Why is my LPS receding?

[manicmatt]

All my softies are doing great. Zoas, palies, gsp, kenya tree, xenia, candycane and shrooms all doing well. Hammer and frogspawn both receding.

Ammonia .05
nitrate 0
nitrite 0
phosphate 0
calcium 430
mag unsure

running passive carbon
30 g sump/fuge
asm mini g protein skimmer
4t5ho actinic 12 hrs
2 250 15000k 8hrs

 

[rtparty]

Just a quick thought, ammonia. If your tank is fully cycled there shouldn't be any ammonia. That is a couse for concern. Also what is your alkalinity at? I've noticed LPS react hard to alk.

What's your temp and salinity? Any pics?

Find out your magnesium as well. My lps love when I keep my mag up above 1350. Anything below 1200 and they get upset.

 

[RokleM]

Yup, agree with rtparty.

Alk? Mag? Temp? Salinity? Agree on the ammonia being high.

 

[manicmatt]

I am concerned with the ammonia. I jumped the gun a bit with the switch over from my tewnty to my fiftyfive. It cycled with cured live rock and live sand for about three weeks and my levels seemed good so I moved everything over thinking that my obviously cycle liverock from the old tank would be able to handle the bioload of the life it had been supporting. I guess this is what they mean about patience being a virtue.

I don't have a mag test. (Shame on me.) I've just never needed it with my 20l. Everything did well with weekly water changes and the occasional calcium/alk dosing.

Alk maxed out the quick strip (only method I have atm)

salinity is 1.026

Temp 78.6

I'll have to get a Mag test and better Alk test as soon as I can and I'll try to take some pictures later on. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Sar]

I was having the same problem with my Mag, Salinity and Alk. Listen to the advice RokleM and Rtparty says because they help me out a lot. You really need to do a water change to get your ammonia down and check your magnesium. Mag, Alk, Nitrate, Phos can really hurt your pocket and destroy your tank if they are out of wack.

 

[manicmatt]

Thanks. I think I'm going to switch from my eight gallon weekly water change to four gallon every three days for a while. Hopefully that will help with the ammonia issue until the tanks biofiltration gets up to snuff. I won't have the funds for new tests supplements for a few days or so, but until the I have Instant Ocean Reef Accelerator from when I first started I could use as a precautionary as it supposedly replenishes calcium, Magnesium, strontium, iodine and trace elements.

Really, thanks again for the advice everybody. I just don't want my impatience to be the death of several of my favorite corals, not to mention the three head hammer that I'm holding for a friend who had to tear down. I'll keep everyone up to date and try to post some pictures.

 

[ReeferBill]

LPS receding?

LPS receding?

I would keep doing your 3 gallon every other day water changes until your ammonia is un detectable and get a test kit for phosphates... Good Luck!!! P.S. You must get your PH constant and steady....:hmm5:

 

[manicmatt]

Sounds like a plan. My Phosphates test at zero. I actually thought that was going to be the issue so I tested and thats a big fat zero. I'm fairly sure that my ph is steady. I only have a quick strip but seems to stay at the same color between 7.8 and 8.2. I'm thinking 8-8.1. Thanks for the help.

 

[rtparty]

I wouldn't worry about a phosphate test kit. The powder kits are usually inaccurate and if you have algae in the tank, your readings are skewed. The algae is eating the phosphates so your test kit won't show them.

The only real way to test Phosphate is with the Hanna phosphate meters.

 

[manicmatt]

It's a liquid test kit that shows zero. True or not, I have bigger problems with the ammonia it would seem. I thought it killed my fire fish, but apparently he jumped (found the body this morning.)

 

[manicmatt]

Been doing three gallon water changes every other day. Sorry I forgot to post pictures. But Everything is doing much better with the exclusion of one frog spawn which I just moved in hopes of better results.