Trouble keeping any corals

M

microwave

New member
Ok, I have posted several questions regarding my tank and have never been able to pinpoint what my issue is.

The symptoms: All my corals show very slow to no growth. This includes softies, lps and sps. My sps are brown, sad and have very little polyp extension. Most just die after a period of a month or so. The ones that do survive, do nothing i.e. little polyp extension,brown color and no growth. Example: Ive had a birds nest in the tank for 7 months that is the exact same size as when I bought it. I have gsp that have been in the tank for 8 months that havent even covered the frag plug they came on.


Tank specs: 10 month old 30 gallon 36x12x18", 10 gallon sump.

Flow:quietone 2100 return, vortech mp10, koralia nano

Filtration: DSB with plenum in display, filter sock 24/7 and SWC 120 cone skimmer.

Lighting:Current USA Nova Extreme Pro 6x39 watt t5 fixture. All upgraded bulbs. Front to back: ATI Blue +,ATI aquablue special,ATI blue +,ATI aquablue special, KZ fiji purple, ATI Blue +. Bulbs are 6 months old.

Maintenance:weekly 5 gallon water changes with reef crystals set to 1.026 with a refractometer. 1/4 cup carbon changed every 2 weeks. 1 half cup GFO changed every month. Topoff with Kalkwasser. Water is made from a BRS ro/di system with the dual inline TDS meter reading 0. Daily 2part dosing of 5ml alk(soda ash), 5ml calcium. 3.4 ounces of magnesium added every 2 water changes.

Livestock: 1 true perc, 1 royal gramma, 1 pyjama cardinal, 2 peppermint shrimp. Assorted trochus, hermits and other small snails

Feeding: Pellets every other day, half cube mysis from time to time. Corals are fed once per week (either coral frenzy or oyster feast).

Parameters: Mag 1350, Alk 9.6, Cal 420, Temp 79-81, pH 7.9-8.1,nitrate 0,phosphate 0

Testing: water tested mid week with salifert and api test kits.


So, why cant I keep sps? I have one, and only one piece that is doing well and that is my millipora. Has god smote me? Is it karma? Should I stop adding bleach to the tank?
 
test your pH and dKH first thing in the morning and right before your lights go off at night. Your alkalinity seems pretty high, I bet you its fluctuating throughout the day.
 
Sitarangi said:
test your pH and dKH first thing in the morning and right before your lights go off at night. Your alkalinity seems pretty high, I bet you its fluctuating throughout the day.
Click to expand...

I typically test it right before lights on. Ill try and test again tonight before lights go out.
 
Ok I tested the water right after lights out and the alkalinity is exactly the same. It doesnt seem to be an alk swing.
 
Can you post a picture of the tank?
I usually maintain my alkalinity at ~ 11-12dKH, and my tank is a mixed tank. There are also authors that recommends not to get SPS until after 1yr, and especially not in the 1st 6months.
 
I keep my alk at 11-12 as well. One thing I may be misreading is your lighting. It sounds like more a lighting issue. Try swapping out one of the Blue+ with another 12kk bulb.
 
The lighting is perfect including the bulbs. This is the exact same combo that almost everyone runs and is highly recommended your should see some of the most amazing sps tanks with the exact same combo! Check the T5 Q&A. I dont think it is lighting. Unless it may be your lighting schedule what does that look like? Your water parameters seem good as well. Your flow and equipment are perfect. I think this may be a water parameter issue though. Either your test kits are faulty or there is something else going on with the water. Please post pictures that would be a great help for people to mabe narrow it down.
IMO There is something with the water and im 99% sure of that. The only other thing would be the lighting as steelhead suggested but not the bulbs or the fixture but perhaps the schedule and times that you are running your lights. But i would bet my life its a water issue.And test the PH as Sitarangi says.
 
Are you able to test magnesium? Perhaps you're adding too much...?

Any stay current running in your tank?

I believe, don't quote me on this, that your alk level is a bit low.
 
The lights are run from 11 am to 7 pm. From 11 to 12 are 1 actinic and 1 daylight. From 12 to 6 are the rest of the lights. From 6 to 7 are 1 actinic and 1 daylight. Ill try and post pictures as soon as I can. I dont have a camera handy.

And test the PH as Sitarangi says.
Click to expand...

I forgot to mention that I run a RKL. The ph probe read 7.89 when I woke up this morning. It typically will go up to 8.1 by the end of the day.

Are you able to test magnesium? Perhaps you're adding too much...?
Click to expand...

I test my magnesium with salifert test. It came out to 1380
 
i have some of the same issues as you my friend....a select few of my corals won't do anything while others thrive,,it has been like this for over a year now. at one point i had my water tested by some professional LFS's and found that my kits wear off,turns out my MAG was way low and my CA&ALK wear slightly off, i have corrected the chemistry and only the corals that wear already thriving have responded. i have been reefing for a long time now and still cant figure it out fully. here is a list of what does well and what does poorly in my tank with the same parameters as yours,,,maybe we can get to the bottom of this together?

thriving: green branching hammer,elkhorn,nems,toadstools

poor: paylays,mushrooms,GSP
 
bring salt down to 1.025, IMO.

other than that, I have no guesses. Sounds like a very well thought out small setup. What corals are you trying to keep?

What's the TDS of your water source?
 
What do you keep your SG at?
Click to expand...
1.026 with refractometer

Is 8 hours of light enough?....
Click to expand...

Good question. Perhaps a longer photoperiod?

Things that do well in my tank...i.e. noticable growth and color:millipora,zoas,poccilipora(jury is out on this as it is new)

Things that dont do jack squat:acropora,montipora digitata, montipora caps,encrusting monti,branching hammer, candycane,toadstool mushroom, any mushroom, gsp,birdsnest

Thats really odd and i wish i can be of more help but can you post pictures it would help.
Click to expand...

I would post pictures but I have no camera. However, I would like to point out that all my softies,leathers, and lps are not drab. They have color, just never get any bigger. i.e. my branching hammer I've had for 8 months, and no split. Same size as when I bought it. My acros just turn brown and then eventually start to bleach from the bottom up (STN).
 
alk seems a bit high and you may be starving things a bit. Believe it or not I would get the nitrates up a bit and see if that helps. Btw euphillia , leathers ,candycanes, and mushrooms like the tank dirtier than sps and leathers release turpinates into the water.If your water is yellowish or even brownish when you do waterchanges then you should get some carbon going to clean it up a bit
 
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