Corals Not Well. Can't Find Problem.

[BantyRooster97]

I would guess a lot of the info is correct. Lights too high-low par, do you have access to a par meter?

Also, low nutrients run lower ALK, or vice versa.

Try a different salt if you lower the ALK, tropic Marin is what I use.

 

[kp1991]

I would not consider 9 dKH as 'high'. I shoot to keep my alk at 8-9 dKH, some shoot a lot higher.

My mistake yeah your dkh is good infact can probably be higher actually

 

[Hans-Werner]

Your Hanna Checker and also the Triton analysis show very low phosphate concentrations. In comparison to phosphate nitrate and alkalinity are quite high. This imbalance causes major problems especially with SPS like STN and contracted polyps.

 

[Battlecliff]

Hello,
I've seen your triton lab sheet and it's clear that your corals won't survive. Correct the parameters and maybe adjust your led. I think you adjusted it with too much blue.

 

[ThunderGoose]

So glad to hear I'm not the only one with this problem (18 months in). No advice, just sympathy. Following, hoping for some good ideas.

Good luck!

 

[sundog101]

Lowered the lights this week and started a PO4 dose. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[LuizW13]

So, at the same night that i dosed my ATO bucket with NeoNito, i did a test and finally got my nitrates to a detectable level ~2 on the salifert kit. Last night, my nitrates were at the same level, so hopefully, the NeoNitro with ATO has been keeping it steady, still to early to tell, but looks good so far.

 

[Battlecliff]

Hello,
Lower your Ca to 440, Alk. to 7-8 and dose iod, because your corals were burned to death.

 

[Battlecliff]

I had a similar issue, I had to dose nitrates and phos. Overtime my phos go below 10ppb I lose colour or stn on my sps.

The issues I have sometimes at the start were algae blooms. But I find that you need utility Fish to combat that. I now have 2 tangs, a goby and sea cucumber for sand and my nites are 0.25 nitrate and 5-10ppb phos.

Sounds scary but once you see the corals colour up you will kick yourself for having nutes too low. Then you just have to balance make sure you don't add to many. Also take it very slow

If you have no3 for example at 5, but that means nothing, because it's possible to have a nitrogen shortage. There could be a contrary ratio between the different types of nitrogen and so your corals have RTN as well as STN and white sports at the tissue

 

[pdisner]

Do you put your hands in the tank everyday? The reason I ask is because someone posted about the decline he was having in his tank and it came down to the sunscreen he was using. Apparently one of the ingredients is toxic to corals in the ppb. Outside of that very low nutrients have already been covered.
Well, yeah that would probably do it!

 

[pdisner]

Do you put your hands in the tank everyday? The reason I ask is because someone posted about the decline he was having in his tank and it came down to the sunscreen he was using. Apparently one of the ingredients is toxic to corals in the ppb. Outside of that very low nutrients have already been covered.

Absolutely!!! ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS, PAST THE ELBOW! Every time, religiously. You have no idea what viral or bacterial pathogens you collect throughout The day. Florida auto farms I believe makes a soap for this purpose. But I believe if you just use proper handwashing techniques with any type of Anti-bacterial soap you’ll be doing better than nothing at all. Lotions and other contaminants are a big corporate as well and no doubt have a detrimental effect on the young hatchlings. I just had a clutch of about 300 more blennies that I have not even touched yet, except to add water. I minimize skin contact into the larval rearing tank.

 

[pdisner]

My 93 cube is about 2 years old now. Unfortunately, my corals have never done great. Some have died. Others just survive with no growth. When I add coral, they seem to do ok for a few months, then they slowly decline. PE decreases and they begin to shrivel. Sps, lps, softies affected. I've tried to find what could be causing this, but I can't seem to find the issue. Would anyone have advice or input?

Tank Specs
-93 gal cube
-Trigger ruby 30 sump
-About 2 years old
-Flow provided by two gyre 130s. Both are vertically mounted and run intermittently up to around 70%. No visible dead spots.
-Lights are 2 Kessil a360's ramping up to 60%.
-Currently 6 fish

Filtration
-Reef Octopus classic 150 int
-Chaeto fuge in sump with hydroponic light
-BRS carbon reactor with ROX .8 changed monthly
-Previously about 5 gal monthly WC. Recently increased to 20 gal monthly
-BRS rodi system; tds reads 0

Chemisty
-Alk: 9.3
-Ca: 510
-Mg: 1400
-NO3: 5
-PO4: 1ppb
-Salinity: 1.026

One month ago, I decided to do a 100% water change and turn over the whole tank. This was done in a series of 20 WC's over 1 month. Since then I have notice some improvement. So I'm thinking to continue with the water changes, try adding some new coral to see how it responds, and maybe getting a Triton test.
*I did send off a Triton test last year which I'll attach. I'll also add some photos.

https://www.triton-lab.de/en/aquaria-administration/aquarium/auswertung-b/icp-oes/46798/
Triton results below (link didn't work)

Thanks for the help!

The best method for correcting tank problems, and the first thing that anyone should try is a water change. Depending on how much deficit you have in your tank a water change is the most economical and the quickest way without shocking your fish in tank and have a chance is to do a water change. This hobby is too bent on selling you the next best thing, when all most of it is, is repackaged stuf in a pretty neat box. Learning basic high school chemist rail and having a good understanding Will help avoid pitfalls.

 

[pdisner]

Have you tried adding live phytoplankton to your display? I would add some microfauna. Phyto is at the bottom of the food change and has a Bunch of beneficial effects. I have been growing for types of phytoplankton and add Leftovers after feeding copepods to my display tank. I also add the copepods when I harvest them to each of my display tanks. I breed fish so I have quite the Collection of phyto and zooplankton. If you’d like some articles or if you want to try your self I can send you some or you can grow your own. I know the cheapest places to get source cultures and have to micro algae fertilizer. A lot of people pooh-pooh the idea of adding phytoplankton to your display. However, if it is all over the ocean and zooplankton depend on it for survival, you would think that by not adding it, it would be detrimental on some level. I’ve been doing this for about nine months now as I have been breeding fish and learning things along the way. It’s amazing and I think corals did get a lot especially softies and LPS

 

[pdisner]

Prime will also remove the Chlormines and such though there are a lot of other things it may not catch.

I breed fish and shrimp and I depend heavily on prime as it not only takes out Khlorine chloramines, it will also neutralize ammonia and nitrates. I also use one of the cameras other products called stability, as it seems to help clear ammonia to a zero level and I haven’t found anything better yet.

 

[pdisner]

Maybe your alk is too high 9.3 imo seems a bit high maybe the corals are unhappy with a high dkh are your fish ok noone acting funny if they are might wanna buffer down just a thought

I don’t think that’s the reason.dot dot

 

[kp1991]

I don’t think that’s the reason.dot dot

9.3 is actually on the high side for corals but can be tollerable but heard from some very experienced coral growers and their dkh is around 6 or 8... higher dkh is also associated with high nutrients which will also affect corals in a negative way now everyones tank situation is different no one persons issues will be the same so many factors to rule in or out but as a general rule stable ph between 8-8.4 and dkh from 6-8 keep nutrients low have a balanced lighting setup good flow keep phos and nitrates minimal and you should have a healthy reef setup....