Can't keep corals alive?

[radgto]

My tank has been running for about 12 weeks and I can't keep corals alive. I've tried a few zoas and xenias with no luck, they look good for a day or two then gradually look worse and worse until they shrink and die.

I try them high and low and all over in the flow from almost none to high flow.

My tank has a total capacity of about 150gals including the sump/refuge and has a 6x54 T5 light fixture, the acentics are on a 12 hour cycle and the daylights are on an 8 hour cycle.

My parameters are
PH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10-
Calcium 480
Carbonate Hardness 15 (How can I lower it w/o lowering PH?)
Phosphate 1.0-
Temp 77-78
SG 1.024

Fish, shrimp, crabs all do fine and eat like pigs.

I use RO/DI water with 0 TDS

The only thing I add is Seachem Reef Buffer 8.3 because my normal PH is about 7.9-8.0

I really need help here, it's very discouraging and I'm about ready to go fish only.

Thank you.

 

[ReeferBill]

Keeping Corals Alive

Keeping Corals Alive

HI radgto ; What is your maintenance and water change skedule? ?Your nitrates phosphates and KH are all to high. You want nitrates and Phosphates as close to zero as possible and KH should be in between 8 and 12 . Water changes can get you their but yolu must find the cause. Maybe you need to add a Phsphate Reactor or maybe you just need to change about30 gallons every week until everything gets into acceptable ranges. I do 20 percent water changes every week.Calcium should be 400 to 450 ppm and magnesium around 1300 ppm.Happy reefing!!! I started with button polyps and mushrooms, try these first.:spin1:

 

[mike_cmu04]

I would up the salinity to 1.026 and a phosphate level of 1.0 is very high and is probably your issue.

 

[HanoverFist]

My phosphates were up to 2.0 and things still grew like weeds. zoas, rics, acans.

I'd say that alk is really annoying them to death. Gotta be like living in hell once you get that high.

 

[Dr. Reef]

ur alk is high and so is phos. water changes will take care of the high parameter problem. but 12 weeks for a tank setup is not very mature time for hardly any corals. i would recommend waiting 6 months after ur nitrogen cycle has completed before trying any soft corals. for SPS and some LPS i would suggest 8-12 months.
note: adding ph buffer is causing ur high alk. buffers increase ALK

 

[radgto]

I did 30 gal water changes at 6 and 10 weeks. I'll start doing them once a week until I can get my alk and nitrates lower. I just ordered a reactor to handle the phosphate.

Is there any way to raise my PH w/o sending my alk through the roof or should I just accept my 7.8-8.0 PH and leave it alone?

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[HanoverFist]

Low pH: Causes and Cures

 

[badvegan]

Agree with all of the above and would add that xenia in particular are tough critters to keep for many people, easy to keep for others. I have two tanks in the same room, one i can keep them and the other i can't, I honestly dont know what the magic formula for them is except low phos, correct iodine, and low nitrates.

btw your temp might have swung to a level where your xenia melted. Anything > 78 is trouble.

 

[freetareef]

i would up the salinity to 1.026 and a phosphate level of 1.0 is very high and is probably your issue.

+1

 

[Dr. Reef]

u can use Mrs wages pickling lime in ur ATO. it will increase ur ph. dont touch it or inhale it and dont rub it in ur eyes..

 

[Chris27]

The Alk is that high because of all the buffer you're adding for pH.....quit dosing that stuff. As long as the pH is higher then 7.8, you are fine.

Phosphate is through the roof, we generally like to keep it below 0.1, so if you're measuring 1.0, it's likely higher then that in the tank.

Fix the Alk and elevated Phosphate, and you should start to see an improvement shortly. After that, beef up your water change schedule, it should help to keep things in check a little easier.

 

[GPB]

I would be curious as to where all of theat PO4 is coming from. He is using RO/Di as a source measuring 0tds. What is the feeding regimen? Is it possible that much PO4 is coming from food?

