About to Quit

[Apollo7235]

The whole ‘NPS don’t like light’ thing is over exaggerated in my opinion. I have read quite a few articles stating exactly that, pointing out that the reason why most are nocturnal is because it is easier to snag prey when they can’t see the tentacles looking to grab them. Also, all four of my NPS have done wonderful under 10 hour photoperiods using the same light that I’ve had my other corals under.

Anyway, I am grabbing 2 or 3 more fish not this weekend, but next weekend once my order comes in to the LFS. They have to go through quarantine so it’s going to be a while before they reach my tank, but hopefully the live rock I added and the copepods I’ve been adding every week will help my display mature in the mean time.

Anything else I can do to help it along until the fish come out of quarantine?

 

[Brady4000]

Anything else I can do to help it along until the fish come out of quarantine?

Rent a Par meter, and figure out what both tanks are pushing out. Every tank is different, no matter what the stats say on the light. Getting a par meter measurement will help you know exactly, where to place coral in the future.

 

[zalick]

The whole ‘NPS don’t like light’ thing is over exaggerated in my opinion. I have read quite a few articles stating exactly that, pointing out that the reason why most are nocturnal is because it is easier to snag prey when they can’t see the tentacles looking to grab them. Also, all four of my NPS have done wonderful under 10 hour photoperiods using the same light that I’ve had my other corals under.

Anyway, I am grabbing 2 or 3 more fish not this weekend, but next weekend once my order comes in to the LFS. They have to go through quarantine so it’s going to be a while before they reach my tank, but hopefully the live rock I added and the copepods I’ve been adding every week will help my display mature in the mean time.

Anything else I can do to help it along until the fish come out of quarantine?

You may think it’s exaggerated but LEDs can absolutely irritate/damage/destroy coral. Asking anyone who’s used LEDs for 10+ years and they will tell you the same. I’ve been using LEDs since before there were commercial units and it was all DIY. You had to buy the individual diodes and solder them on an aluminum heat sink. I’ve fried plenty of coral with them.

how many fish are in your QT and in your DT? I believe you have fish in your DT and none in your QT? If that’s the case, and the corals are doing well in QT, how will adding more fish to the DT make it more like the QT where they are doing well?

 

[Tamberav]

They need no light and don’t like light. In the wild sun corals are closed during the day and open at night. Thus they are doing better in OPs QT tank with < 50 par

I have mine on a frag rack maybe 3 inches below the water. Sun corals being harder to train and and dendros not caring.

They reduced their light to 15 percent and put them on the sand. That should be low enough.

The light shouldn’t keep them from opening passed initial stress if they accustomed to the smell of food and used to opening during the day in the frag tank.

 

[zalick]

I have mine on a frag rack maybe 3 inches below the water. Sun corals being harder to train and and dendros not caring.

They reduced their light to 15 percent and put them on the sand. That should be low enough.

The light shouldn’t keep them from opening passed initial stress if they accustomed to the smell of food and used to opening during the day in the frag tank.

Agreed. Except the only stated difference by OP is the light...and fish in DT. same water, same rocks.

 

[Brady4000]

Agreed. Except the only stated difference by OP is the light...and fish in DT. same water, same rocks.

+1
And the QT tank is 1/2 the age 1.5 months of the DT 3 months. Which is backwards... on the fact it should be The opposite way around with how the coral is acting.

 

[aSaltyKlown]

I recently rented a PAR meter from my local club. At 50% on the BRS AB+ Custom Settings in my Evo at the sandbed, I'm getting 60 at the corners and about 112 on the center edges and about 75 right under the light. I do have the diffuser so my numbers are slightly lower than without one.

The Evo is only 12" deep. You may not be getting enough light. I know the PAR will be elevated where the light overlaps, but it may still not be enough for your tank depth at the schedule you posted.

BRS @ 50%
UV - V - RB - B - G - R - CW
83 - 83 - 62 - 62 - 4 - 4 - 30

Hope this can help in some way.

 

[Rmckoy]

Agreed. Except the only stated difference by OP is the light...and fish in DT. same water, same rocks.

They might start off with the same salt Mix but ...
different nutrient levels as they are stocked with different livestock ,
And different lights ( what’s the possibility one light promotes algae growth of photosynthesis ?

 

[Rmckoy]

They might start off with the same salt Mix but ...
different nutrient levels as they are stocked with different livestock ,
And different lights ( what’s the possibility one light promotes algae growth of photosynthesis ?

