Corals not doing well

[FunkeeChild]

So I have a coral see in the picture. It is the green one in the bottom right. I'm trying to figure out if its dead....it doesn't smell very bad but does have algae growing on it and hasn't opened for some time...probably been one and a half months. My other corals are fine. My parameters ate good. I do have a algae problem....looks to be Matt algae. That's from not enough water changes must likely. I an trying more frequent changes. Mainly would like to know if this guy is toast. It's a bc14, with every upgrade, including LED lighting I installed total if 66 atts but with a 2.5 to 1 ratio, blue to white. I'm wondering if I should take it out if the tank maybe take back to LFS? Will post pics in one sec

That is after pic....here is what they looked like before

 

[FunkeeChild]

Also, since this pic my little polyps are gone, also the white potato chip looking coral...not sure what it is but it's a hard coral, I think the kind that grow big, kind of like hard flat mushrooms. The LFS gave it to me for free for overcharging me.....crappy deal for me. I got two pcs this white one and a pink one. The white one is still hard and looks the same but has algae growing on it. I'm wondering if I should also remove this coral. Its the white one in the fron of the bottom pic. My tank is 14 gallons so I don't want a disastrous catastrophe caused by one little coral. Xenia and mushrooms seem fine. I may decide to add more LEDs. I currently have 12x 3 watt and and 3x 10 watt. The 10 watt are 2x multichip blue and white and 1x multichip purple actinic. Out of the 12 watts only 5 are white...the rest are blue and UV...as you can kind of tell by the pic. Should I add more white light? Thx

Also any help with this matt algae would be helpful as well. It's only on certain rocks but WILL NOT GO AWAY....I know water changes, water changes, water changes....

 

[Jerzey]

1st n most importantly I would check all your parameters and get them in order(no3, po4, ca, alk, mg), you didn't post any info on that but being only a 14 g system that should be extremely easy and then you can atleast rule out your parameters... To me it looks like a blasto/pineapple coral n not dead yet just extremely unhappy... Try moving it into a more shady spot in your tank with med/low flow n c if that helps... It may not like the led spectrum I had a duncan 5 years ago not open for month's until I got my light dialed in

 

[Jerzey]

I would also ditch the LEDs and throw 4 24w t5s over your tank and if you want the pop n florescents of leds then supplement a few.. Leds can be great once dialed in but can also be terrible for your corals if the spectrum n par is not ideal... Go t5 u won't regret it!

 

[FunkeeChild]

Man spent a lot if time on the light s and used 6k, 10k, and 12k whites....mostly 10k....would hate to switchback. I may have to ditch the hood all together and go work t5s. As far as the anemone, I don't think it's a blasto coral....it's the one in the lower right that is green....anyhow I'll check levels tonight...they are always on....sometimes nitrates are a little high but not very bad. Thx for your reply!

 

[jbvdhp]

Corals not doing well

All my corals are thriving with LEDs. Good growth and open up each time, I wouldn't rule out the leds for bad growth yet. How is everything else

The Duncan you're asking about looks unhappy, not dead. But I can't tell too much from the pic. Have you tested your water?

 

[Jerzey]

Man spent a lot if time on the light s and used 6k, 10k, and 12k whites....mostly 10k....would hate to switchback. I may have to ditch the hood all together and go work t5s. As far as the anemone, I don't think it's a blasto coral....it's the one in the lower right that is green....anyhow I'll check levels tonight...they are always on....sometimes nitrates are a little high but not very bad. Thx for your reply!

Don't get me wrong LEDs can grow and color up corals just as well if not better then t5's if properly setup.. I don't wanta get heavy into detail but the problem with diy led
Fixtures is getting the spectrum down and hitting the proper wavelengths...u need more then just white leds (6,10,12k)... There's not much useful spectrum there for your corals... U said u have a 2.5/1 ratio is that rb or b.... Ur uv(violet) LEDs what wavelength r they exactly n most importantly what led/multichip brand are they? Leds r not created equal.. Ur corals r probably just surviving not thriving from lack of to broad of spectrum... supplementing 2 t5s to ur light fixture will fill in the missing spectrum and change everything...ur coral growth will explode n youll wish u did it sooner!

