My corals won't grow! Lighting issues???

[john.m.cole3]

I am having trouble getting my corals to grow. I have beginner corals: zoas, mushrooms, hammer, and a duncan. I have a 46 gallon bowfront that is 9 months old. Mushrooms and zoas are 5 months old and the LPS are 7 weeks old. They open and close every day but have no polyp growth (very frustrating). I'm using Current USA Orbit LEDs on a 12 hour schedule with blues at 90%, whites at 45%, 12 hours blues, and 8 hours blues and whites. Flow is provided by a RW-8 at 25% and 2 Koralias (425 gph) on a wavemaker to break surface tension. 10% weekly water changes with Reef Crystals, 77-79 degrees, Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are all at 0. Livestock is 2 clownfish, bicolor blenny, cardinal, firefish, and engineer goby. CUC consists of 20 hermit crab, 20 nassarius snails, 20 atreas. I feed fish daily a mix of mysis, brine, and cyclopeze. I feed the same mix to the corals via turkey baster twice a week. I'm running a SCA 301 skimmer, purigen, and activated carbon in a media bag. I now know the Orbit LEDs are on the cheap side. I'm debating trying some T5s. Any advice amd/or reccomendations on fixtures would be greatly appreciated

 

[twilliard]

Bring your no3 up a little
They will appreciate that!

 

[steelheader.262]

Not strong enough light I'm guessing, how deep is your tank.

Also where in the water column are you placing them ?

 

[john.m.cole3]

So maybe feed a little more? I skipped my water change this weekend with my rationale being the water may be too clean... My last hair algae otbreak was over a month a go and very little.

 

[john.m.cole3]

18" tall. in the sand bed. Glue em to the rocks higher up? If so, is it hard to break a gel superglue bond if I decide to re-position them?

 

[Oceansize]

+1 on bringing your nitrates up a little. They like their water a little dirty. Zoas in particular. I can now approximate my nitrate level fairly accurately based on how many zoa polyps are open, lol.

 

[SifuMemphis]

where are your coral placed in your tank? I am just guessing, your lights aren't strong enough. Switching to T5s would be a great idea. Do you have a specific budget? I heard great things about the ATI Sunpower fixtures

 

[twilliard]

That light will grow out those corals just fine. Did it for over a year.
Even grew out monties with that light
Give them the nutrients they need and they will take over!

 

[Justiful]

Are you checking your calcium, alkalinity and magnesium levels? If they are low that might be why. If you stop water changes, and don't ever dose any trace elements, you might be taking away your only source of trace elements.

Here is a video.
Here is a guide on dosing. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php

 

[john.m.cole3]

Todd, do you remember what settings you ran your lights at? And to raise the nutrients, is increasing my feeding idea a good one or do you recommend another approach?

 

[Harold Green]

Most of the corals you have don't require high lighting. In my tanks most of the mushrooms and zoas are placed in the shaded areas. If the mushrooms are stretched out the lighting is probably enough but if they shrink down they're usually getting too much light. I've only found the red and yellow zoa's to need a higher level of light. Browns and greens like shade. It's only an approximation but how many led watts per gallon do you have on the tank?

 

[twilliard]

Todd, do you remember what settings you ran your lights at? And to raise the nutrients, is increasing my feeding idea a good one or do you recommend another approach?

Potassium nitrate is what I use to raise no3 and does not effect any other element



I ran my lights (with proper acclamation ) at 100% blue and 80% white

 

[Trex]

What is your salinity/SG? How are you measuring it?

What are your Cal, Alk and Mag levels?

Are you using RO/DI water? If so, what is the TDS?

 

[thedru13]

Would also agree with above in regards to what else are you testing? What is you alk at and Ca. You might be low or high in other nutrients for the tank. Also do you spot feed your corals? What about flow?

 

[twilliard]

Can you grab a shot of your zoanthids and mushrooms?

 

[john.m.cole3]

1.025 via refractometer. I don't dose anything so I don't have Calc or Mag test kits. Alk 9.1 dKh. RODI water 0 TDS. I spot feed a mixture of mysis, brine, and cyclopeze with a turkey baster twice a week. Flow is provided by a Jebao RW-8 on wavemode 1 at 25% pointed at the rocks, and 2 Koralia 425 dph on a wavemaker at the top of the tank to break surface tension.

 

[john.m.cole3]

I'll take a pic when I get home from work tonight.

 

[thedru13]

1.025 via refractometer. I don't dose anything so I don't have Calc or Mag test kits. Alk 9.1 dKh. RODI water 0 TDS. I spot feed a mixture of mysis, brine, and cyclopeze with a turkey baster twice a week. Flow is provided by a Jebao RW-8 on wavemode 1 at 25% pointed at the rocks, and 2 Koralia 425 dph on a wavemaker at the top of the tank to break surface tension.

what sort of testers are you using? Also where in your tank are your corals? Might be getting to much flow. Just guessing here.

 

[Justiful]

I am going to go with not needing a new light. Spend your money red sea reef foundations test kit, or similar. Then get a 2 part dosing system. Calc and alk are essentials, like lighting or food for a reef. $75-100 dollars fix vs wasting money on a new light you probably don't need. Instead getting 2 things you absolutely do need long term, even if not right this moment.

You can't have fish without fish food, you can't have corals without supplementing calc and alk. You started with a good amount with your salt mix and 100% new water, overtime due to consumption the amount has come down. If it is not LOW now it will be soon. Then corals stop growing, and can eventually even die.

As you add more corals, and tank matures it will consume different amounts so you need to monitor it just like other stuff.

Read these.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Pic/article.cfm?c=3578&aid=2223
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php

 

[Afishionado]

quick question. What test kit are you using?