Tank too Sterile?

[Toadally]

My tank is full of SPS corals and has been up since March of this year. I have had very little in the way of growth but everything seems to be living. I have always been pro active in maintenance doing partial water changes of 1% per day and using a good skimmer. I have recently started using bio pellets as another way to export nutients. The coral color is really good, but a little on the light side.

My parameters are:

Salinity: 1.026ppm
Calcium: 460
Akalinity: 7 - 8dkh
Magnisium: 1410
Temp: 79F
PO4: undetectible /w Hannah Meter
NO3: undetectible /w Salifert
PH: 7.8 - 8.0 now, but before the bio pellets it was running 8.1 - 8.2

I tend to think that I still have nutrients because I still have some algae growing on the rocks and on the overflow, but I guess the corals are telling me different? My alk and cal addtition is only (2) teaspoons per (5) gallons of topoff water. So the uptake by the system is not there.

Any thoughts? I'm really confused and don't know which way to turn. Thanks for any and all advice.

 

[plyle02]

Perhaps you are ionically out of balance, 460 seems relatively high for calcium, I would shoot for 400-420 running ULNS and Mag also seems a tad high at 1410ppm, I would maintain around 1250-1350 consistently. Although I previously ran zeovit and also now run biopellets, I still try and stay relative to zeovit requirements as far as parameters go, especially as I still continue to use several of their supps. How is your PE? Also, how many fish and how often do you feed? The idea behind running ULNS is that these systems allow you to feed multiple times per day w/o excess nutrients. The pellets should release c-source allowing your skimmer to increase production and efficiency. I also test 0.00 on Hanna for PO4 and 0 on NO3 using Lamotte, however my corals are showing daily signs of encrusting growth and the tips are indicating growth as well. With that said, I have 10 medium size fish in a 70 gallon tank feeding 2-3 times per day. I also use a pinch of coral vibrance in the AM, and 3 drops of Zeovit Coral Vitalizer at night for supplemental foods. It has been well documented that corals require foods for total health. I think your title may say it all, however w/o a bit more info, too hard to tell...
GL

 

[Toadally]

I have 7 fish total with one being a small to medium tang. I also have a large brittle star. I feed 2 - 3 times a day, but moslty flake. I also feed Oyster Feast and Phyto Feast 2 - 3times a week.

 

[plyle02]

hmmmmm....
do you have a pic? That is a good fish supply and good feeding, no lack of foods going in the system If your color is good, your PE is good, then I am not sure what might be inhibiting growth. Are your corals mounted to liverock where they have the chance to encrust? Also, how is the flow in their? I have noticed that some corals of mine in the past don't really take off until they have a foothold on the location mounted and a chance to encrust, just brainstorming

 

[Toadally]

PE is ok on some but not all. Yes they are mounted to live rock. I'm really at a loss. Before this tank I had a 25 gallon that most of this coral came out of. I could hardly keep up with the calcium and alkalinity. I installed dosing pumps to keep up with the demand and was dosing over 40ml. per day. I had great color and excellent growth. Of course I had a 250watt Radium over that tank. I don't think it's the lighting, but I have stepped up the time on the halides. I'm going to shoot for 11 hours a day and I'm at 8 hours right now. Flow is good.....using 2 mp10's

I don't have a recent pic but I can get one.....Thanks!

 

[Allmost]

I think I know what you mean, and I used Zeovits Xtra, the faded color of corals went away and growth took off.

I believe Xtra contains Ammino acids as well as some other stuff which they dont tell us.

if I were you, Id decrease the water changes just to observe, I believe you are doing 1% daily ? Id cut that back to like 1% overy 2 days fro a couple weeks and observe, since u have the bio pellets, ure no3 wont be going up tht fast, and perhaps the little increase would make food more available for corals, caue there is food in ure tank, hence the algea, u just wnat corals to take that up instead of algea.

(personal understanding of ULNS systems just what worked for me)

 

[Toadally]

I use Zeovit Xtra and AA's. I had cut back on water changes to 3 days a week, but also noticed algae growing better. Maybe I'll try it again while using the BP's.

 

[rireuter]

do you run gfo? i read somewhere that flake foods were pretty high in po4, just curious b/c you have algae growth but test 0 po4, which leads me to believe the algae is consuming your po4 and thats why you are testing 0. just an idea, maybe try some gfo if you aren't using any and see what happens, if the algae starts to die off obviously you have a po4 issue.

