Having a problem and i cant figure out whats wrong.

[Sebsantoro]

Hi guys, so i have a 20gallon IM fusion nano tank with a AI prime light set to 80%uv and all other colour between 60-75% for about 8hours a day. My uv sterilizer is always on and my heater is always set at 78. I have 2 clown fish with a anemone, a yellow tang, 2 peppermint shrimp, a trigger shrimp, a diamond goby, 2 soft corals and 3 other corals that i do not no what they are exactly. Resently my corals have not been opening up like they used to amd i do not know what is wrong. My salinity is at 1.025 exact and my tests came out good. Alkalinity= 2.28 , phosphate=0, nitrate=0 and calcium is at 450......i went to the closest fish store and clerk made me replace my rowa. I did a 20% water change avout 4 days ago and still no corals open....fish are doing great and eating well.......any advice on what i can adjust or do to help corals open up again and grow.

 

[JohnnyHildo]

if you mean your alkalinity is at 2.28 i hope you mean meq/L. if you mean dkH then "huston we have a problem"

 

[Ron Reefman]

And you have a 20g tank with a yellow tang?!?!?!?

I'm guessing you either haven't done much reading, or plan to move the tang to a bigger tank, or you don't mind torturing your fish? I'm sure it's not that last one, but that is what you'll be doing. Tangs need swimming space and a 4' long, 75g tank at the minimum.

You didn't give a Mg level. Do you test for it? It's essential for coral health and growth.

 

[dmarkham]

How far off the water is the light? A LED light set at 80% on one channel and 60 to 75% on the others might be too much light. Also how far is the corals in question from the Nem? It might be stinging them.

 

[75mixedreef]

You sure its a yellow tang and not a yellow damsel? How old is the tank? You might not have enough nutrients to feed the corals. 0 nitrate and 0 phosphate is not good for corals, its like trying to grow plants in sand with no nutrients. Try spot feeding the corals with your pumps off and see if that helps.

 

[WatDatThing]

I thought we want PO and NO to be 0?

 

[AwesomeDavid]

Close to 0, but not 0, is ideal. Corals are like plants, too much fertilizer and they die, too little fertilizer and they also die.

 

[Sebsantoro]

The yellow tang is supper small and made sure to take the smalest one they had. Yes i know they need space to swim but i went from a 10 gallon to a 20 gallon now and moving up slowly as i get experience. Now for the led light question its about a foot off the glass of the tank....i will go buy the test for MG sunce i was never told that was needed but thanks for the advice. If anyone has a good set up for a ai prime light i will try it right away to se if it improves the coral health........now for the corals, what would be the best thing to add to my water to help them open and grow?

 

[Percula9]

Try Coralvite by Kent

 

[Ztous]

Try cutting out the Red and green spectrums entierly and lowering whites to 50% or less. The white and green can be increased later incrementally. I find corals dislike red spectrum in the AI prime. I don't use it. No science to back it up just my practical experience.

 

[Sebsantoro]

Hi guys just found a test kit from red sea that a buddy gave to ne and it had the Mg test in it. My test for Mg came out to 1280ppm....is that ok because i am used to the salifert test kits. Also changed my lighting and it helped alot my corals started to open again.