Why are my softies withering away?

[ajxackt]

Commercial tank
Appx 110gal
Instant ocean salt
Weekly water changes of about 10-15%
Sunblaze lighting
Sump with skimmer
Water parameters;
Salinity- 1.024
pH- 8.5
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 30
Calcium- 430
Phosphate- 2.0

I'm having a huge problem keeping softies alive in this system. They come in looking pretty okay, do okay for a little bit, then eventually close up or fall limp and wither away.

Is there anything I can do that doesn't involve changing the lights/salt mix to help them? It is a commercial system, so there are a couple things I am not allowed to play with.

I have no idea why they die in this system, but the same coral do amazing when I take them home. I live down the street from the shop, so we use the same source water also.

Thanks in advance for any tips! If you need any more information, I'm happy to share.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Whats the flow like in the "commercial tank".
Lol.
Why do you say its commercial?
Its a Marineland lobster tank? Like at red lobster? Lol
D

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Id do a larger wc. Bump it up to 1.025 and not do a wc for several months..my guess is lack of nutrients and flow can be questionable or opiniated.
D

 

[Wen]

If it’s in a school, store, or office...beware the cleaning ladies with windex.

 

[ajxackt]

Id do a larger wc. Bump it up to 1.025 and not do a wc for several months..my guess is lack of nutrients and flow can be questionable or opiniated.
D

Would the lack of a wc mess with the anemones in the system?
I've had a feeling the fact that I'm supposed to clean these tanks every week could be the leading cause of the sad softies.

If it’s in a school, store, or office...beware the cleaning ladies with windex.

Gladly, we aren't allowed to use windex at all in the store. The only thing that goes on the glass is vinegar water.

 

[Musovski]

Appx 110gal
Instant ocean salt
Weekly water changes of about 10-15%
Sunblaze lighting
Sump with skimmer
Water parameters;
Salinity- 1.024
pH- 8.5
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 30
Calcium- 430
Phosphate- 2.0

Ok, soooo..Change the salt you are using. Instant ocean sucks. Go with red sea blue bucket or tropic marine pro reef.

pH is fine. Calcium is fine. Phosphate way too high, get that to 0.01-0.03

Nitrate is fine, but get that to around 10-15

Bump salinity up to 1.026

please test Mg, Alk, TDS,

Make sure you are staying within temp as well.

Do you add any trace elements? If not, get AB+ from red sea. Every other water change, dose it. Also bump the W/C from 10% to something around 20%.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I suspect false readings . Are you by chance using API test kits ?
Also are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet ?

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Yes what are you using for top off.
Op said the coral does fine at his house tank.
IO is fine salt... they are soft coral. Not sps.
D

 

[Musovski]

Yes what are you using for top off.
Op said the coral does fine at his house tank.
IO is fine salt... they are soft coral. Not sps.
D

Soft coral still desire good water..... It can good water but dirty. If that makes sense. Instant ocean purple isn't good enough

 

[JGT]

Salt’s not the issue. Thousands use IO successfully even with SPS. Water quality could be an issue if not RODI. Never heard of Sunblaze lighting. Could be too strong with hotspots or not enough.

 

[MaxTremors]

Soft coral still desire good water..... It can good water but dirty. If that makes sense. Instant ocean purple isn't good enough

Regular instant ocean is fine for soft corals. It’s low in calcium and the alk is kind of high, but it’s completely fine for soft corals. There are hundreds of thousands of reefers, including tons of public aquariums and coral farms that is IO. Is it the best salt, not even close, but for soft corals it’s perfectly acceptable.

 

[FreakPrism]

I use purple IO and my tank so far is doing good. I've realized and seen that the tank does so much better with stability. I do water change now monthly and my tank is even better than the weekly water changes I was doing.

I find softies do poorly:

1. Zero to very small amount of nitrates. My Kenya tree (Xenia melted away) was dying with low nitrates. I increased to 15 slowly and now the things is huge and healthy. Same for my tyree toadstool. Looks like this is not your issue assuming your value is correct.

2. Do you have fish picking at it? I don't keep tangs as I heard they may go after softies and zoas that I have. See if something in your tank is irritating it.

3. What is next to your softies. Could be a coral battle going on. Maybe run some carbon to filter out any chemical warfare going on.

 

[ajxackt]

Whats the flow like in the "commercial tank".
Lol.
Why do you say its commercial?
Its a Marineland lobster tank? Like at red lobster? Lol
D

Commercial tank as in, it is an NAP commercial tank. It is a tower of three tanks stacked on top of each other connected to a sump.
No red lobster tank lol
Flow isn't the world's best, but it is enough that if I point the flow at the coral, they can gently wave.