I think you need to locate the source and look towards keeping it out altogether. It's a lot of _PO4.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

Lighting is probably your biggest problem.
324 watts isn't much for 150 gallons. Water parameters need to be corrected as well.
Dripping saturated kalkwasser via ATO is the best way I have found to accomplish this.

 

[Fryman]

I started my tank about 7 months ago, so I'm no expert but my coral is doing great. My phosphate was 1.0+ ppm for awhile and it didn't hurt any coral. You'll want to lower the PO4 because it stunts stoney coral growth but I'm pretty sure it's not what's killing your coral. Lighting could also be a problem, but insufficient lighting won't kill coral that fast so I don't think that's the cause for your losses.

I think it's the alk. It's way high, so I would stop using the buffer. A pH of 7.9-8.0 isn't all that bad as long as it's stable, I started about that range and kept softies no problem at all. Over time if you keep up w/ the maintenance it should come up on it's own to 8.3-8.4. That's what mine did anyway.

I'd also increase the salinity a tad- maybe start putting in 1.025 with water changes.

Just my 2c

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

I started my tank about 7 months ago, so I'm no expert but my coral is doing great. My phosphate was 1.0+ ppm for awhile and it didn't hurt any coral. You'll want to lower the PO4 because it stunts stoney coral growth but I'm pretty sure it's not what's killing your coral. Lighting could also be a problem, but insufficient lighting won't kill coral that fast so I don't think that's the cause for your losses.

I think it's the alk. It's way high, so I would stop using the buffer. A pH of 7.9-8.0 isn't all that bad as long as it's stable, I started about that range and kept softies no problem at all. Over time if you keep up w/ the maintenance it should come up on it's own to 8.3-8.4. That's what mine did anyway.

I'd also increase the salinity a tad- maybe start putting in 1.025 with water changes.

Just my 2c

+1 Your dKH should be in the 8-11 range; 15 is high.
Do not chase PH with buffer, switch to daily kalkwasser additions once the proper parameters are met.
This needs to happen slowly and water changes should take of it over time.
I still think you need more light if you intend to keep LPS or SPS.

 

[radgto]

The DT is a 110 Flat back hex 60x18x22 so except for the sides where I don't have coral anyway because of the corner overflows and the hex corners it's basically like lighting a 75/90 gal tank... I took the 150 gal number from total tank volume with the sump/fuge volume.

Today I changed out 30 gallons and did a control sample on the fresh mix of salt water
PH 8.0
KH 9
PO 0
NO3 0

After the change my tank water was
PH 8.0
KH 12
PO .25-.5
NO3 5

I also upped the SG to 1.025 per recommendations here.

I thought I'd be able to control Phosphate with Cheato and in the future adding Mangroves to it but I am going to run GFO now. I should have that set up by early next week. Luckily I don't have any bad algae from it.

I have been over feeding a bit because I was trying different foods to try to get my Coral Beauty and Sailfin Tang to eat. Now that they seem to be fine I've slowed down quite a bit on feeding. I think left over food is the reason so I'll be adding more CUC.

Maybe I'll have this under control by the end of the weekend with another water change.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

At 22" deep it may as well be a 180.
If you are wanting to keep light loving corals with your current lighting, they will need to be placed high in the tank.

 

[heathlindner25]

This is 5 years ago bud.

 

[ericarenee]

questions...

there are some info not present
what kind of filtration do you have.. how much water movement .. wave pumps power heads... I suspect its your lights or improper gas exchange ie not enough movement of surface water . do you have a protein skimmer sump...

i do not see how anyone can you you any advice without knowing these things.. ohh and zoas usually thrive in higher nitrate systems. also where are you getting the corals.. if they are always coming from the same place . do you dip them before adding.. it could be a parasite and they were doomed to begin with

just my two cents..

 

[fishchef]

Stop with the Buffer. Ph is not that important. You have no SPS or LPS, that you've indicated, that will consume dKH. WC will help you get the numbers in line.