Calireefer92
Well-Known Member
Hey reefers I have a 60x30x24 I have lps/softies and having problems finding the right flow. I have 2 mp40s 2 octo pulse if need to add more flow if need be. I would appreciate the help
How to get the right flow?
- Thread starter Calireefer92
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BostonReefer300
Valuable Member
Hi, four circ pumps plus your system pump(s) should probably be plenty unless your aquascape is creating a bunch of flow barriers. Can you show us a picture of your tank?
BostonReefer300
Valuable Member
Nice setup! I'm curious why you think you can't get good flow with that setup? How are your judging this and what are your goals? It looks to me like the way you have it set up right now would be perfectly fine to get a bunch of turbulent flow. Anyway, let me about the how and what questions and maybe I can make some concrete suggestions.
Calireefer92
Well-Known Member
I’m having problems with my coral not happy my lfs said probably not good flow or lighting my cal is 500 alk 10.1 mag 1400 nitrate 0-5 phosphate 0.5 my leather coral has been closed up for 3 months elagance coral not happy the only coral I have that’s happy is the hammer but my Duncan coral and the other are not to happy I’ll send an attachment of my light schedule
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BostonReefer300
Valuable Member
Ok I think flow could be an issue but is likely a minor one if at all given your setup. That leaves standard water parameters, lighting, nutrition, and weird stuff. Most of those parameters looked ok but I think you had typos in your nitrate and phosphate. If they are 5ppm and 0.05ppm respectively, then that’s a great starting point for those two given your stocking level. What are your typical pH, salinity, and temp values? Hopefully around 8.2-8.3, 1.026sg, and 77-80 respectively. For lighting, hard for me to gauge from your schedule. What lights are you using and what’s the overall intensity you have your program at? Hard to gauge from your pictures, but the lighting go doesn’t look bright enough. That could easily be an artifact of the photo though. I think you’d also have three lights for that setup instead of two, but I’ll hold off on that until I understand what units you have. For nutrition, do you use any coral supplements or coral foods? For weird stuff, have you gotten a full water test done by mail order recently (eg Triton)?
monkeyCmonkeyDo
7500 Club Member
Turn your lights up. Lol. Looks dim imo. Blue too. Lol. I get ppl like blue tanks.
My opinion. Ur #s are good. Cal a little high.
D
My opinion. Ur #s are good. Cal a little high.
D
Calireefer92
Well-Known Member
Salinity is 102.5 temp 78 I have 2 ai hydra 26 with hybrid t5 but the lfs said to cut back on the t5 as it may be to much and food reef roids ph 8.2. I have not sent in a test my test are done by my lfs and was just done Thursday
BostonReefer300
Valuable Member
It sounds like your LFS is just throwing out ideas without any evidence to back them up. That's no way to give reef tank advice.
Regarding testing, look up one of the mail-in tests like Triton. They test for all sorts of things including toxic metals (eg from internal pump corrosion) that you can't test for otherwise. Many of us do one of these tests yearly these days both to check for weird stuff and also double-check our standard testing regimens. Plus the tests are cheap enough that I do one whenever I'm at wits end with a problem. For regular testing, I'd suggest that you do your own testing instead of using the LFS. If money isn't tight, get Hanna checkers for Ca, Alk, Phosphorus ULR (HI736, not Phosphate---see threads @Randy Holmes-Farley and while you're at it, see his thread on optimal parameters), and Nitrate LR. If money is tight, get Salifert or Red Sea tests. For Magnesium, I think most of us use Salifert or Red Sea, but if you find a better one please let me know as I think both have accuracy issues. Don't use API for anything except emergency ammonia testing. I assume you're already testing for pH and salinity on your own? Make sure any probes you're using are calibrated correctly including for temperature correction (the Apex salinity probe calibration is tricky---see @eag). In addition to watching temp, salinity, and pH every day, I'd also check Alk every day. It's important to keep all of these relatively stable. Just try to check these at the same time every day ideally during the middle of your peak light cycle. Test the others once a week before you do any water change.
For lighting, you can rent a PAR meter from BRS for pretty cheap and test all over your tank for light levels. That's what I'd recommend. You can also buy a meter or even a sensor that you can use with your computer or phone. My guess, like @monkeyCmonkeyDo, is that your tank is too dark, but I don't want to base a recommendation off of a photo. Leave the lighting alone until you can do PAR measurements.
For coral nutrition, reef roids is a good choice. I'd also recommend daily or every-other day dosing of Red Sea Reef Energy AB+. Just make sure you follow the directions and don't overdose it. Also, look into a trace element supplement---all the good brands produce one. (The mail-in test will give you a report on trace elements too.)
Overall, it sounds to me like you need to spend time collecting evidence before you try changing anything. Remember that nothing good happens fast in a reef tank---and the corollary that doing anything half-cocked in a reef tank is a recipe for heartbreak. Luckily, it doesn't look like you're in an emergency situation so you have time to figure things out. Sorry if I'm coming off sounding preachy---not my intent. It's early on Sunday morning and my coffee hasn't kicked in yet. Good luck and have fun!
Regarding testing, look up one of the mail-in tests like Triton. They test for all sorts of things including toxic metals (eg from internal pump corrosion) that you can't test for otherwise. Many of us do one of these tests yearly these days both to check for weird stuff and also double-check our standard testing regimens. Plus the tests are cheap enough that I do one whenever I'm at wits end with a problem. For regular testing, I'd suggest that you do your own testing instead of using the LFS. If money isn't tight, get Hanna checkers for Ca, Alk, Phosphorus ULR (HI736, not Phosphate---see threads @Randy Holmes-Farley and while you're at it, see his thread on optimal parameters), and Nitrate LR. If money is tight, get Salifert or Red Sea tests. For Magnesium, I think most of us use Salifert or Red Sea, but if you find a better one please let me know as I think both have accuracy issues. Don't use API for anything except emergency ammonia testing. I assume you're already testing for pH and salinity on your own? Make sure any probes you're using are calibrated correctly including for temperature correction (the Apex salinity probe calibration is tricky---see @eag). In addition to watching temp, salinity, and pH every day, I'd also check Alk every day. It's important to keep all of these relatively stable. Just try to check these at the same time every day ideally during the middle of your peak light cycle. Test the others once a week before you do any water change.
For lighting, you can rent a PAR meter from BRS for pretty cheap and test all over your tank for light levels. That's what I'd recommend. You can also buy a meter or even a sensor that you can use with your computer or phone. My guess, like @monkeyCmonkeyDo, is that your tank is too dark, but I don't want to base a recommendation off of a photo. Leave the lighting alone until you can do PAR measurements.
For coral nutrition, reef roids is a good choice. I'd also recommend daily or every-other day dosing of Red Sea Reef Energy AB+. Just make sure you follow the directions and don't overdose it. Also, look into a trace element supplement---all the good brands produce one. (The mail-in test will give you a report on trace elements too.)
Overall, it sounds to me like you need to spend time collecting evidence before you try changing anything. Remember that nothing good happens fast in a reef tank---and the corollary that doing anything half-cocked in a reef tank is a recipe for heartbreak. Luckily, it doesn't look like you're in an emergency situation so you have time to figure things out. Sorry if I'm coming off sounding preachy---not my intent. It's early on Sunday morning and my coffee hasn't kicked in yet. Good luck and have fun!
monkeyCmonkeyDo
7500 Club Member
I agree the dimness could just be the blue hue or the quality of the photo.
D
D
