zoos not opening??

[reefer Rob]

Many of my zoas and my clove polyps are not opening for the last week or so. The rest of my livestock seem to be doing just fine. I check my parameters weekly andd they are always in order except my nitrtates

PH 8.2
SG 1.024
Temp 81
Amonia 0
nitrites 0
nitrates between 40 and 80 (High I know but I have yet to figure out why, I don't have a TDS meter so I ordered a new set of filters for my Max Hi-S 35 RO/DI. I've removed all sponges, and filter pads, cut back on feeding to the point I fear starvation. Clean skimmer weekly - runs 24/7. I have Cheato in sump, about 200lbs of LR w/lots of corraline. I do weekly 20% water changes
Ca 410
dkh 10.6
Mg 1350

I run 4 - 96w dual actincs 12 hours/day, and 3 - 150w 10k MH about 5 hrs/day

what is causing so many of my polyps to not open? Any ideas?

And I thought zoo were for kids!? Very forgiving of water quality? A beginner coral?


Thanks


Rob

 

[twon8]

what type of skimmer?
what type and amount of flow do you have in the tank?


weekly 20% changes will lead to some large water parameter shifts

you need to find the source of your nitrates, that is too high for corals from what i hear.

 

[reefer Rob]

ASM G-3 skimmer, and I have an Eheim 1262 (900gph probably more like 700 with headloss) and 2 Seio 820 gph, and a maxi 1200 for flow. As far as he nitrates I have searched high and low for a source of the trates and the only thing I can come up with is the LR, or the bio load of fish or the RO/DI filters are wasted. Maybe I need to thin out the fish stock, I have 2 tangs (med size) a pair of clowns (still small) a pair of yellowtail damsels ( about 1/2") a scooter blenny, mandarin, hawkfish, and a pygmy angel.

 

[msman825]

do you have crushed coral, are sandbed are bare bottom??

 

[reefer Rob]

I havea sandbed bottom, but hey chevck this out, I was just looking at this thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=691978 and I think that may be my problem, many colonies have these same white spots, AAAHHHHHH!!!! CRAP!

 

[msman825]

might try iodine and dip method I dont think thats from trates

 

[reefer Rob]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8166068#post8166068 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by msman825
might try iodine and dip method I dont think thats from trates

Yeah me either, unfortunately I have none on hand and nothing is open, My trates have always been high and they and all my corals have always not even noticed it, then a week or 2 ago I just strted noticing my zoo colonies one by one not doing so well until now some don't open at all. Any home remedies?

 

[reefer Rob]

oh here it is right in front of me http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=451720

 

[coralfarm123]

I would suggest that you test your Phosphates and Silicates before dipping them and possibly stressing them further. If your RO/DI filters have passed their usable life it could be causing the problems you are experiencing. The reason I say this is because you said your cloves are looking bad as well. Sounds like a water quality issue. If it will be a little while before you receive your filters, and if the tests show high readings, you can buy some distilled water at wal-mart for about 60 cents a gallon. It generally has less than 5 ppm TDS. Hope you figure it out. Good luck.

 

[reefer Rob]

Yeah that was my thinking too but I was unsure if the filters being shot would cause them to not open, and I have yet to get a test kit for phosphates/silicates. Maybe I'll wait til I get the filters, they shipped today so they should be here in a couple days.

That would also go in line with the carpet of green algae I have covering the sandbed



Thanks Coralfarm123