Plate Coral not Extending Tentacles

[rong]

I have a plate coral that hasn't extended tentacles for a week, I moved it up in the tank, but still not opening. Suggestions? Same time I have a chili coral that died, I have about 30 ppm nitrate most of the time, I do water changes and not able to get any lower. Do you think I need a bigger skimmer? The one I have isn't filling up very quickly, so I assume it is working fine.


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[Squishie89]

Can you tell us your other water parameters? When did you get the plate? You say the skimmer is filling up quickly, how quickly is quickly? What size tank do you have and what kind of skimmer?

 

[rong]

It isn't filling up quickly, it goes a week or so and I clean it and it isn't full. Other parameters: ph 7.8, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, nitrate 30, Ca 440, KH 5.3


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[46gReef]

Chili corals are NPS(non photosynthetic) & very tough to keep in a reef so unless you were feeding multiple times a day it never had a chance, 30ppm nitrates doesn't help either. Do you have a sump or refugium? Adding macroalgae would help to export some of those nutrients. What type of lights do you have? Plate corals prefer to be on substrate not on rocks & IME do best in low light....what size tank do you have & what is your H2O change regimen?

 

[ritter6788]

KH of 5.3? Is that dkh or meq/l? Either way it's too low or too high.

 

[rong]

dKH


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[ritter6788]

dKH


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Try to bump that up to at least 7 dkh but no more than 11. Just make sure to do it slowly and not raise more than 1 dkh per day.

 

[rong]

I do have a sump with 4" dsb and chaeto that grows well. I take a softball sized piece of it out every couple weeks. How do I change KH? I'm not a fan of chemicals, is that the only way?


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[rong]

My tank is a 29 gal with a 12 gal sump. I change 4 gallons weekly. I feed twice a week.


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