Dead corals? Dying sick?

[savetheocean]

First of all, I do not dose anything yet. I also dont have that many test kits, if you have any suggestions on which ones tell me please. The three new corals I got were a trumpet coral, hammer coral, and heteroxenia. They came in the mail two days ago. Only the trumpet has opened a little bit. How do the corals look? Do I need supplements? If they do I will get some. I also have a torch coral and its doing great, but I got it like two weeks ago.

 

[bo0sted2g]

with the exception of the xenia they are LPS corals and do uptake calcium and alkalinity. I would get test kits for Calcium Alkalinity and Magnesium. those test results will tell you if you need to supplement them.

My candy cane usually has its feeder tentacles out at night. you can try to feed it mysis or other small foods. mine always seems to puff up way bigger the day after i feed it.

 

[savetheocean]

with the exception of the xenia they are LPS corals and do uptake calcium and alkalinity. I would get test kits for Calcium Alkalinity and Magnesium. those test results will tell you if you need to supplement them.

My candy cane usually has its feeder tentacles out at night. you can try to feed it mysis or other small foods. mine always seems to puff up way bigger the day after i feed it.

Salifert Master Reef Testing Combo Kit?

 

[bo0sted2g]

Salifert Master Reef Testing Combo Kit?

If you aren't currently testing nitrate in any other kit then that would be a fine choice.
I find that the salifert tests are way more accurate than my API test kits.

That being said, I use the API saltwater master test kit to do my
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
And PH

Then I use the Salifert core kit for
Calcium
Alkalinity
Magnesium

https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/s...MIw_LN0rO21gIVVZ7ACh334QCmEAQYASABEgIwM_D_BwE

But like I said above if you don't already have the other tests for nitrate and PH then the Salifert master combo would be better than the API.

 

[MarineMalecki]

If you aren't currently testing nitrate in any other kit then that would be a fine choice.
I find that the salifert tests are way more accurate than my API test kits.

That being said, I use the API saltwater master test kit to do my
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
And PH

Then I use the Salifert core kit for
Calcium
Alkalinity
Magnesium

https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/s...MIw_LN0rO21gIVVZ7ACh334QCmEAQYASABEgIwM_D_BwE

But like I said above if you don't already have the other tests for nitrate and PH then the Salifert master combo would be better than the API.

+1 on Salifert test kits - I use their Ca, Mg, Kh, NO3, and PO4 kits and have been very happy with them. Very easy to use and very accurate as well.

You didn't mention it, but make sure you have a means to test salinity as well. If you don't have a controller with a probe, a basic hydrometer will get the job done and help ensure you've got the appropriate levels in your tank. When you do water changes, I'd also recommend testing the salinity of the replacement water to get it as close to your tank's levels as possible.

 

[savetheocean]

+1 on Salifert test kits - I use their Ca, Mg, Kh, NO3, and PO4 kits and have been very happy with them. Very easy to use and very accurate as well.

You didn't mention it, but make sure you have a means to test salinity as well. If you don't have a controller with a probe, a basic hydrometer will get the job done and help ensure you've got the appropriate levels in your tank. When you do water changes, I'd also recommend testing the salinity of the replacement water to get it as close to your tank's levels as possible.

1.024 always, I think I am going to need supplements? Do you use any?

 

[bo0sted2g]

+1 on Salifert test kits - I use their Ca, Mg, Kh, NO3, and PO4 kits and have been very happy with them. Very easy to use and very accurate as well.

You didn't mention it, but make sure you have a means to test salinity as well. If you don't have a controller with a probe, a basic hydrometer will get the job done and help ensure you've got the appropriate levels in your tank. When you do water changes, I'd also recommend testing the salinity of the replacement water to get it as close to your tank's levels as possible.

^ I agree, definitely test salinity. I forgot to plug my auto top off back in for 3 days and came home to my return pump pumping air into my tank and my salinity was at 1.030.... needless to say all my corals got pretty ticked off and closed up. A hydrometer will work fine but for the price difference I would go with a refractometer. I think i got mine off amazon for $15-20. I used to use a hydrometer but soooo glad i made the switch!

 

[savetheocean]

^ I agree, definitely test salinity. I forgot to plug my auto top off back in for 3 days and came home to my return pump pumping air into my tank and my salinity was at 1.030.... needless to say all my corals got pretty ****** off and closed up. A hydrometer will work fine but for the price difference I would go with a refractometer. I think i got mine off amazon for $15-20. I used to use a hydrometer but soooo glad i made the switch!

I have both. I found some things I think look good and they have high ratings on amazon.

Kent Marine 00014 Strontium and Molybdenum

Kent Marine 00017 Concentrated Liquid Calcium

Kent Marine 00412 Tech M Magnesium, 16-Ounce Bottle

Kent Marine 00008 Concentrated Iodine Supplement

Kent Marine 00559 Coral Accel Hard and Soft Coral Growth Stimulator

4oz Reef Roids

How does that sound?

 

[bo0sted2g]

1.024 always, I think I am going to need supplements? Do you use any?

Depending on what salt mix you are using and how often you do water changes you may not need to supplement at all. Water changes are enough for most people when they don't have a ton of corals. Softies and Zoas and non stony corals don't really use up the calcium and alkalinity like the LPS does because they have to build their hard coral skeletons.

For me I use IO Reef Crystal salt mix and usually have a low alkalinity level around 7Dkh.
As for supplements all I have going right now is dosing 2-part
I went with the BulkReefSupply bulk two park kit because it came with the mixing jugs, funnel, hand pump, measuring cups and the supplements that should last me about a year.

