Coral and Coralline not growing

[sunil6784]

Just to update this...

LPS and SPS are all retracted. The only thing that is open is my GSP, open brain coral, Kryptonite candy cane, ricordea, and zoas. Duncan, Frogspawn, and Hammer coral are all barely open. Normal (?) Candy Cane has skeleton showing, and SPS are all retracted (no polyps).

I tested for ammonia this morning and showed a reading of .25 on my API kit. Quickly ran to Petco to pick up some Prime, and I grabbed another API ammonia kit. The new API kit shows 0 now. I did put a capful of Prime in just in case.

Began running 1/2 cup of carbon (passively) and have begun mixing water for a water change. I've already changed out 5 gallons... looking to do another 10 by the end of the night.

Seems like I'm losing my coral... inverts and fish are both doing fine.

As of this morning...

Alk: 8.4 (red sea)
CA: 510 (red sea)
Ph in the morning before lights went on: 7.8/7.9
Ph after lights go on: 8.2

 

[CuzzA]

This is speculation for your situation, but in my experience every 4 months or so I'll notice my corals not looking as vibrant, so I perform 3 consecutive 15% water changes over 3 days. I'm alway amazed at how much they perk up and growth and coloration almost immediately begins to take off again. I assume something in my tank is hogging essential trace elements that my normal 15% weekly water change simply isn't keeping up with.

I think you should get in the habit of running carbon 24/7/365. You simply can't have any idea what is getting into your tank, from food, salt mix, limewater or whatever else you put in the tank.

Also, I agree with others in that you are probably not providing enough light. I would bump your intensity up 5% per week on the blues to the point of trying to reach a 100% intensity (which may not be possible) and max your whites at 35%. I too own Reef Breeders LEDs and have corals high up in my tank (maybe 12" away from the light) that are growing out of control. I'm at 70% on my blues and 35% on my whites.

A par meter would really be the only way to know if your delivering enough light to your corals.

Keep in mind, sudden and drastic changes like light and temperature, almost always lead to bleaching and tissue recession. So whatever you do, do it slow.

One last note, you may want to double check how you are calibrating you refractometer.

An on going discussion currently happening here. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2462697