180 Gallon Reef corals not growing. Help please.

[Sharp]

thats so helpful everyone. I gotta quickly ask, are you broad cast feeding your reef roids or with a syringe / turkeybaster. I usually use the syringe but I am hearing it might be easier to broadcast feed. I think I might start with more feedings as thats easy to do . I can look into raising my kh, to 8 or 9 if that will help bring ph up, ill do that by increasing my dose over the course of a couple weeks, and maybe doing a water change with artificial saltwater which has a higher alk than the NSW i usually use. I will also purchase a proper ph test kit now. Ill let you guys know what happens in the following days and weeks. I really really am grateful for all your time today guys thanks!

 

[Glenner’sreef]

thats so helpful everyone. I gotta quickly ask, are you broad cast feeding your reef roids or with a syringe / turkeybaster. I usually use the syringe but I am hearing it might be easier to broadcast feed. I think I might start with more feedings as thats easy to do . I can look into raising my kh, to 8 or 9 if that will help bring ph up, ill do that by increasing my dose over the course of a couple weeks, and maybe doing a water change with artificial saltwater which has a higher alk than the NSW i usually use. I will also purchase a proper ph test kit now. Ill let you guys know what happens in the following days and weeks. I really really am grateful for all your time today guys thanks!

Broadcast feed. 3-4 pinches in high flow area. Very scientific lol. Once a week.

 

[Sharp]

Hi guys. So i increased my Nero 5's to see what would happen and my two heliofungia coral which are sheltered by rockwork nearly flipped over. it was an increase from around 800 - 1000 gph per pump to 1200 per pump. Is this something the corals will get used to over time. So if I go say 20 gallon per hour per pump increase a day eventually they will be able to get used to much higher flow? Or is it that they simply cannot handle the flow.

Thought I would add, I have lowered them again to let the coral recover.

 

[Sharp]

Hi guys. Sorry to bother u again. My helio fungia corals are still looking like their about to be blown over, even tho I have returned to my old flow which is less than recommended for mixed reefs, only difference is the wavemakers are near the surface now,previously they were much closer to the coral, the heliofungias are on the sandbed. Will a coral adapt to a new more powerful flow over time? or since they are still looking sick is it time to try and intervene myself?

 

[Hairyteeth]

Just commenting on the rest of the thread, first I don’t know everything and am not an expert but…. Your tank looks great and you want more I get it… if I read something I’d change it’s the 50% water changes, but regardless of what “it” actually is I’d change one thing at a time. if you do, you know the results of said change may not be noticeable for weeks or months….
I do work on technical automation equipment though for work and I do know when doing so if you try a bunch of things at once, at worst you mess things up and don’t know where to go, and at best you fix it but don’t know how to replicate the results next time you do…. Reefing seems the same

 

[Sharp]

Just commenting on the rest of the thread, first I don’t know everything and am not an expert but…. Your tank looks great and you want more I get it… if I read something I’d change it’s the 50% water changes, but regardless of what “it” actually is I’d change one thing at a time. if you do, you know the results of said change may not be noticeable for weeks or months….
I do work on technical automation equipment though for work and I do know when doing so if you try a bunch of things at once, at worst you mess things up and don’t know where to go, and at best you fix it but don’t know how to replicate the results next time you do…. Reefing seems the same

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. Appreciate you taking the time to read through it all. I will keep that it mind and make small changes slowly, and I probably should record the date of the change and noticeable differences during the following weeks. Thank you!

 

[Sharp]

Hi everyone. Thought I would post a quick update 1 week later. I increased my alkalinity and calcium dose from 10ml to 13ml and have had a slow increase in alkalinity from 7 to 7.8. Since then my Duncanops coral has actually started growing even faster which is amazing in such a short amount of time. I readjusted my wavemakers to being higher up in the aquarium and increased the flow from 1500 gph, which is what it actually was after looking back, I had some of my conversions from L per hour to gph wrong! to 2000 gph across 4 pumps, for a total of 8000gph turnover. I did have to change the setting of the pumps from randomly increasing and decreasing in intensity to a pulse. They are currently on for 10 seconds off for 6 seconds, at varying intervals across the 4 pumps. One downside since I have started adjusting different factors is I have had some Cyano bacteria and red bubble algae growing on my coral and the rockwork, only in small amounts, my nutrient levels have not changed. P04 is at 0.04 and Nitrates: 4. Whats weird is they are growing right in the sight of the powerheads? I am going to watch and see what happens, I might look into borrowing a UV sterilizer from a friend. I have had a little emergency caused by my LFS, I ordered some fish that were meant to arrive in around 6 weeks, staggered by 3 weeks each, they all arrived at once today. 6 fish, some requiring more care than I can provide at such a short notice. I have had to setup 2 QT very quickly and start some Live Brineshrimp and Blackworm cultures! Thanks for everyones help, I will keep you posted.

 

[Hairyteeth]

Sounds all good, on the up and up!

 

[Sharp]

Hi everyone. Quick update. Tank has taken a significant turn for the worse over the last few months. I have a rough idea as to why but would really appreciate some advice. In Sydney it is summer time at the moment and although the temperature outside has not been too hot - averaging 26 degrees (78) and a high of about 32. My tank is consistently at 32 degrees. Which is alot warmer than the 24-25 degrees it is normally at. I also had some more problems with my protein skimmer not working and at the same time I had a bad batch of NSW which was very high in phosphates. I have had alot of die off including a hammer colony, all my sps and multiple heads of other hammers and very very reduced polyp extension (I am not sure if that is the correct term) from my other coral, especially my gonipora and heliofungia.

I think I messed the tank up by being forced to do larger more frequent water changes because of the broken skimmer with cool and "off" water, the water being brought in is 22-24 degrees C.

I have ordered a chiller but because of Christmas and New Years there were delays - I am expecting it to arrive in the next few days.

What should I do to try and get my tank back on track? I feel like instead of taking a step foward with the coral I have done the opposite...

I borrowed a par meter for the day and took some measurements. These are my levels. Does anyone have any thoughts about these readings?

Also I had to ask my LFS to sell on the fish order (regal angel, tamarin wrasse and orange spotted filefish) because I couldnt setup and maintain the extra care to get all these fish eating, which looking back is probably a good thing seeing as how "sick" the tank is and they would probably nibble the coral, worsening the situation.

 

[Sharp]

Considering I had to return the fish order, it has been over a year since I have introduced anything new fish. I am kinda wanting to introduce some new fish. I think I would wait until the tank is a little more stable, but it is always fun to make a list right? Here are the fish I am interested in, I am trying to have small, easy to care for and sort of reclusive fish. I am under the impression that they will make less of an impact on the tank than a larger fish such as a tang, is this correct? I think my tank is pretty full of large active fish.

Solomon Red Head Fairy Wrasse, Exquisite Fairy Wrasse, Linetus Fairy Wrasse, Labouts Fairy Wrasse

Engineer Goby, Yellow Watchman Goby

Chalk Bass

Helfrichi Dartfish, Zebra Dartfish

Flame Hawkfish, Longnose Hawkfish

Pearl Jawfish