Corals not Thriving

iko2thdk · Apr 17, 2020

I am running hydra 26s. same size aquarium. The tank is definitely not packed! waiting on my PAR meter rental...

drew350 · May 28, 2020

any update?

iko2thdk · May 28, 2020

Lowered my alk to 7.9-8.2 by reducing my dosing. pH 8.1-8.3 All parameters good, cal 430, sal 1.025, nitrates 8-10, phos 0. My corals seems ok but now having an outbreak of brown hair algae Mainly on the back of the aquarium but now on the rocks as well. Decided to change salt to hawaiian marine reef from I O reef crystals (too much crud) in my mixing container. still not really happy with what's happening....

iko2thdk · May 28, 2020

wrote a brown hair? post yesterday..with photos

drawman · May 28, 2020

Very hard to tell with the photos in that thread. Can you post a whiter pick of the algae? Don't love to see your zero PO4...

iko2thdk · May 28, 2020

drawman said:
Very hard to tell with the photos in that thread. Can you post a whiter pick of the algae? Don't love to see your zero PO4...

will do, in the a m

Gordonm · May 29, 2020

DesertReefT4r said:
I agree. Lower the alk, slowly. 10 is high for the low nutrients, shoot for 8.0 ish. Your alk, cal and mag are a bit out of balance. Mag is a bit high and cal is a bit low but there not too bad. Lower your alk dose and increase your cal dose a little and test daily until its dialed back in. 7.8-8.5 alk, 420-450 cal and 1380-1400 mag is a good balance. What salt mix are you using? Was the tank started with dry rock and dry sand or no sand? If so how did you go about cycling and seeding the tank to help get it sps ready? How long to the corals you have issues with last, is it near instant issues or does it take several weeks?

10.9 dkh is even higher

Nicholas Dushynsky · May 29, 2020

iko2thdk said:
Lowered my alk to 7.9-8.2 by reducing my dosing. pH 8.1-8.3 All parameters good, cal 430, sal 1.025, nitrates 8-10, phos 0. My corals seems ok but now having an outbreak of brown hair algae Mainly on the back of the aquarium but now on the rocks as well. Decided to change salt to hawaiian marine reef from I O reef crystals (too much crud) in my mixing container. still not really happy with what's happening....

I'd say with zero phosphates that your brown algae is dinoflagellates at a guess. Corals need phosphates to survive. I lost all my sps due to zero phosphates. I have been dosing daily to get it back up.

iko2thdk · May 29, 2020

iko2thdk said:
will do, in the a m

Phosphates are at 0.0. I guess I should be concerned about that. Nitrates are under 10 ppm. Perhaps should figure out how to increase phosphates??

Joedubyk · May 29, 2020

iko2thdk said:
Hi R2R. My reef aquarium, a RSR350 is a little over one year old. My water parameters seems to be where they should be:
pH 8.13
temp 78.5 F
Alk 10.9
Calcium 400
Mg 1460
phos .04 using Hanna ULR checker
Nitrates under 5.0

Dosing with 2 part using an apex doser and doing water changes of about 20%/month. Water appears crystal clear and the fish have been fine except I lost a flame angel to ich about a month ago. It was removed promptly and all other tank inhabitants have been clean.

My anemone, euphyllia and leather corals have been thriving. Small frags like chalice and plate corals slowly but surely die back from their edges until all their zooxanthellae are gone. I try reef roids, blizzard, mysis, oyster feast, some critters eat, some do not. Running two AI Hydras about 9 hrs a day with mostly blues, violets, very little red and cool white. Ive just sent for to rent a par meter since like many of us, I am home.

Any idea why some of these very attractive corals fail to thrive in what i think is fairly good water quality. There is plenty of flow with 2 vortechs and a tunze.

". It was removed promptly and all other tank inhabitants have been clean. "

Thats your problem. No fish poop for them to eat

Joedubyk · May 29, 2020

iko2thdk said:
Lowered my alk to 7.9-8.2 by reducing my dosing. pH 8.1-8.3 All parameters good, cal 430, sal 1.025, nitrates 8-10, phos 0. My corals seems ok but now having an outbreak of brown hair algae Mainly on the back of the aquarium but now on the rocks as well. Decided to change salt to hawaiian marine reef from I O reef crystals (too much crud) in my mixing container. still not really happy with what's happening....

your PHOSPHATE is far too low. you better get them up FAST or yoyu're in a world full of hurt

iko2thdk · May 29, 2020

Gordonm said:
10.9 dkh is even higher

I have been using I O Reef crystals, switching to Hawaiian marine. The tank was cycled about 16 months ago with dry rock, live sand and a few fish. Ive really taken my time with this but this brown algae outbreak is quite upsetting. Some corals thrive, some have progressive die back from their edges in, no evidence of brown slime, critters. The slow necrosis seems to take weeks to months.

Joedubyk · May 29, 2020

iko2thdk said:
I have been using I O Reef crystals, switching to Hawaiian marine. The tank was cycled about 16 months ago with dry rock, live sand and a few fish. Ive really taken my time with this but this brown algae outbreak is quite upsetting. Some corals thrive, some have progressive die back from their edges in, no evidence of brown slime, critters. The slow necrosis seems to take weeks to months.

they're all going to die an dcontinue to get much worse unless you get your phosphate higher