 

[FunkeeChild]

Ok, thx guys checking levels and reporting back....leds aren't cree...they are luxeon I think and could be eBay ripoff, but they look great. I'm not using my optics and wondering if maybe I should be. I have blue, royal blue, if, and white

 

[Jerzey]

u should spot feeding ur duncan two times a week...her growth will explode btw! Mines was growing a new head almost every week

 

[Deepreef21]

I have a current led for my biocube 29 and evrey coral I get it shrivels up and dies can any one help beacuse I don't have a reef test kit plz help.

 

[FunkeeChild]

You need to check your levels, get a kit on Amazon, they are like $20 for a basic one. how often are you doing water changes.

Kersey, can't spot feed him cuz he won't open up. I only feed fish two to 3 times per w/o....maybe I should feed more? I already moved him to a new spot with no luck

 

[Lagoon monkey]

Also, since this pic my little polyps are gone, also the white potato chip looking coral...not sure what it is but it's a hard coral, I think the kind that grow big, kind of like hard flat mushrooms. The LFS gave it to me for free for overcharging me.....crappy deal for me. I got two pcs this white one and a pink one. The white one is still hard and looks the same but has algae growing on it. I'm wondering if I should also remove this coral. Its the white one in the fron of the bottom pic. My tank is 14 gallons so I don't want a disastrous catastrophe caused by one little coral. Xenia and mushrooms seem fine. I may decide to add more LEDs. I currently have 12x 3 watt and and 3x 10 watt. The 10 watt are 2x multichip blue and white and 1x multichip purple actinic. Out of the 12 watts only 5 are white...the rest are blue and UV...as you can kind of tell by the pic. Should I add more white light? Thx

Also any help with this matt algae would be helpful as well. It's only on certain rocks but WILL NOT GO AWAY....I know water changes, water changes, water changes....

why do you own corals you dont know the name of. How can you properly care for it if you dont research it....that I believe is your problem. Nothing comes easy in reefing and not learning about corals prior to purchasing is adding to the degredation of coral reefs in nature. You buy coral then it dies then some native in bali or indonesia plucks you a new one...read up before purchasing live animals. lighting is not your problem get 100%RODI water and start doing regular water changes ps RO and RODI are different you need deionized water anything else and your wasting your time especially with any hard coral either LPS or SPS.

 

[Lagoon monkey]

Man spent a lot if time on the light s and used 6k, 10k, and 12k whites....mostly 10k....would hate to switchback. I may have to ditch the hood all together and go work t5s. As far as the anemone, I don't think it's a blasto coral....it's the one in the lower right that is green....anyhow I'll check levels tonight...they are always on....sometimes nitrates are a little high but not very bad. Thx for your reply!

skip checking levels and do water change. algae=nutrients are TOO high. Lights are not the issue...worry about light spectrum once you learn the names and proper care of your corals. If anything lights cause more algae so try turning lights down....to get rid of it do a 90%WC then go lights out and cover with garbage bag for 2 days. That will help kill most of it off. then follow up with regular water changes......I speak the truth man...6 years reefing I know my shyt

 

[Lagoon monkey]

u should spot feeding ur duncan two times a week...her growth will explode btw! Mines was growing a new head almost every week

he or she has algae problems this is a terrible idea...do not feed your tank until algae is gone only feed fish limitedly maybe once a week...in a 14g stick with 3 fish if you want more than do a FOWLR setup...i have a 90g with 4 fish and feed very rarely...they eat the pods and algae on the glass...free food grows in your tank. My fish are healthy and actively searching for food like in the wild. feed them all the time and they will get lazy and dependant like an old hound. Let them hunt!

 

[Cyberdude]

Once a week?! Wow. So different than mine. Got a 60g 7 fish and feed 3 times a day. Zero algae, rocks covered in purple coralline nitrates and phosphates close to zero. And I think my corals are still being staved.

 

[FunkeeChild]

Wow ok guys, I'll do a water change. J think that is the issue need to do them more frequently. Have a 3 yr old and 4 month old that have been trading up most my time and I don't jerk up with it like I used to. Been trying 12 yrs so not like I dint know what I'm doing. Been doing 3-6 month water changes, but I did one right before I put that coral and and it was fine for a while. I think your right it's a duncan. Also I try to buy home grown corals so that the man you speak if in Indonesia doesn't have to pluck any more corals. Thx for advice