OK...Water is within limits and Corals are still ****ed

[triton22]

Hi everyone.
I have a 25 Gallon reef tank that has cycled. Parameters are all in the good, Nitrates just a tad high. That's it....I have some mushrooms, hammers, a Clove and some Zoeys......I believe I have them placed right...I have a "shallow" tank, so I don't believe placement is a issue...Having said that, they just don't seem happy. The clove shut up and won't come out, the mushrooms won't fully open, same with the Zoeys....Any clues as to what's going on? Thanks in advance!!

Tony

 

[jpcemc]

When you say nitrates are a tad high, how high is high?

 

[alcimedes]

Can you take a photo of the corals in question? Might help ID what's irritating them, or their general condition.

 

[mcgyvr]

Please post the following test results..
Salinity?
Nitrates?
Ammonia?
Nitrites?
Calcium?
Alkalinity?
Magnesium?

Then please tell us the age of the tank..
Then the type of lighting and lighting period being used.
Then tell us how long the corals have been in the tank..
And throw in a full tank picture..

Thanks..

 

[gone fishin]

Please post the following test results..
Salinity?
Nitrates?
Ammonia?
Nitrites?
Calcium?
Alkalinity?
Magnesium?

Then please tell us the age of the tank..
Then the type of lighting and lighting period being used.
Then tell us how long the corals have been in the tank..
And throw in a full tank picture..

Thanks..

I would also add how much flow and if they are getting direct flow from powerheads.

 

[triton22]

Awesome, thanks for replying guys!!

My tank water parameters are as follows:

Temp: 80
Spec Gravity-1.027
PH-8.1
Ammonia-0
Nitrites-0
Nitrates-.80

Just recently placed all of these in this tank as I previously had them in a small nano 8 gallon tank that seemed to begun being overrun with algae....Snails, Hermits all started dying off. Water params pretty much identical to this big tank. The smaller tank is about 4 months old, this newer, bigger tank is about 1 1/2 months old. I felt I was patient and let this bigger tank cycle...didn't put anything in it except a single Cardinal until it was cycled. When smaller tank, even with similar params started to show they weren't happy, I decided to place all of em in the bigger tank, with slightly lower Nitrate readings and minus all the algae.....Still don't understand what's making all the simple snails and hermits die....and my lone Emerald crab is very sluggish and isn't feasting on all the obvious algae growing in the little tank....here are a few pics if it helps...Thanks everyone..

 

[triton22]

And, before you ask, I was advised by my local Aquarium store guru, that testing for things such as Magnesium, Calcium, Alkalinity, etc, wasn't necessary in a newly established aquarium....Basically told me not to waste my money on the testing kit......for now.....

 

[brianbrainstein]

And, before you ask, I was advised by my local Aquarium store guru, that testing for things such as Magnesium, Calcium, Alkalinity, etc, wasn't necessary in a newly established aquarium....Basically told me not to waste my money on the testing kit......for now.....

If you were having issues in the first tank and the second tank, and you took the time to type this out, don't you think you should be testing those parameters? Depending on what kind of salt you are using you could be way off.


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[chem-e]

What do you have for equipment? I assume you have a skimmer and some decent flow in your tank.

 

[WWIII]

If nitrates are 80, that might make the corals a little angry. I would also suggest calcium, alkalinity, magnesium tests. Especially Alkalinity imo. What kind of lighting are you using?

 

[Ou8me2]

The problem with cycling is people think the tank is done but cycling is just the first step of a new tank and break-in period. You'll have other stages of a new tank which include different types of algae outbreaks.

The most glaring thing I see is the Nitrates. You need to do a fairly large water change to see if you can bring them down to 20 or lower. The salinity is barely high but I shoot for 1.025 myself. The temp is acceptable depending on who you ask and I try to keep mine down between 76-78F myself. I don't agree with the LFS guy and you should be testing cause not all salts will have the proper parameters for corals or a reef tank. You can skate a little bit in smaller tanks but only if you do at least weekly water changes. I personally would be testing Calcium, Alkalinity,& Magnesium. No better time to start testing so you can feel out the tank parameters IMHO.

I would definitely work on getting the nitrates down lower first and work from there. Many corals and inverts don't like high nitrates and anything over 20 is high and you should shoot for under 20 to be honest and between 5 and 0 is best.

 

[Sk8r]

Run carbon with softies in the tank: softies and stonies don't like each other much, and softies spit something awful when annoyed.

 

[MG98]

"Snails and crabs are dying"

Are you sure your water source is good? Nitrates .80 or 80? Big difference. If it's 80 in a newly cycled tank something is way off.

 

[meverha1]

I would definitely be testing for alkalinity.

How often are you doing water changes? Are you using RODI water? What brand of salt are you using?

In a small tank with the limited number of corals you have calcium and magnesium shouldn't be a problem assuming you are doing regular water changes.


What type of lighting do you have?

 

[OldReefGuy]

when did you put the corals in? and run carbon and do water change

 

[TokiHacker]

Please test calcium magnesium and alkalinity...


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[WWIII]

Im no expert in these smaller tanks, but if your 8 gallon became so overun with algae in 4 months, there is a water quality issue of some sort. Are you using rodi? If your nitrate is 80 and not 1, that will drive algae growth along with phosphate. Im afraid if you don't adress these issues first, this tank will also become overrun with algae as well. Hopefully you can get it figured out! Lots of help and reading available here and elsewhere!