 

[mutateddogbone]

you will be counter productive ramping your lights up. you should actually decrease to a 4-6 hour photo period and run actinics for 8-12.

there is a big thread on here about growth and color from shortened photo periods.

 

[Toadally]

do you run gfo? i read somewhere that flake foods were pretty high in po4, just curious b/c you have algae growth but test 0 po4, which leads me to believe the algae is consuming your po4 and thats why you are testing 0. just an idea, maybe try some gfo if you aren't using any and see what happens, if the algae starts to die off obviously you have a po4 issue.

I ran GFO when I first set the tank up but haven't for a while. I also beleive that the nutrients are being taken up by what algae I do have. I'm hoping that the pellets will out compete the algae eventually. Thanks for your input.

 

[Toadally]

you will be counter productive ramping your lights up. you should actually decrease to a 4-6 hour photo period and run actinics for 8-12.

there is a big thread on here about growth and color from shortened photo periods.

Yeah I've read that thread also. I did run the lights for shorter periods without any productive results. I still had the algae and in some respects it got worse. I don't know what you mean by counter productive unless you mean that a longer photo period will increase algae growth. Right now I'm just trying different things that may work. Thanks for your input.

 

[JSeymour]

I think it may be your lighting. Couple questions. How deep is your tank? How high are your lights hanging? What types of corals are we talking about(Stylos, Acros, Montis, etc)?

 

[Toadally]

Tank is 36x21x18 mostly SPS acros, montis and stylos...lights are 5 - 6 inches above...light info is in my tagline...Thanks!

 

[JSeymour]

I have the same fixture in the 48" dual 130w PC version. I just recieved it's replacement, a dual 250w(liked the one I put on my 45, so I got one for my 80.) My 45, which is only recently setup, is 36"x15"x20". As I've moved corals in, I've been able to range my tank via observation, and the top 6-8" is very high light(only acros, so far), the next 8" is high light(acros, high light montis and Pocilo types, etc.), and the last 4-6" would be moderate(regular montis and Pocilo types). I placed a yellow green pocilo(moderate light coral) in one of the corners, and it browned, so low light just in the lower corners. I think this is going to work perfectly for me, and is kind of what your looking for I think.

Here is a quick paint observationally based light penetration diagram of my dual 250 on the 45. Sorry, no Par meter.

Just my opinion.

 

[Toadally]

I have the same fixture in the 48" dual 130w PC version. I just recieved it's replacement, a dual 250w(liked the one I put on my 45, so I got one for my 80.) My 45, which is only recently setup, is 36"x15"x20". As I've moved corals in, I've been able to range my tank via observation, and the top 6-8" is very high light(only acros, so far), the next 8" is high light(acros, high light montis and Pocilo types, etc.), and the last 4-6" would be moderate(regular montis and Pocilo types). I placed a yellow green pocilo(moderate light coral) in one of the corners, and it browned, so low light just in the lower corners. I think this is going to work perfectly for me, and is kind of what your looking for I think.

Here is a quick paint observationally based light penetration diagram of my dual 250 on the 45. Sorry, no Par meter.

Just my opinion.

So you're thinking I need to step up to either 250's or 400's? I've wondered if this might be the issue. But I've seen a few tanks with the same lighting as I and about the same dimensions full of great looking SPS coral.

This tank is running 150's and T5's Take note of the photo period. ??

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/past-issues/2009/october-2009/article/42-tank-of-the-month

 

[JSeymour]

You'll notice all the acros have to be at the very top third, with only the very top showing full color. Then the tank is also on a zeo regime. Several of these will enhance color pretty well on their own(pohls extra, b-balance, etc.). You'll also notice that some of the acros(even montis) are a little brown. Not saying it's not a beautiful tank, I just think the colors could be even better. I would upgrade.

 

[Toadally]

ok, do you think I should go with 250's or 400's? Also, what do you think of the ATI Power Module?

Thanks Jason... I really appreciate your input.

 

[Coral Addict]

400w 20k radium bulbs are the best imo

 

[Toadally]

400w 20k radium bulbs are the best imo

What size tank do you have? Mine is a 57 gallon....don't you think 800 watts might be overkill?

 

[mike810]

i'm having the same problem as you right now. My tank size is similar to yours. 36x24x18. with 8x39 ati pm. I have raised my lights, cut my phtoperiod and feeding more heavily. Hoping to see results in the next few weeks. GL with your tank. My thread is also in this forum if you want to take a look at it