Hello everyone, a while ago my birds nest started losing its polyps and I couldn’t find out why but all my other corals we’re doing great. All my parameters were good and the usual. But my hammer wasn’t doing so hot and wasn’t extending when my nitrates were 0 so I started dosing nitrates and it started doing better. And now my other hard corals are starting to lose polyps and one of my acros is starting to bleach!! I have no idea why at all and all my parameters are good but my nitrates are a little high. Could that be why they are dying? Please help. Thank you all
Why are my corals dying??
- Thread starter Gavin1274
- Start date
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Need actual numbers as mentioned above. Good is not always good if one is out of whack. Parameters affect each other, so a full run down of what they are and what kit was used to test them will help a ton.
Flippers4pups
Fins up since 1993
Lights and intensity info needed as well.
Can you test phosphate?
nitrates could be classified as high for your alk, but my sps tank runs 20-25 with dosing, as I run a higher alk than most (13). But if it rose slowly, then the corals should be able to adjust. My mixed reef sits at about your parameters and sps grows in it.
granted there are a ton of other things to look at, but let’s start with getting phosphate tested if you can.
also, what program are you running on the primes? And what height are they at from the water?
nitrates could be classified as high for your alk, but my sps tank runs 20-25 with dosing, as I run a higher alk than most (13). But if it rose slowly, then the corals should be able to adjust. My mixed reef sits at about your parameters and sps grows in it.
granted there are a ton of other things to look at, but let’s start with getting phosphate tested if you can.
also, what program are you running on the primes? And what height are they at from the water?
Maybe it’s my nitrates being that high then? That’s the only thing I’ve changed before the 2 started dying. But as for the last birds nest that died a month or more ago I have no idea
Check you phos if you can. Birdsnest, from my experience, is pretty tolerant on nitrates as long as they did not spike up and rose slowly.
also, if you do decide to reduce nitrates, go slow. The same principle applies there. No spiking, only small adjustments at a time.
Terri Caton
Valuable Member
Does anyone know if there is a list of what % parameters need to be in relation to each other? I know the Redfield Ratio but I'm wondering if there is a complete list with "this needs to be x% of that", etc.
There is no real percentages red field has no bearing on our tanks. We all shoot for nsw values and people make their own tweaks from there.
most tanks will find success if po4 is .01-.1 ppm
And nitrates between 5-10 ppm
There are always exceptions, and these are more about preventing algae than matching what the coral needs
Terri Caton
Valuable Member
I was just wondering. To me it makes sense to mimic NSW. Then if you want to say increase your Alk to just increase everything else by that percent to stay in balance. But I’ve never played around with my parameters. Too scared I’ll kill everything!
I let my tank decide what it needs, where things i want to grow, do; things i dont want to, dont. Keeping a reef is more a football goal than a basket ball hoop. Its nice to know the science, but your tank will tell you what it needs, if you go slow and methodical changing as few variables as possible at a time to see if the anticipated effect occurred
Scrubber_steve
2500 Club Member
It would be interesting to have your water tested by Aquabiomics? to see how your bacteria types compare to the average healthy tank.
How do I do that ? I’ve had this tank going since June or July of 19 and had the corals since august or even some longer and now they are all going and I’m not sure why... but my torch, hammer, GSP, Zenyas, leather and Anemone are still doing just fine
