Overall growth

[Jmarmer]

Hey.

My father has had this take for 7 years and it was neglected. He gave it over to me. I'm trying to figure out why my leather and Star Green Polyps aren't growing.
My tank is as follows:

The lights I have are new: 55W T5 PC fluorescent, Red Sea. And the tank is Red Sea max 34 gallon.

This tank has been running for about 7 years with my father and he gave it to me as my first fish tank. Stulidly I decided to try some plants without my knowdledge of how to care for them. I have i main pump that came with the tank and then I bought two separate power heads.

I have a blue damsel orange clown fish and a yellow Eyed tang along with a cleaner shrimp.

I used the 5-1 aquarium test strips and My levels are as follows:
General Hardness:180
Carbonated hardness: 120
Nitrate 2:0
Nitrate 3:0
PH:7.5

When I went to the fish store they tested my PH and said it was good. But it seems low.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

I apologies for my lack of knowledge with this.
I hope I can learn a lot frrom this forum!


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[jlmawp]

You posted this in the Reef Discussion forum as well, and your problem was identified after you said you have been using tap water...a tidbit of info you have left off of this post as well.

Get an RO/DI unit!

 

[ReefMaster48]

Corals aren't plants.........:spin1:

 

[mcgyvr]

Your posted levels seem ok..ph a bit low but thats expected in the winter months...
Lack of an ro/di system does not mean tank problems either...

You didnt give any timeframe for growth but corals can take months or more to even grow small amounts.....i wouldnt worry really as long as everything seems healthy

 

[sde1500]

Corals aren't plants.........:spin1:

How helpful...

OP, not sure why you made a second post. Personally, I'd get a RODI unit, no need for anything crazy, check https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/bulk.../reverse-osmosis-systems/4-stage-systems.html.

When you say growing, what are you looking for? That leather looks fine, how long have you had it in the tank? The GSP on the lower right obviously doesn't look good. Get better test kits, try salifert or red sea. Liquid tests, we want to alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, and also nitrate and phosphate doens't hurt but those two corals are very tolerant of both. What bulbs are you using?

Final note, your tang, return it to a store. It has not business being in that tank.

 

[Rover88]

You have Nitrate listed twice.

Is one of them supposed to be Nitrite? Having ANY reading of nitrite is bad, and means the tank isn't finished cycling, or has a heavy and strained bioload.

Did you just add all those fish? Since you got the tank, have you moved it or what changes did you make?


And yes, what the above says. Invest in a RODI unit and stop putting tap water in it!