If they’re not linked or part of the same system , there would be too many variables besides salt mix

 

[vetteguy53081]

I use Hanna Checkers and Salifert for my Ammonia. My Sun Corals have been doing amazing, grown new heads and all. Never had an issue with them until I moved them.

Sun corals do best in shaded areas w/ low light and moderate water flow. The others may be irritated by sand as theyre in the sand.

 

[zalick]

They might start off with the same salt Mix but ...
different nutrient levels as they are stocked with different livestock ,
And different lights ( what’s the possibility one light promotes algae growth of photosynthesis ?

She said she used the DT water to fill the QT tank and took rocks from the DT.

coral are finicky with light. I have a gsp island that was struggling under my Mitras LX7 and getting 250 par. I moved it under my 400w halide and 900 par and the gsp exploded with growth ... and it’s considered a “low light” coral.

based upon the OPs statements, the light is the biggest variable and would be where I would look first. She could even test this theory by moving the coralife and corals to the DT.

 

[vetteguy53081]

My parameters as of Thursday were:

Ammonia: 0 - Salifert
pH: 7.95 - Hanna
Alkalinity: 7.4 - Hanna
Phosphate: 0.07 - Hanna
Nitrate: 6.80 - Hanna

Since then, I have done an 80% water change and then another 30% yesterday. I will have to post parameters as soon as I can take them later today when my husband is home to watch our 6-month old.

My lighting schedule is currently on acclimation:

Ph a little low
alk Low

Moderate light and water flow
Temp 77-79
ph 8.1-8.3
salinity 1.025
nitrate < .5
phos < .04
Ammonia < .03
mG 1300
Alk 8-10
CA 440

 

[jjbunn]

Perhaps you should swap the lights from your QT onto the DT, and vice versa ?!

That sun coral is very nice.

 

[Deep]

If they’re not linked or part of the same system , there would be too many variables besides salt mix

+1 to this

These are 2 different systems, the more you keep trying to compare these 2 systems the less likely you are to find the actual issue in the DT.
Also the 80% water changes are definitely not helping. Will only serve to further shock the inhabitants.

 

[Apollo7235]

I will call around and see if I can find a par meter that I can rent as I really think hubby might lose his cool if I spend $600 buying one..... Haha

I guess in the mean time all I can really do is add fish and wait, right? I just wish there was a way to find a definitive answer because I'm honesty super stumped.

I will run the full spectrum of water tests this weekend on both tanks for comparison. It looks like my poor little tubastrea is actually coming back to me, so I'll post some comparison photos of the corals today versus Monday before I moved them back to the QT.

Other than that, I'm kind of at a loss as to what to do to try to solve the puzzle. Any suggestions are very much appreciated.

 

[Apollo7235]

Sorry for your difficulties. I've been doing this for ten years and I still threaten to quit at least twice a year. I agree that a full parameter description is needed for us to help more. I just noticed your great build thread and haven't had time to read through it, but I'll do so this evening. After all the effort and thought you've put into this project, you're not going to quit! We'll help you figure it out!

I'm sorry, I missed this post amongst all the others. I sincerely appreciate the kind words and encouragement. Thank you very much!

 

[Apollo7235]

That sun coral is very nice.

Thank you! I've worked hard to keep it!

 

[Apollo7235]

Update:

Corals all look much, much better. This is a photo I snapped shortly after feeding time this morning. I moved the plate coral to the bottom of the tank; it was secreting some mucous, so I'm not sure if it was getting a bit too much light on the bottom level of the new frag rack. Don't mind the closed up sea whip; I bumped it when I moved the plate coral, but it's opened up again since.

I know it's hard to see, but there is now a sprinkling of very dark algae and what looks to be GHA on the rocks. Amazing how quickly it appeared considering I just added the live rock on Saturday. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of my problems with this tank.

 

[Alvaro_Spain]

Now that we see some algae it´s time the clean up crew do their thing.

Haven´t seen the clean up crew yet though. If you don´t have it it´s time you get some snails, hermits or both.

Tank is going in the right direction.

 

[Apollo7235]

Now that we see some algae it´s time the clean up crew do their thing.

Haven´t seen the clean up crew yet though. If you don´t have it it´s time you get some snails, hermits or both.

Tank is going in the right direction.

I have a few nassarius snails and 4 spiny astraeas in there. I don't want any hermits in my display because I am a big LPS/NPS lover and I certainly don't have enough yuck in there to sate their appetites. It would be a quick trip to the lake out back if they suddenly developed a taste for coral