Frustrated--poor color and little coral growth

[Tony44]

I've been in this hobby for a long time and made just about all the mistakes and learned from them, but I have never had the problems I have now and have had since I set up my tank here. Basically poor color virtually no growth on MOST corals some just bleach out over time or partially beach out. Green star polyps grow well, Xmas Favite, and some light green palys and grow well but that is about where it ends. Montis, zoas, acros, red mushroom and tonga blue mushroom, birdsnest, xenias, green leather exist but do not multiply and some have poor coloration. All open up and look to be feeding. I recently bought some zoas from Munch all look great but not a single new polyp. I have had the tank set up for 11 mos. I do water changes twice per month. I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals salt. I test weekly and adjust as necessary. I suspect lighting but it is the same type that I have had in the past that worked well- 4 power compact 55 watt 10k and 12k blue actinic running 12hrs and 1- 250 watt 14k phoenix MH and 1 250 watt 10k MH these run in two cycles, these run in two 3 hr cycles one in the am and another in the pm. I just recently switched to the 14k MH from a 10k and may switch the other 10k to a 14k. I did this after seeing how well Munch's coral were doing with the blue light. I also run 4 small blue LEDs from 8:30PM to midnight. I run a sump in the basement and pump up with Supreme 7 pump. I run a Eshopps skimmer old but it works. I run a carbon reactor and add GFO when phos gets up. I have a dosing pump and dose Alk, CA and Mg. I was adding a lot of CA but have cut back considerably and have raised MG. I use RODI water I go thru a lot of filters and DI resin but that is just the water here--its well water with high iron. What goes in the tank is 0. Parameters are listed below. All ideas appreciated!!

Sal 1.025
Phos .05
Alk 7
CA 550-600
MG 1400
temp 79-80

 

[ThatsDeep!]

I have a question - when you say setting up your tank "here" are you talking Colorado or just a local move.... I keep hearing about adjustments we need to make for altitude.

We are still newbs so I have no words of wisdom but do want to follow this thread and see what info you are given. That has got to be seriously frustrating, and sounds like you have addressed the lighting without any change. I am pulling for you. Jody

 

[Walter White]

Jody
Adjustments for altitude? Perhaps pH could be a little harder to maintain here than at sea level but even if that is true it would be almost negligible. Id be a little weary of who ever is telling you to adjust for altitude. I'm not saying there is nothing there I'm just saying there a whole other slew of things id worry about first.

Tony
have you considered your water source? Are you using an RO/DI? Have you tested your water for chloramine? Are you on well water? With the information you have provided aside from your CA being too high IMO I don't really see why you should be having any issues. I certainly dont think its got anything to do with your light.

 

[jahmic]

Have you tried raising your Alk a little? 7.0 is on the low end of the scale, and if your dosing isn't consistent it may be causing issues. I know when my Alk dips below 7 everything looks a bit less happy in the tank. How is your pH? With the warmer weather and our houses potentially being closed up with the AC on, there's a good chance your pH may be running a bit lower than your tank likes...raising your Alk a bit could help. Not saying that running an Alk of 7 is problematic...but bumping it up a touch gives you more leeway for slight variations in the tank's parameters.


Don't want to derail the thread...but here's a post I made a while back regarding altitude and dissolved oxygen content in our tanks: http://www.marinecolorado.org/forum...water-aquarium-parameters&p=173301#post173301

Not going to claim to have debunked that myth...so take it with a grain of salt, but I think altitude is negligible in caring for our tanks.

 

[Munch]

Agree with the earlier posts, Alk seems lil low, and Calc a bit higher than needed.

 

[Firedawg56]

I am no expert as I have only been doing Corals for a short time; however, the one thing I have found to be a constant is test kits vary in results depending on age, type, and following exact procedures. The best back up is to take a sample to a local Fish store(or friends with good kits) and have them test your water. Make sure your test results are really telling you the truth. What type of GFO are you using? I have been reading some types of GFO can cause what you are describing in your Corals. This could be especially true if you are not running it continually and just when you believe you need it. It can cause a rapid drop in PO4 and that rapid drop could be causing stress to your corals. Just passing on what I was reading... grain of salt and all that

http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=31729

 

[jda123]

What is the nitrate? What test kits are you using for phosphate? Calcium is way too high. Alk is fine at 7.0 if the calcium was around 400-425. I might suggest a 50G water change with just a bag of Instant Ocean for 10-12 bucks - it will help get the alk up and calcium down.

The MH on in the AM, off in the afternoon and on in the PM is probably not great. Just turn the 14K Phoenix on at 3:00 or 4:00 (or whenever you are home) and leave them on for 7-8 hours. You don't need the PCs on at all with the Phoenix, unless you just like them, but just make sure that the bulbs are decently new (like not more than 18 months old). 14K phoenix are a best-of-breed reef light and need no help to grow anything that you want.

 

[Tony44]

Thanks for all the ideas. Here are answers to some of the responses. I do have well water but use RODI I don't add anything for chlorine I make up salt water a couple of weeks in advance of water changes. I should add that my tank is a 60 gal w/about 20 gal sump. I change 5 gals every two weeks. I have ATO that is off the RODI unit. CA is coming down for now I add virtually none and check daily. ALK is still low but I have increased amount of Sodium bicarbonate solution to 60 ml every 6 hrs. I was at 40 ml. My test kits are less than a month old and are Elos except Phosphate which is Hanna. I bought a refractometer for salinity. I too heard that GFO can cause problems so I only add when phos is high. It was .10 last week so I added in 1/2 cup GFO to 1 cup carbon to my reactor and yesterday the phos was .05. I believe that you should keep a little .03-.05 I know some will argue with me on this. I buy most of my filters, carbon, GFO from BRS. Lighting hummmm well I was going to get the other Phoenix 14k MH and I can try that. My bulbs are less than three months. I don't test nitrate I assumed that if phos is low then nitrate will be also but maybe I'm wrong.

 

[SkyShark]

Do you have fluid to calibrate your refractometer? Hopefully it's something simple.