Help with new corals

[ajremington68]

So, I could not resist and bought corals on sale over the past weekend. However my lights don't come in for a few weeks and I have just a basic hood light with 2 20W light bulbs over a 55-gallon, with a sump and a power head. Now, I also have a 5-gallon with a small hang on the back filter first tank I have had for coming up on a year with a coralife led light from Petco on it and no powerheads. The parameters in both tanks are the same except for the alkalinity is 15DKH in the 55-gallon and 20DKH in the 5-gallon. Now, I have ordered a RODI 4-part system today from BRS, but it doesn't come till Friday and my corals come Wednesday. I also plan on having the corals in the 55-gallon tank but should I put them in the 5-gallon until my new lights come for the 5-gallon? Im not 100% sure about the par for either I have been trying to research a lot and have been running into dead ends. First time posting on here too, so im not sure how to see if someone responds so it could be a delayed response. Thanks for all the help though!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Thats a tough one, corals can survive a few days without lights, but not a few weeks. Kind of sounds like your tank is not really ready. I know its hard to be patient, but you will have to try a little harder lol

 

[Stephen8169301]

Alk is supper high what corals did you buy and what are you using to test with

 

[ajremington68]

Alk is supper high what corals did you buy and what are you using to test with

I have bought LPS and SPS lots of Favia, Favites, chalice, polyp, zoa, and Xenia. I am using a reef master test kit that you can find at Petco.

 

[Oldreefer44]

IMO patience is the number one necessity for long term success in this hobby. Unfortunately many of us learn it the had way.

 

[Stephen8169301]

So, I could not resist and bought corals on sale over the past weekend. However my lights don't come in for a few weeks and I have just a basic hood light with 2 20W light bulbs over a 55-gallon, with a sump and a power head.

What type of lights did you order?

Now, I also have a 5-gallon with a small hang on the back filter first tank I have had for coming up on a year with a coralife led light from Petco on it and no powerheads.

Still probably very low par for lps sps should be fine for soft corals

The parameters in both tanks are the same except for the alkalinity is 15DKH in the 55-gallon and 20DKH in the 5-gallon.

Very high get your self salifert or Hanna to test if bought from petco probably using api unfortunately not very reliable

Now, I have ordered a RODI 4-part system today from BRS, but it doesn't come till Friday and my corals come Wednesday.

So your current tanks have RO or tap water?

I also plan on having the corals in the 55-gallon tank but should I put them in the 5-gallon until my new lights come for the 5-gallon?

You need to make sure your dkh is not 20 before anything 5 gallon is tuff for sps and los you need stable water 55 is probably better but with no lighting for the sps you might be better giving the sps to someone to hold that has better lighting

Im not 100% sure about the par for either I have been trying to research a lot and have been running into dead ends.

if you can’t find it it’s probably low send a picture of the lights and brand I’m sure someone can help

First time posting on here too, so im not sure how to see if someone responds so it could be a delayed response. Thanks for all the help though!

R2R is a great spot for help keep posting!

 

[paragrouper]

Unless you have someone near you to hold them till you get on your feet, it looks like you have little choice. Setting aside the incredible ALK you stated, is the small tank been established for a time? If so, that would be the lesser of two evils.

on your ALK: if you are using a standard, properly mixed, salt mix, your ALK SHOULD be at or near what is specified on the packaging. You may want to re test and make sure you follow the test instructions exactly.

 

[ajremington68]

Thanks for all the help guys!!! I ordered 2 K7 mini lights from Noopshyche and it said they would come Sunday now its next Sunday and the order hasn't even gotten accepted, so it just keeps getting pushed back... and I use RO water that tests at 8 ALK on its own and then I use Instant Ocean Sea Salt, and that says that is put in 12 DKH I read online, so once I get my RODI system in 3 days my ALK will drop hopefully, so they would just have to go into one of the tanks for 2 days with high alk unfountrantly. I also don't know anybody in the hobby by me either to pawn them off to for a couple of weeks. Thats why I am in such a stir-up on which is the lesser evil to put them into and have the best possible outcome for them.

 

[NoohpyT]

Thanks for all the help guys!!! I ordered 2 K7 mini lights from Noopshyche and it said they would come Sunday now its next Sunday and the order hasn't even gotten accepted, so it just keeps getting pushed back... and I use RO water that tests at 8 ALK on its own and then I use Instant Ocean Sea Salt, and that says that is put in 12 DKH I read online, so once I get my RODI system in 3 days my ALK will drop hopefully, so they would just have to go into one of the tanks for 2 days with high alk unfountrantly. I also don't know anybody in the hobby by me either to pawn them off to for a couple of weeks. Thats why I am in such a stir-up on which is the lesser evil to put them into and have the best possible outcome for them.

Where are you getting your RO water from? 8 ALK for RO seems extremely high, are you sure you're not adding salt to premade salt water?

 

[ajremington68]

Where are you getting your RO water from? 8 ALK for RO seems extremely high, are you sure you're not adding salt to premade salt water?

RO was added to my sink and set up there for drinking water, shouldn't be saltwater being once I add the directed amount of salt from the bucket to the water, I get the 1.026 I shoot for. I felt the 8 ALK base is pretty high as well.

 

[NoohpyT]

RO was added to my sink and set up there for drinking water, shouldn't be saltwater being once I add the directed amount of salt from the bucket to the water, I get the 1.026 I shoot for. I felt the 8 ALK base is pretty high as well.

ah okay that makes more sense lol

 

[Stephen8169301]

RO was added to my sink and set up there for drinking water, shouldn't be saltwater being once I add the directed amount of salt from the bucket to the water, I get the 1.026 I shoot for. I felt the 8 ALK base is pretty high as well.

are you using api to test your alk?

 

[ajremington68]

are you using api to test your alk?

Yes I am I checked

 

[Stephen8169301]

Yes I am I checked

There very inaccurate go get a Hanna test kit for your alk and double check everything