. WWC is pretty consistent with their RODI water. It is always at 0 tds.

-Nitrate- I am testing using an API test kit. You know how accurate they are. Although API is saying 0, it probably isn't at 0.
-Temp is at 77.9 degrees. It usually stays pretty consistent.

 

[saullman]

honestly i would chalk it all up user error (your numbers that is). trust wwc they do know what they are doing. as for the corals starving over time well thats a problem thats easily solved. corals need food nitrate is staple around 10-20 for lps, 5-10 for sps unless ur running ulns

I don't actually feed my corals, just my fish. Should I be putting some coral food in the tank for them? I have had a fish store tell me after they tested that my tank is too clean.