Random unexplained coral losses

[Mike646]

hey everyone! I’m hoping you can help. I’m pretty much at the end of my patience with this issue. The only corals I have been able to keep successfully are two acro frags I got from Ora, a few zoas, and a green toadstool leather. Other corals that a I have are a few hammers which seem unhappy, frogspawn that’s on deaths door, acan which is mostly dead, 2 Jason fox acros which don’t look so good. My tanks readout is as follows:

65 gallon cube
24” T5 hybrid fixture with hydra 52 running Dave saxbys setting, T5 only on for 4 hours
2 icecap gyre 3k
Salinity:1.026
Ph:8
Nitrates:1.5 (have to dose otherwise 0, increase by 3 every 3 days)
Phosphate: .01
Alk: 9.5
I run a kessil h380 in my sump for cheato (cheato gets clear dead spots on it, guessing light is to much) along with a octo skimmer

I lost 2 out of the 4 Jason fox corals I have which STN overnight. This issue seems to happen to most new corals I add. Any ideas on why this is happening? Only thing I can think of is my light is to much? During peak period my par is 500 on top and 300 on bottom but again that’s only 4 hour peak period. Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Hemmdog]

Calcium ? Mag?

 

[Mike646]

Cal 472 ppm no kit to test mag

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

My thoughts are that your alk is a little high in regards to your low nitrate and phosphate, i would suggest running the fuge light a little less to help build up some nutrients. Mag plays a big role in coral health, you definately need a test kit for it if you want to keep sps.

Are you running gfo or any other phosphate media?

Can you turn your skimmer off for a few hours per day with a timer /controller? This will also help in building up done nutrients.

 

[Backreefing]

Are you running GFO or chemipure? And I don’t know anything about doseing nitrates, but why dose nitrates and have Cheato ? At the same time .
Maybe stop doseing everything and simplify things . Example if your test kit says 0 nitrates yet there is algae , then disregard you test results and leave it alone . Alkalinity is just a touch high but it will come down on its own .
Frogspawn should be easy to grow .
And what temperature?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Alk is too high
No3 and po4 is too low

Corals and chaeto need fish poop

 

[Backreefing]

+1 on fish poop . Many of the best acro / sps tank have lots of fish

 

[Mike646]

No GFO or anything, if I don’t dose nitrates then they remain zero and my phosphate goes way up. I like the idea of keeping it simple. Maybe only run my skimmer once a week? I also only have 3 fish currently

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

No GFO or anything, if I don’t dose nitrates then they remain zero and my phosphate goes way up. I like the idea of keeping it simple. Maybe only run my skimmer once a week? I also only have 3 fish currently

Turn your skimmer off for awhile. What do you consider high po4? Frags need at least 0.05-0.10. My acros have shown unbelievable growth with po4 0.15-0.30. I checked earlier day and Hanna ultra low phosphorus measured 62 and has been between 45 and 80 for the last 3 months and my acros look like they’re growing over night.
April 22nd

Just Now

 

[Mike646]

So my levels are to low? What’s an acceptable phosphate and nitrate level?

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

How old is the tank? Can you show us a pic? What are your 3 fish?

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

So my levels are to low? What’s an acceptable phosphate and nitrate level?

Nitrate 5-15, phosphate 0.03-0.30

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

So my levels are to low? What’s an acceptable phosphate and nitrate level?

My no3 is 20-25
My acros have been growing like crazy with a po4 around 0.20

The Red Sea recipe recommends at least 0.08 for sps frags. What did you think was high po4?

 

[Mike646]

Tank is 7 months old but 90% of live rock is 3 years old from previous tank. I have two clowns and a four line wrasse. I also have a few large snails, and hermits.

 

[Mike646]

My no3 is 20-25
My acros have been growing like crazy with a po4 around 0.20

The Red Sea recipe recommends at least 0.08 for sps frags. What did you think was high po4?

I thought anything above .05 is high. My highest po4 was a .14 but that’s when my nitrate was at zero. I cannot keep nitrates to save my life without dosing

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I thought anything above .05 is high. My highest po4 was a .14 but that’s when my nitrate was at zero. I cannot keep nitrates to save my life without dosing

Turn your skimmer off, pull your chaeto or reduce the light, get some more fish and you’ll get your nitrates. Start cooking your chaeto again when they hit 10. I’d leave your skimmer off until you can keep po4 at 0.10-0.20. 0.05 is not high, that’s still pretty low. Wwc, topshelfaquatics, cherry corals, living reef Orlando all keep their no3 10-25 and po4 at 0.08-0.10.

Get more fish. I have 1-18 year old ocillaris (his wife jumped out 3 weeks ago RIP), 2 bangai cardinals, 2 striped cardinals, 2 red cardinals, a fox face, a bristletooth tang, a purple psuedocromis, a starry blenny, 2 dragon faced pipe fish, a six line wrasse, a short spined urchin and too many snails and hermits to count in a 50 gallon cube.

Your skimmer and chaeto are removing the fish poop before the corals get a chance to use it.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

I thought anything above .05 is high. My highest po4 was a .14 but that’s when my nitrate was at zero. I cannot keep nitrates to save my life without dosing

What do you feed your tank? Get some good frozen food and feed until your fish won’t eat anymore. Rods food is a good frozen food.

 

[bobby.w.hodges]

You could also cut the cheato in half if not more. The more you have, the more nutrients it consumes, so you need less. Try trimming it back every two weeks to maintain your desired levels after you reach them.

 

[Mike646]

Great ideas everyone! Thanks!!!

 

[Mike646]

What do you feed your tank? Get some good frozen food and feed until your fish won’t eat anymore. Rods food is a good frozen food.

I feed some frozen food a few times a week and reef chili once a week.