My tank is too clean!

[mpatient]

Ok, I am pretty sure my 4 month old 32G Biocube is too clean.

Since it is a new tank, I have only a small toadstool leather, green mushroom, and a small frag of colony zoanthids. The zoanthids in particular are looking puny. Only two polyps out of the 10 or so open up whereas they were previously all open. Nitrates, Nitrites, and Ammonia are all zero. (Salifert tests). All other parameters are smack in the middle of the normal range.
From what I am reading, I believe I need to raise my nitrates. If the case, how do I do so with my small tank? Any suggestions would be great.

My set up and fish + the above corals

32g Biocube - stock lighting
Biocube protein skimmer (crap I know, but it is what I have for the moment)
Intank Media basket with filter floss, chemi-pure, and purigen.
Intank refugian with cheato.

Live stock
2 small clowns
2 yellow head jawfish
1 yellow watchmen goby, which weirdly co-habitates with one of the jawfish
Pistol shrimp - assume he is in there because I hear him.
couple of emerald crabs, a few clean up crew snails.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Polyps not opening doesn't sound like nutrient deficiency, it sounds like they're unhappy for some reason. Did you recently change anything in the tank? How long have you had the zoanthids?

If the problem was nutrition, personally I would not dose nitrates in your case. I would probably feed a particulate food designed for corals, like Reef Chili.

 

[Reeferdood]

Can you post a picture of the zoos? something else might be going on if it is just the zoos looking off.

 

[Reeferdood]

LOL, Chip types faster than me...

 

[mpatient]

Ok, so I moved the frag higher early this morning, and he now has open up way more than it has been the last week. Its pretty high up the rocks, but I thought they needed moderate to low light?

 

[DeniseAndy]

It can vary with every coral. Comes down to what they were used to when grown. Also can depend on what was around them or even how long you had them. Flow may be better there. All kinds of things. Glad to see they are opening for you.

 

[Jesterrace]

Ok, I am pretty sure my 4 month old 32G Biocube is too clean.

Since it is a new tank, I have only a small toadstool leather, green mushroom, and a small frag of colony zoanthids. The zoanthids in particular are looking puny. Only two polyps out of the 10 or so open up whereas they were previously all open. Nitrates, Nitrites, and Ammonia are all zero. (Salifert tests). All other parameters are smack in the middle of the normal range.
From what I am reading, I believe I need to raise my nitrates. If the case, how do I do so with my small tank? Any suggestions would be great.

My set up and fish + the above corals

32g Biocube - stock lighting
Biocube protein skimmer (crap I know, but it is what I have for the moment)
Intank Media basket with filter floss, chemi-pure, and purigen.
Intank refugian with cheato.

Live stock
2 small clowns
2 yellow head jawfish
1 yellow watchmen goby, which weirdly co-habitates with one of the jawfish
Pistol shrimp - assume he is in there because I hear him.
couple of emerald crabs, a few clean up crew snails.

What about phosphate levels?

 

[Omer]

Ok, I am pretty sure my 4 month old 32G Biocube is too clean.

Since it is a new tank, I have only a small toadstool leather, green mushroom, and a small frag of colony zoanthids. The zoanthids in particular are looking puny. Only two polyps out of the 10 or so open up whereas they were previously all open. Nitrates, Nitrites, and Ammonia are all zero. (Salifert tests). All other parameters are smack in the middle of the normal range.
From what I am reading, I believe I need to raise my nitrates. If the case, how do I do so with my small tank? Any suggestions would be great.

My set up and fish + the above corals

32g Biocube - stock lighting
Biocube protein skimmer (crap I know, but it is what I have for the moment)
Intank Media basket with filter floss, chemi-pure, and purigen.
Intank refugian with cheato.

Live stock
2 small clowns
2 yellow head jawfish
1 yellow watchmen goby, which weirdly co-habitates with one of the jawfish
Pistol shrimp - assume he is in there because I hear him.
couple of emerald crabs, a few clean up crew snails.

I would test the phosphate levels and if they are way too low I would stop using gfo if your using any.