cant figure out what is wrong with my tank

[reefhustler]

just did my test and ph came out to 8.4, nitrite 0, ammonia 0, and nitrate between 0-5. My xenia and kenya tree look like they are wasting away(ik alot of you would say this is a good thing. Yet my zoos, green hairy mushroom and duncan all look fine.

funny thing is my xenia hit a growth spurt for about a month and now has leveled off, it looks as though it lost its feathers but they seem to have grown back but they are closed, the small babys underneath though are open and pulse fine. the kenya has nvr looked good since i got it and hasnt grown at all in the month that i've had it.

I just added a skimmer about a month ago and this seems to be when it all started to happen.

here are some pics, sorry about the quality:

 

[disc1]

I understand xenia like the water a little "dirty". That's why a lot of us can't get them to grow at all. The skimmer probably cleaned a lot of nutrients. That's good for your other corals, not so great for the xenia.

 

[reefhustler]

I understand xenia like the water a little "dirty". That's why a lot of us can't get them to grow at all. The skimmer probably cleaned a lot of nutrients. That's good for your other corals, not so great for the xenia.

sad part is that its a cpr ripoff, added a airstone and it started pulling some nasty stuff out.

i havent done a water change in over a month(got caught up in college work).
i have a 20L with a 20L sump that is full of cheato. another question i have is should i be worried that cyano still grows in my sump, its been there since i first setup the tank 5 months ago, yet i have none in the display.

 

[disc1]

It comes and goes in my refugium, but I never see any in my DT either. Search back on either this forum or the newby forum. There was a thread a week or so ago that went for a while on whether cyano in the sump was good or bad. IMO if it's not getting into the DT then it's not too bad. Try to pull it out when you trim the chaeto and it is nutrient export.

 

[charleneatkins]

Has the flow over the coral change? too much more too more less?

 

[zachfishman]

I understand xenia like the water a little "dirty". That's why a lot of us can't get them to grow at all. The skimmer probably cleaned a lot of nutrients. That's good for your other corals, not so great for the xenia.

Definitely. Pick up some Phytoplex and watch your Xenia take off again!

 

[reefhustler]

Has the flow over the coral change? too much more too more less?

no, same flow since the tank was setup and its been in the same spot