I Dont Know Whats Wrong?

B

bluespotocto

New member
So i am trying to get some SPS corals going in my 40 gallon tank. Its been up and running for about 2 years. It was just softies and fish. Then i thought i would try SPS and they all died! Then i tried LPS they all died! I went to my LFS and asked what was wrong and we thought it might have been that my nitrates were to high, so i did about %80 water changes every 5 days for 3 weeks. I got my Nitrates to 0 and i purchased a 250 watt metal halide light for the tank. I went back to my LFS and they said it was time to start stalking. So i got 2 SPS 1 leather and 1 LPS. The 2 SPS arent looking that good the bird nest is starting bleach and i know it isnt growth because it is getting bigger then what it was and i think the acro isnt fully extending its polyps. The neon green toadstool leather has only been fully out once. I my LPS looks good thought.

Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
Calcium: 500 ppm
Alkalinity: 150 ppm

So what is going on with my coral? PLEASE i dont want to lose any more coral.
 
I am guessing your alk is way off your calcium is really high so alk wont be right i dont know the conversion though what is the reading in dkh?
 
His alk isn't bad at 8.4 dkh. Ca at 500 shouldn't be that big an issue. Not quite enough information to tell here. Mag, PH, temp, how long are you keeping your lights on,skimmer...
 
I kept the SPS in the sand for about 3 days then moved them both up about high middle part of the tank. I leave the tank lights from 9 am to 10 pm. The LFS kept them also under MH. My PH is 8.3. My salinity is 1.026. I am not sure what type of skimmer but it produces a lot of yukky stuff. My one worry is that i dont have a mag test kit but i use ocean pure pro marine reef salt and i was told it keeps the mag around 1320 ppm. So there some more info any one know that problem?
 
I'm not sure that magnesium deficiency or excessive amounts can cause bleaching but i may be wrong. What type of testing methods are you using? Test kits or electric testing? What brand? Too often inaccurate testing is a problem.
 
I dont think it is my test kits. I have tried 2 different kinds and they all read pretty much the same. So does any one have any ideas what it might be wrong? Also can some one post a pic of an plum coral(thats what the LFS called the acro)? So i can know if they are fully extended or not?
 
9am to 10 pm 13 hours is a long time. I have a similar setup 40 breeder with 2 150watt hqi. I run my lights for about 6 when my bulbs are nice and burnt in and for 4 hours when they are new( less than a month old). Putting sps under a new 250watt hqi in a shallow tank the the 40 gallons we use is a shock to them. I put new sps on a small frag mag at the lower far end of my tank for a week then over several days I move them up. If I just put my sps on the rock where I want them right away I get color lose or bleaching. Just some tips on light acclimating sps corals. Your water source my be an issue as well. Well water always has lots of mineral in it. Get a RO unit or by water from a local Water and Ice store or a RO vending machine is better that well water.
 
allsps40 said:
9am to 10 pm 13 hours is a long time. I have a similar setup 40 breeder with 2 150watt hqi. I run my lights for about 6 when my bulbs are nice and burnt in and for 4 hours when they are new( less than a month old). Putting sps under a new 250watt hqi in a shallow tank the the 40 gallons we use is a shock to them. I put new sps on a small frag mag at the lower far end of my tank for a week then over several days I move them up. If I just put my sps on the rock where I want them right away I get color lose or bleaching. Just some tips on light acclimating sps corals. Your water source my be an issue as well. Well water always has lots of mineral in it. Get a RO unit or by water from a local Water and Ice store or a RO vending machine is better that well water.
Click to expand...

probably more beneficial and cheaper to buy the water rather than setting up an rodi unit on well water, it will eat di resin and ro membranes in short order with that much tds in it, my old well water ran 640-680 tds...terrible
 
bluespotocto said:
Ok so i will start using well water and how much should i lessen the time on my lights?
Click to expand...

I originally had my lights running 10-12 hrs (9hrs peak w/ all bulbs)(6-T5's) which was too much as I, too, had pale coloring in several corals. After reading several threads on RC, I have since decreased my photo period. I dropped my dusk/dawn to 8 hrs (2 bulbs) with all 6 bulbs running 6 1/2 hrs. This has helped greatly with colors with no ill effects on growth. Now I have actually very recently (2 weeks ago) added a Reefbrite LED Blue strip to my set up and run it 4 hrs a day (to light acclimate corals) & decreased a 1/2 hour on my 2 dusk/dawn bulbs. The color 'pop' I get now, especially when only the LED strip is running only, is unreal!!

Long story short...decrease you photo period.
 
Ok so i think i might run them from 10 am to 8 pm, so is that good with one 250 watt MH. Ya i had a feeling it could have been the well water.
 
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