But you may not need all of that. get the test kits and see where you are at. If it comes back testing low then look into maybe dosing but if your tank is not using these elements up rapidly you will most likely just be throwing it down the drain when you end up doing a water change.

 

[savetheocean]

I want to buy everything today and in one box so do you think I will need anything else?

 

[bo0sted2g]

When trying to figure out which method I wanted to go with these 3 Videos helped a ton as far as learning to understand the balance between the Ca,Alk,Mag
Hope this is helpful to you too!
The only reason I didn't choos to go with Kalkwasser is because I didn't want to keep replacing the pump for my Auto Top Off.

 

[MarineMalecki]

I agree with bo0sted - get the test kits first and get your baseline for the critical elements and nutrient levels. +1 on using water changes and seeing if those are sufficient to meet your needs.....with such a low bio load and few corals, you might not have much of a need for anything more.

I also use IO, but keep my dKh around 8-8.5, Ca around 430, and Mg around 1400.

I don't do any dosing, but I've got a Calcium Reactor which provides enough for my Ca and Kh needs.....with 600G total, it helps keep my parameters really stable. If Mg is low, I'll dose that manually but only as needed. I don't use any other supplements, but am looking at the KZ 1,2,3,4 system.

As was already mentioned, I'd recommend against buying a bunch of things before knowing if you need them and/or don't have anything in the tank that will use them. Adding things to the tank that don't get consumed is a recipe for problems.

Start small, start slow = recipe for success

 

[bo0sted2g]

I have both. I found some things I think look good and they have high ratings on amazon.

Kent Marine 00014 Strontium and Molybdenum

Kent Marine 00017 Concentrated Liquid Calcium

Kent Marine 00412 Tech M Magnesium, 16-Ounce Bottle

Kent Marine 00008 Concentrated Iodine Supplement

Kent Marine 00559 Coral Accel Hard and Soft Coral Growth Stimulator

4oz Reef Roids

How does that sound?

How many corals and what kinds do you have?
It would help me advise you on these things you listed above.
I have at least 15-20 different kinds of corals and all are doing well without the addition of strontium,molybdenum,iodine.
I definitely don't think you need the coral growth stimulator, sounds like snake oil to me. Good water quality, lighting, and some patience should be all you need to stimulate your corals to grow!
People have been raving about reefroids so I would say thats a good choice for feeding your corals!

 

[MarineMalecki]

If you haven't already, it'd be good to use a PAR meter to check your lighting levels in the tank too. Different corals acclimate and adjust to new tanks differently (as is the case with pretty much everything in this hobby). Water quality and lighting are the 2 biggest factors that impact corals and their acclimation. Good PAR meters are quite expensive - I'd see if your local reef club has one that you can borrow.

I've had some corals that look great within hours of putting them in my tank - as if they'd always been there. Others take a few days to a few weeks to adjust. Ensuring that the water quality and lighting is appropriate for your corals is most critical.

There are several recent BRS videos that discuss appropriate PAR levels for different corals that I'd recommend watching too.

 

[bo0sted2g]

There are several recent BRS videos that discuss appropriate PAR levels for different corals that I'd recommend watching too.

If you don't have anything to do today watch them all! The guys at BRS are great and put a lot of time into researching and testing what works and doesn't work. They share all this info with us too so take advantage of the work they put in! They have saved me a ton of money over the years and have prevented me from making poor decisions along the way. (I have still made some though!) Plus they are well presented videos that aren't a bore to watch and before you know it you're half way through all 52 episodes!

 

[Fishfinder]

With 3 corals I wouldn't recommend buying any supplements. You need to test regularly and go from there. Water changes will keep up with your consumption. Just buy salt that has appropriate levels


Did you get your fish taken care of?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have both. I found some things I think look good and they have high ratings on amazon.

Kent Marine 00014 Strontium and Molybdenum

Kent Marine 00017 Concentrated Liquid Calcium

Kent Marine 00412 Tech M Magnesium, 16-Ounce Bottle

Kent Marine 00008 Concentrated Iodine Supplement

Kent Marine 00559 Coral Accel Hard and Soft Coral Growth Stimulator

4oz Reef Roids

How does that sound?

IMO that's too much stuff.
Water changes do most of that except for the food.
All you really need is cal alk and mag.

Dollar for doallar you might just want to look into a gallon ov ESV cal and alk.

Reef roids is a food. So it's an option.

 

[savetheocean]

With 3 corals I wouldn't recommend buying any supplements. You need to test regularly and go from there. Water changes will keep up with your consumption. Just buy salt that has appropriate levels


Did you get your fish taken care of?

Yes. They are all great right now! All big and fat and follow me around the tank, I think they were just scared the first couple days. I havent seen any signs of ich/velvet.

 

[savetheocean]

IMO that's too much stuff.
Water changes do most of that except for the food.
All you really need is cal alk and mag.

Dollar for doallar you might just want to look into a gallon ov ESV cal and alk.

Reef roids is a food. So it's an option.

I think you are right. It wouldnt make sense that there wasnt enough calcium, etc in the water because my torch is doing amazing, its 2x bigger than when I purchased it.

 

[savetheocean]

If you haven't already, it'd be good to use a PAR meter to check your lighting levels in the tank too. Different corals acclimate and adjust to new tanks differently (as is the case with pretty much everything in this hobby). Water quality and lighting are the 2 biggest factors that impact corals and their acclimation. Good PAR meters are quite expensive - I'd see if your local reef club has one that you can borrow.

I've had some corals that look great within hours of putting them in my tank - as if they'd always been there. Others take a few days to a few weeks to adjust. Ensuring that the water quality and lighting is appropriate for your corals is most critical.

There are several recent BRS videos that discuss appropriate PAR levels for different corals that I'd recommend watching too.

I will look into that.