Frustration
- Thread starter Spragro50
- Start date
Hi, we'll need specific information regarding your 'parameters'.
Lighting, flow, tank size, fish?
Fwiw, everthing in your list would appreciate some available nitrates (5-10ppm), moderate flow, moderate light.
Lighting, flow, tank size, fish?
Fwiw, everthing in your list would appreciate some available nitrates (5-10ppm), moderate flow, moderate light.
@Spragro50 you’d be surprised about things that can impact water parameters. Recently, I had a refractometer out of calibration that resulted in losses. Followed by a bad batch of salt resulting in ultra low Alk. Bad test kits…. Lots of issues.
Please post your test results and also use another source to test your parameters.
Please post your test results and also use another source to test your parameters.
Some weirdness there. Is your carbonate in ppm? That's way low, should be up over 140. Magnesium should be up over 1300 as well. What is the salinity of your water?
Sorry MG is 1500 - salinity is 1.025
That all looks good. I'll just spitball some thoughts:
Perhaps your giving too much light? Did you use a par meter to set your levels? All those corals would like not to get scorched and the photon can definitely scorch them. Also what size tank?
What kind of flow is in the tank?
Another thought is chemical warfare between corals. Do you ever run carbon to remove potential coral toxins?
What about husbandry? Do you do regular water changes? What additives do you add? DO you have algae problems?
Perhaps your giving too much light? Did you use a par meter to set your levels? All those corals would like not to get scorched and the photon can definitely scorch them. Also what size tank?
What kind of flow is in the tank?
Another thought is chemical warfare between corals. Do you ever run carbon to remove potential coral toxins?
What about husbandry? Do you do regular water changes? What additives do you add? DO you have algae problems?
Re light - I used the reefbreeders recomended settings for softies - flow wise I have two reefbreeders pumps so pretty decent current - I do have an apostasia outbreak which my CBB is being lazy about cleaning up - I do weeekly changes and dose with magnesium and vodka so algae is pretty minimal - really appreciate the response
More typing out loud...
With vodka dosing and still having 25 nitrate, you might be phosphate limited which nothing would appreciate. Do you have a phosphate number? FWIW, my corals all looked pale and unhappy and didn't grow when I was carbon dosing. When I stopped, everything coloured and fluffed up nicely.
Have you witnessed your copperband picking at any other corals? Any other fish in the tank?
I assume you are using RODI for your salt mix and makeup water.
With vodka dosing and still having 25 nitrate, you might be phosphate limited which nothing would appreciate. Do you have a phosphate number? FWIW, my corals all looked pale and unhappy and didn't grow when I was carbon dosing. When I stopped, everything coloured and fluffed up nicely.
Have you witnessed your copperband picking at any other corals? Any other fish in the tank?
I assume you are using RODI for your salt mix and makeup water.
Just tested phosphate and have a 1 reading using Salifert - always use RODI - have not noticed the CBB picking at the corals - I do have a green leather coral which does look pretty good - the others still not so much - I have been hand feeding my Duncan’s and they looked great til they shrunk a few days ago - Tks again
As in one and not point one? That's insane phosphate if so. Please confirm.
Duncans are great indicator corals. They're always the first to get upset with water quality issues.
Yep seems crazy. You said you were vodka dosing - is your skimmer producing tons of goo? Should be going crazy with the numbers you have + vodka.
mtnbike101
Well-known member
If you haven't done so in a long time, I'd suggest an ICP test to compare against your test kits. Also, check the expiration dates on all kits; they can get old before you know it. Reminds me a lot of myself! ;-p
Just looked up Reef Breeders Photon V2. You should get more than enough light out of that. Two other areas to check would be water flow, salinity and thermometer.
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