Slow or No Growth
- Thread starter MHG
- Start date
A. Grandis
Active member
I've got "zero nitrates" and feed the zoas small amounts once a week.
Fishes are well fed too with at least 3 or 4 different types of fish foods.
"Like crazy" to me means excess and almost to the point that they can't eat what is offered. :hmm4:
They have their limits to eat and digest. There are limits to the type of food offered also and their particular food needs for each species.
And you don't really need to do that in order to raise nitrates. Just cut down on water changes, if you really want. Depending how much and how often you change, I wouldn't do that. Many people would oe to have low nitrates and they can't. :thumbsup: Enjoy your aquarium!
Let them grow on their time... Main thing is that they are healthy and the system is without major problems...
Grandis.
Fishes are well fed too with at least 3 or 4 different types of fish foods.
"Like crazy" to me means excess and almost to the point that they can't eat what is offered. :hmm4:
They have their limits to eat and digest. There are limits to the type of food offered also and their particular food needs for each species.
And you don't really need to do that in order to raise nitrates. Just cut down on water changes, if you really want. Depending how much and how often you change, I wouldn't do that. Many people would oe to have low nitrates and they can't. :thumbsup: Enjoy your aquarium!
Let them grow on their time... Main thing is that they are healthy and the system is without major problems...
Grandis.
TropTrea
New member
I'll agree with Conrad with one exception. Rather than jump to 20% water changes simply to them more often. Sudden changes to cause the corals to have to readjust. But small changes done regularly will give you the same or better effect on the chemistry of the water yet be barely noticable by the corals.
I do a max of 10% water changes, but if there is an issue instead of monthly I have even stepped them up to every other day.
Well most of my acros are encrusting the plugs at a pretty good rate....growth on a few in general size has been good. Zoas still slow and two different frogspawns have zero growth but good color....
Now that my green birdsnest is coloring back up since I turned down my lights, I will start turning the lights up supper slowly ...
Now that my green birdsnest is coloring back up since I turned down my lights, I will start turning the lights up supper slowly ...
you know as time goes on I am starting to agree that some work and some don't....but it is still soo frustrating....when I run out of AA any growth comes to a stop. After a week of dosing AA again, I get a little growth. If these frags don't work out, this is gonna wind up a FOWLR tank....I am not spending any more money on frags.... Free ones I will take..
milesofreefs
New member
dont get discouraged, it takes time.. !!dont over feed!! i barely feed my zoas ever!! the only time i add phyto is when im feeding my sump to keep my pod count up.. and that goes straight into the fuge with no pumps on... though zoas are considered easy.. they still take time to adjust especially if your always adjusting things like lighting.. consistency is key. from my readings on here most keep there leds blues at 70/100% and whites 40/60% if something high up in the tank is starting to bleach move it down. start all your frags on the sand bed and move them up a little once a week. it takes time for corals to adjust to leds there a much more focused lighting then MH or T5. If your getting 1 or 2 heads a month on a 5 polyp frag thats good youll only see 5or6 new heads when that frag has finally become 20 heads. dont judge growth off of the naked eye take pics once a month and compare ill bet youll see more growth after six month of consistency the tank may take off and become a master piece. Just be patient.
milesofreefs
New member
do you run any types of carbon source? like vodka dosing, VC or bio pellets? if not look them up. adding something for nitrates to feed on and turn them into coral food. i run bio pellets and when i do i see much better growth and color from my corals. the nitrates cling to them and become micro organisms that actually feed your corals and pods same thing with vodka and VC.
milesofreefs
New member
then stop feeding so much.....
and in your other post your cal. is at 500 i think you should maybe lower that to 420/450 like natural see water.....
and be patient.
i didnt see any real crazy growth till my tank was 7 or 8 months.
A. Grandis
Active member
Make sure you target feed the zoas, if that's what you're looking for.
Nitrates are not that good. A good quality target feeding will bring nutrients to the zoas, not to the water.
Keep your alkalinity in check and make sure the other params are in their normal ranges.
Skimmer running, lights changed when needed...
I would check your nitrates with another test kit. Perhaps that one is expired?
If you're feeding a lot maybe the test is not reading good.
Too much nitrates is no good, as we know.
There is more to nutrients for zoas then nitrates and phosphates, I believe.
Yes, they take a while to get used to a new environment. That will depend on the species, system, etc...
Good luck!
Grandis.
Nitrates are not that good. A good quality target feeding will bring nutrients to the zoas, not to the water.
Keep your alkalinity in check and make sure the other params are in their normal ranges.
Skimmer running, lights changed when needed...
I would check your nitrates with another test kit. Perhaps that one is expired?
If you're feeding a lot maybe the test is not reading good.
Too much nitrates is no good, as we know.
There is more to nutrients for zoas then nitrates and phosphates, I believe.
Yes, they take a while to get used to a new environment. That will depend on the species, system, etc...
Good luck!
Grandis.
So 9 months later here is an update...
Green button polyps, happy, some growth.... A few polyps on the sand every now and then so I am pleased..
Galaxia has overgrown the clams that were embedded..
AOG has added a few polyps
Green birds nest grew well for a while then stopped
Most sps frags are encrusting... Some didn't make it others are looking good.
Eagle eyes..... Maybe 5 new heads in 10 months.... I have two pieces in different light and flow.... Very slow...
So over all... Growth but still slow....