Ok, soooo..Change the salt you are using. Instant ocean sucks. Go with red sea blue bucket or tropic marine pro reef.

pH is fine. Calcium is fine. Phosphate way too high, get that to 0.01-0.03

Nitrate is fine, but get that to around 10-15

Bump salinity up to 1.026

please test Mg, Alk, TDS,

Make sure you are staying within temp as well.

Do you add any trace elements? If not, get AB+ from red sea. Every other water change, dose it. Also bump the W/C from 10% to something around 20%.

As said in my post, I cannot change the salt mix as this is a tank for a store and I am given the salt mix. IO isn't bad for softies either. I use the reef crystals for my tank at home just fine.

I am trying to get the phosphate down, but it's difficult with the overstocking I had to do in this system (since its for selling fish).

I will try to get those tests when I'm at work next!

I dose Fluval Trace elements twice a week, but again, I can't go get the super fancy stuff because it's a store tank.

I suspect false readings . Are you by chance using API test kits ?
Also are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet ?

I am using API liquid tests and Tetra strips (i know, not the greatest thing). I do multiple tests to make sure I'm getting consistent results.
The store has a DI system hooked up, so it doesn't bring it down to zero like RODI, but its better than straight tap.

 

[FreakPrism]

But to be honest could be so many variables. Lighting, flow, swing in params, etc.

How do your params compare to your home water where they do well? Any differences? You may have to send both water samples for ICP analysis to see.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Is their copper in the tanks? For selling fish?
D

 

[ajxackt]

I use purple IO and my tank so far is doing good. I've realized and seen that the tank does so much better with stability. I do water change now monthly and my tank is even better than the weekly water changes I was doing.

I find softies do poorly:

1. Zero to very small amount of nitrates. My Kenya tree (Xenia melted away) was dying with low nitrates. I increased to 15 slowly and now the things is huge and healthy. Same for my tyree toadstool. Looks like this is not your issue assuming your value is correct.

2. Do you have fish picking at it? I don't keep tangs as I heard they may go after softies and zoas that I have. See if something in your tank is irritating it.

3. What is next to your softies. Could be a coral battle going on. Maybe run some carbon to filter out any chemical warfare going on.

Yes, my nitrates have always been on the higher end because of the bioload the commercial system has to take. I have anywhere from 20-35 fish in that system at a time, plus snails, crabs, anemones, and coral, divided between the three tanks in the system. I wouldn't doubt it if my nitrates were higher than they test.

Currently the only fish in the tank with the coral are clowns. I occasionally get in a coral beauty or naso that will go in there, but they last at most a couple days before they're sold.

All my softies are on a rack together, but I try to keep them spaced out. Right now I have a few toadstool leathers, a thick finger, two clove polyps, a yellow polyp parazoanthus, and a devils hand. I am running carbon in the system.

 

[ajxackt]

But to be honest could be so many variables. Lighting, flow, swing in params, etc.

How do your params compare to your home water where they do well? Any differences? You may have to send both water samples for ICP analysis to see.

My home aquarium is a 13 gal and the main difference is I have close to zero nitrate and phosphate. My softies and lps are doing great.

Is their copper in the tanks? For selling fish?
D

I do have a copper test at home I can bring to work. That would explain a lot if it is copper related.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I imagine yes the fish only fish tanks for selling have copper in it.
D

 

[vetteguy53081]

Commercial tank as in, it is an NAP commercial tank. It is a tower of three tanks stacked on top of each other connected to a sump.
No red lobster tank lol
Flow isn't the world's best, but it is enough that if I point the flow at the coral, they can gently wave.

As said in my post, I cannot change the salt mix as this is a tank for a store and I am given the salt mix. IO isn't bad for softies either. I use the reef crystals for my tank at home just fine.

I am trying to get the phosphate down, but it's difficult with the overstocking I had to do in this system (since its for selling fish).

I will try to get those tests when I'm at work next!

I dose Fluval Trace elements twice a week, but again, I can't go get the super fancy stuff because it's a store tank.



I am using API liquid tests and Tetra strips (i know, not the greatest thing). I do multiple tests to make sure I'm getting consistent results.
The store has a DI system hooked up, so it doesn't bring it down to zero like RODI, but its better than straight tap.

The strips and API kits are the worse you can use and you acknowledged that. Knowing this, not sure why you would take multiple false tests in which you'll get the same false results. Something is going on likely with ammonia/nitrate/ph and until you know, this will continue to occur. I would recommend an ICP test or taking a water sample to an LFS that does NOT use API kits and see what they get for results

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I believe icp tests are over the top. However I use a magnetic stirrer with salifert test kits. I've also used elos in the past with good results but they were too complicated imo.
D