Corals Not Opening

[iloveswfish]

I have a 55 gallon with T5 HO and i got some frags of Zoas, Xenia, and they are not opening and i dont know why, i moved them futher up near the light and the still are not opening. i was thinking of doing an Iodine dip since i read tht sometimes it helps them open.

 

[mike007]

What are your water parameters?

 

[mjr]

+1 on the water parameters. How long have you had the corals?

 

[Reefing Madness]

Need water params. Also, softies don't like being moved around all that much. Ticks em off.

 

[iloveswfish]

my params are:

Ph-8.3
Phos- 0
Nitrite-0
Alk-9
Amonia-0
Calcium -800 (i know this is high but i have been doing water changes 3 times week and wont come down)
Nitrate - 0

 

[mjr]

my params are:

Ph-8.3
Phos- 0
Nitrite-

what about alk? what else is in the tank?

softies def get irritated when moved around if you touch the polyps. a turbo snail ran over a zoa patch I had and they did not open for days. How long have yours been closed?

 

[iloveswfish]

i have only had them for a few days

 

[Reefing Madness]

800??? WOW. Only way your getting that down is by using Instant Ocean Salt. That tests out really low on CA.
What are you taking the phosphate reading with? got a Mag number?

 

[iloveswfish]

i used an API kit and i took a water sample to the LFS for the Magniusm and they said it was a little high but it was okay....so if i use instant ocean crystals it will bring the ca down...

 

[Reefing Madness]

Yea, it will help you bring it down, because it mixes out very low, doing a bunch of medium water changes will help you to bring it down.

 

[iloveswfish]

thank you,,, i will go buy the instant ocean crystals....and will that help my soft corals to open....i dont want to lose them

 

[mjr]

800 seems a bit off. I'm not sure that is even possible. Your test kit might be off. Are you getting a lot of calcium precipitate? With the calc that high, the calc should be snowing calc particles in you tank. That would irritate the the corals.