Green button polyps, happy, some growth.... A few polyps on the sand every now and then so I am pleased..
Galaxia has overgrown the clams that were embedded..
AOG has added a few polyps
Green birds nest grew well for a while then stopped
Most sps frags are encrusting... Some didn't make it others are looking good.
Eagle eyes..... Maybe 5 new heads in 10 months.... I have two pieces in different light and flow.... Very slow...
So over all... Growth but still slow....
Well as I come up on the day where I bought my first corals one year ago...black Friday.... I am at the point of giving up.... My first corals I bought were some eagle eyes, one head of frog spawn.....my eagle eye has doubles in size and my frog spawn has split only once... That's it in one year.... The green birds nest I bought about 10 months ago is as big as a tennis ball. My 20 sps frags I bought since then are all just encrusting but barely cover the frag plugs.... Pitiful growth.... If all my frags grew as well as that birdsnest my tank would be amazing.... I just don't get it...
I have moved most of them around to different spots. Color is good on most but poor growth...
Recently I switched from Biopellet to prodibio. I dose several Zeo suppliments and switched to red sea coral pro salt. I do see a little better growth... My purple bonsai has started some new branches so I am hopeful.....but frustrated....
Now with more fish and slightly higher nitrates (.25) I am keeping my fingers crossed....
I have moved most of them around to different spots. Color is good on most but poor growth...
Recently I switched from Biopellet to prodibio. I dose several Zeo suppliments and switched to red sea coral pro salt. I do see a little better growth... My purple bonsai has started some new branches so I am hopeful.....but frustrated....
Now with more fish and slightly higher nitrates (.25) I am keeping my fingers crossed....
A. Grandis
Active member
Are you target feeding them quality coral foods yet?
I'm assuming all the other things are already taken care of.
Grandis.
I'm assuming all the other things are already taken care of.
Grandis.
I have tried the target feeding of rods food but have switched to broadcast feeding with coral smoothie several times a week...I switched because I was seeing no results from the target feeding and it is way more convenient to do broadcast...
Weekly water changes
Low to in detectable phosphates (depends on when I last used the coral food as it makes my phosphates jump up for about 12 hours)
Auto dosing alk and calc
Tested lights with par meter about 7 months ago so I know where I am putting things
The only thing that shows results is the Zeo suppliments....without them I have no growth except for that birdsnest. That thing took off from day 1...
Weekly water changes
Low to in detectable phosphates (depends on when I last used the coral food as it makes my phosphates jump up for about 12 hours)
Auto dosing alk and calc
Tested lights with par meter about 7 months ago so I know where I am putting things
The only thing that shows results is the Zeo suppliments....without them I have no growth except for that birdsnest. That thing took off from day 1...
trinidiver
New member
Dont give up, i was like you at one time. But after awhile it just takes off. I could be wrong but it could also be not sufficient lights..........I'm not that strong a believer right now in LED's ONLY. Never tried it so i cant say. This is just my opinion.
Check my pics of my frogspawn. my first pic was in Aug 2011 with only 3 heads, in June 2012 it was over 15 heads. Ive never target fed them to this day. I feed my fish on a regular basis (10-15 times a day) with spectrum pellets, frozen mysis, freeze dried krill & freeze dried plankton. I skim heavy all the time. When feeding my fish, i always squeeze the food so it creates a juice that my corals enjoy. Other than that, i also use kent marine chromamax & kent marine microvert. All my other corals are doing great in my tank (over 20 types) I do a 50gal water change as a rule every 3wks. I'm not saying that target feeding wont work but it might just grow it faster. On another note, I've actually placed zoas on rocks (10 polyps) and in 3 mths has actually passed over 50 polyps. Then i also have some other polyps that is not too far off with the same lighting that has grown from 3 polyps to 6 in about 6mths. I've bought other zoas that took nearly 3 mths to open up. Some corals are really finiky. My tank is 72" X 30"H X 24"W and i'm running Current USA Pro series hood. 12 T5's X39W (8 X 12,000K and 4 actinics 03-420nm) followed by two 4ft Tru-lumens LED strips.
You got to stick with it pal..................... I never thought my tank will look like that in just over a year. I'e had some rediculous growth with some other corals. Spaghetti leather and a neon green polyp toadstool - 2-3" in aug 2011, 6" in jan 2012 and 10-11" in nov 2012.
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Wile I have contemplates replacing my lights with a halide, I have seen many led lit tanks with good growth. Without turning this into a led vs ...... argument we are even starting to see TOTM's with all led's.
I am told 60 cubes are perfectly light with a 250 MH and I can get a complete used ballast reflector and used bulb set in manhattan for 50 bucks (just need to buy a new bulb) so I may give it a try.... But I don't want to start throwing money at the problem...
I am told 60 cubes are perfectly light with a 250 MH and I can get a complete used ballast reflector and used bulb set in manhattan for 50 bucks (just need to buy a new bulb) so I may give it a try.... But I don't want to start throwing money at the problem...
A. Grandis
Active member
Are the polyps actually grabbing the Rods Food?
I never tried Rods Food yet, so I wouldn't be able to know how good it is.
If they're not grabbing the food it is worthless to do any broadcast feeding, I guess.
There is no comparison between target and broadcast. Target gets the food directly to the polyps while when you broadcast feed lots of the food is wasted to the filters or it feeds the fishes and other inverts. Not to mention the excess nutrients in the water.
Grandis.
