Not enough bioload?

[leviburns89]

I am having problems with getting corals to open up.

Tank has been cycled over a year, just recently moved tanks about a month ago.

Most corals are doing OK, some are doing great, but a large number are super unhappy.

Current Params:
No3: >2
No2: undetectable
Ammonia: undetectable
Alk: 12dkh
PH: 8.2
Phosphate: .02
Calc: didn't test
Mag: didn't test

Stocking is only 2 small clowns in a 120g display with 40g sump. Some snails/hermits, and maybe 20 small corals. Roughly 100lbs live rock.

Bare bottom tank

Sump is only running filter sock, and carbon reactor.

Lighting is 6 bulb t5 ATI mix.

Everything seems fine, except corals aren't happy. Is there enough bioload in this tank to provide food for the beneficial bacteria??

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[leviburns89]

I should add, the corals unhappy are:

all zoas/paly, won't open at all.

Certain chalices show skeleton and loss of color.

Seriatopora fully bleached, which is curious, if the tank is clean, sps should be doing good.

All acans are retracted.

All mushrooms are retracted.

My rbta is doing great, Duncan's are amazing, favia are doing great, kenya tree doing great, toadstool amazing, and fish are super healthy. No CUC deaths either.

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[farfromsea]

Calcium & mag are important for corals IMO so might be worth finding out. Possibly 12 dKH is on the higher end of alk which can affect coral "happiness" but others will chime in soon


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[nereefpat]

I agree that it would be worth checking Ca and Mg. Ca probably weekly, and Mg every once and a while. An API Ca kit only costs a few bucks, and it's a quick and simple titration similar to the alk test.

Alk is on the high end, especially in a low nutrient system. It might be worth letting that drop down to the 8-10 range.

As far as the bioload, it sounds like a great excuse to me to get a couple fish for that 120 gallon tank. You could attempt to feed the corals as well.

 

[mcgyvr]

Alkalinity too high for low nutrients like that.. IMO..

Also whats your salinity? Should be 1.025 to 1.026

 

[leviburns89]

Salinity is 1.026
79 degrees
Lights on for 8hrs a day.

How do you lower alk?

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[nereefpat]

Salinity is 1.026
79 degrees
Lights on for 8hrs a day.

How do you lower alk?

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Water changes with lower alk salt, or letting it come down on its own. I wouldn't try any chemical additions for lowering alk.

 

[RobZilla04]

You mention you upgraded, did you change lighting? or depth of corals?

 

[leviburns89]

Depth is within +/- 2" from original.

And no, everything swapped over. The only new addition was the tank itself, and additional water needed to go from 55g to 160g

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[leviburns89]

Just bought some new test kits as my old ones were, old.

New phosphate reading is hard to tell to me, ideas??

And calcium turned out to be a bit low, at 340mg/L

So, how can I raise calcium, while lowering alk.

Phosphate is easy, just waterchange and maybe turn on the TLF phosban reactor if needed.

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[anthonys51]

i dont like api test kits. i would go with salifert, redsea or hanna. i really dont think its your phosphates that are doing this. phosphates dont kill corals, they slow and stop calcification. my tank had 2.06 phosphates and everything was growing. i would check nitrates with salifert, dont use api.

 

[leviburns89]

Everything I own is Red Sea, and Salifert. I only got these today because I had store credit, and I just needed a ballpark until I can pay for a Hanna checker this weekend.


What would you suggest is happening in my tank?


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[leviburns89]

Also, with the remaining store credit, I picked up a pair of green chromis. They are tiny right now, but eating really well and the clownfish seem to enjoy them.

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[anthonys51]

i see the problem, you have a diet pepsi bottle in your tank

 

[anthonys51]

solving these problems over the internet is really hard to do because we don't see the whole picture. I would test calcium and nitrates again. also what test kit are you using. also are you dosing alk or calcium . how did your alk get to 12

 

[leviburns89]

Red Sea - no2,no3,ph,alk,amm
Salifert (expired)-phos
Api(new)-phos, calc

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[Cliving1]

i see the problem, you have a diet pepsi bottle in your tank

Definitely the issue!:spin1:

In all seriousness, no major changes? Lighting. I see you mentioned depth but not too significant. Palys should not be opening that is odd they are usually easy to care of. Try having your lfs test your water maybe something is off with the kits. Worth exploring other options..

 

[anthonys51]

Red Sea - no2,no3,ph,alk,amm
Salifert (expired)-phos
Api(new)-phos, calc

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what are you dosing. what is your calcium

 

[anthonys51]

Definitely the issue!:spin1:

In all seriousness, no major changes? Lighting. I see you mentioned depth but not too significant. Palys should not be opening that is odd they are usually easy to care of. Try having your lfs test your water maybe something is off with the kits. Worth exploring other options..

+1

also you stated mushrooms arent opening up. they are very easy. would double check your test results

 

[anthonys51]

also are the chromis in a separate tank or did you add them directly into your main tank ?