Coral Health Question

[DoomervilleG]

Hello!

I have a quick question. We have a new 32g Biocube that is around 6 months old, in this tank we have 2 clowns, a goby, 2 shrimp(Pistol, cleaner), around 12 total snails (Astrea, cerith, nassarius, nerite and Margarita), and 3 blue legged hermits and a single tiger conch. There are also 2 zoa frags, a purple frilly gorgonian, a duncan, ricordea(Non yuma), and some GSP. I keep a database of our tank parameters to log trends in stability, as I'm still very much learning the saltwater hobby.

My question here is, the GSP has closed up with a single tiny polyp that comes out, the frag is clean, but it has been closed up for about 2 weeks now, the duncan hasn't opened yet - but its new, about a week in our tank so far, the zoas, Gorg, ricordea are both doing great. The Zoas have been growing non-stop since they were put in the tank, the gorg has grown about 1/8th of an inch or so. Rico has been doing Rico things..not really growing, but has been opened, no curling. I've been battling down nitrates and phosphate since the tank was started. However the tank has otherwise been stable.

Alk: 10
Cal : 440
Nitrate: 10ppm (Still battling it)
Phos: 0.5
Ph: 8
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
Temp: 80F (When we started the tank in February, it held stable at 78, summers here are brutal though)
I don't have a magnesium test just yet, but it has been ordered as of Monday as I wanted to begin testing for it.

The tank currently has a cyano problem, as well, which I suspect will go away when the nitrates drop some more (Am I correct in thinking this?)

The tank was started with Dry Rock, and cycled with Tim's and a shrimp.

Edit: Lighting in the biocube is Steve's LEDs with the HurricaneX controller, lighting is currently 20% whites/40% blues, I've kind of just been messing with the lights over the last couple months trying to find one that will make all of the corals happy, its working, ish hah!

I have the intank media basket with poly that gets changed out every 3 days and chemipure blue that will be changed out at the end of the month, for fear of stripping the tank,to help drop the nitrate/phosphates down.

My concern here is that the GSP recently closed up, and our duncan hasn't opened yet. I understand its a young tank, and we're still going through the maturity stages, I'm just wondering if there isn't anything I'm forgetting, or something I can do to help. I feed every other day, and only enough for the animals to eat in about 5 minutes. I spot feed the goby and his pistol friend to make sure they are getting something to eat.

 

[lapin]

I would try to reduce the Phos to 0.2 or less. This might or might not help.

 

[DoomervilleG]

I did a fresh set of water tests today, as I pulled the Chemipure Blue out 24 hours ago. I'm really trying to get a hold of this chemistry, but my coral is indicating that I'm just doing something wrong, or I'm not catching something. Coming from freshwater tanks, this is a whole new ball game, and very little of the knowledge I had carried over, hah. The animals (Non-coral) are all doing very well though.

Cal: 440
dkh: 11 (It went up from the previous test on Friday which was 10)
KH: 196 (For those who like ppm)
Nitrate: 10
Nitrite: 0
Amm: 0
phos: .25
PH: 8.0

The duncan hasn't opened yet, though it appears to at least attempt too. The zoas are cupping, maybe too much light? The gorg is doing great as far as I can tell, though it started shedding slightly, its still extending its polyps.

 

[DoomervilleG]

Quick bump, as I'm still unsure

 

[MaxTremors]

Your nitrates are really about ideal for a softie/lps tank. Are you dosing anything (dkh is a little high)? I would also try to get your phosphates down a little. The only other thing I can suggest it to maybe lower the lights a little, Duncan’s don’t like high lighting, GSP can handle most lighting but prefers medium lighting. Steve’s LEDs are pretty overpowered, so I would try lower it to maybe 15/30 or even 10/20 (if you’re liking that ratio of white/blue), you can then slowly increase the lighting over a few weeks.

 

[DoomervilleG]

I haven't dosed anything at all, I'm not entirely sure where I would begin if I had to either. Dkh has been stable at 10 until the most recent test that I posted above, I forgot the mention the powerheads I'm using, there are two in the tank, one on the back wall pointed toward the glass in the front a 660gph eflux at 60% and another 660gph at 50% pointed at a slight angle down at the back wall, trying to keep the detrius off the sandbed in the back corner where the cyano(?) Is growing. It is water change day, so maybe that will help bring the dkh down a bit?