Coral doesn't want to grow

[blackthunda77]

I run 2 Radium 250w Metal Halides as well, with VHO actinic supplements on a 90g Reef, and I have good color and growth from all types of corals, so I know it's not a lighting issue, unless you don't change the bulbs every 12-18 months. I make sure to keep calcium, magnesium and alkalinity levels stable, that's all I ever check for. I have 2 Tangs, 1 Falcula, 3 Blue/Green Chromis, 1 Matted File Fish and 1 Mandarin, I have no idea nor do I care what my nitrates or phosphates are doing, the only other thing I have is a small amount, 1/3 cup of GFO running in a reactor to keep film alage at a minimum, I change it out when I notice heavier growth from day to day. I am vigilant about doing 10% water changes weekly and cleaning out all pads, overflow tubes and protein skimmers as well.

Thanks, yea I don't think it's a light issue either. I've had this set up over my previous tank and it was a 12" shallow tank. Unless they are too strong for the amount of nutrients available in the tank. Is it possible to have 15+ n03 but still be nutrient deficient?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[pisanoal]

Id say yes, it is possible. Especially if you never seeded with any Live Rock or similar.

You could have the inorganic nutrients but not the right food chain to get the nutrients to the coral. I dont know of anything proven about corals directly uptaking inorganic nutrients, which if they don't explains a lot about dry rock started systems.

There are quite a few threads about people, a lot of which are veteran reefers, starting with dry rock and never getting the success they have had with tanks in the past despite doing everything "right". Once people added some good LR, or seeded with a bunch of pods, sponges, bacteria, etc, things turned around. I recently experienced the same thing. My reef was 18 months old before I realized this.

So you may want to look at biodiversity in your system. Not saying its definitely the answer, and depends a lot on what you have done in the past 3 years, but just a thought, since everything else seems in line.

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk

 

[blackthunda77]

So like what? Adding stuff like the fritz turbo start? I have added prodigbio in the past when I was running biopellets.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[zachogden]

i agree with the comments on lack of microflora being a likely cause of your problem, or at least something worth looking into. best bet would be to see if you can buy even a small piece of live rock from a local reefer's established/successful tank.