Coral Health

[Drew1600]

Hi all,

Would anyone be able to tell me what is wrong with these corals? I am relatively new to this but can't figure out the problem.

Parameters:
Temp: 77
pH: 8.1-8.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: <.25
Nitrates: 10
Salinity: 35 PPT
Calcium: 440-460
Lighting: NICREW Marine Plus (10hrs sunlight, 4-5hrs moonlight)

I dose Iodide, Essential Elements, Coral-Vite, and Purple Tech weekly; PhytoPlex, Epsom Salt, and MicroVert 3x per week; Calcium daily.

The reef is only about a month old might I add, corals have been in and like this for about 5 days now. Stock includes 3 Astrea, 3 Scarlett Hermits, 1 Emerald Crab. I run a circulation pump and air stone during the day (air stone in attempt to combat pH droppage). I am also running PhosGaurd, Purigen, and Denitrate in my HOB (AquaClear 20). Already lost 1 softie. Thank you so much for all the time and help!

 

[Drew1600]

Hi all,

Would anyone be able to tell me what is wrong with these corals? I am relatively new to this but can't figure out the problem.

Parameters:
Temp: 77
pH: 8.1-8.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: <.25
Nitrates: 10
Salinity: 35 PPT
Calcium: 440-460
Lighting: NICREW Marine Plus (10hrs sunlight, 4-5hrs moonlight)

I dose Iodide, Essential Elements, Coral-Vite, and Purple Tech weekly; PhytoPlex, Epsom Salt, and MicroVert 3x per week; Calcium daily.

The reef is only about a month old might I add, corals have been in and like this for about 5 days now. Stock includes 3 Astrea, 3 Scarlett Hermits, 1 Emerald Crab. I run a circulation pump and air stone during the day (air stone in attempt to combat pH droppage). I am also running PhosGaurd, Purigen, and Denitrate in my HOB (AquaClear 20). Already lost 1 softie. Thank you so much for all the time and help!

Forgot to add, have been having minor KH fluctuation in attempt to keep pH low. Sits normally around 10, spiked to 12-13 range today. I was dosing Seachem's Alkaline Buffer but have switched to dosing baking soda instead (lower pH without raising KH?)

 

[WV Reefer]

Hi all,

Would anyone be able to tell me what is wrong with these corals? I am relatively new to this but can't figure out the problem.

Parameters:
Temp: 77
pH: 8.1-8.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: <.25
Nitrates: 10
Salinity: 35 PPT
Calcium: 440-460
Lighting: NICREW Marine Plus (10hrs sunlight, 4-5hrs moonlight)

I dose Iodide, Essential Elements, Coral-Vite, and Purple Tech weekly; PhytoPlex, Epsom Salt, and MicroVert 3x per week; Calcium daily.

The reef is only about a month old might I add, corals have been in and like this for about 5 days now. Stock includes 3 Astrea, 3 Scarlett Hermits, 1 Emerald Crab. I run a circulation pump and air stone during the day (air stone in attempt to combat pH droppage). I am also running PhosGaurd, Purigen, and Denitrate in my HOB (AquaClear 20). Already lost 1 softie. Thank you so much for all the time and help!

can we get a full tank pic to see what else is in there?
Why are you dosing so much stuff in a new tank?

 

[BlennyTime]

That is a lot of things to dose for your tank being so new. I would cut back on that for a while, and do a large water change.

It’s also a little concerning that your rocks are so white, in a new tank, what did your cycling process look like?

 

[MichaelReefer]

 

[firmefatboy799]

im going to go with your tank mite be wayyyyy to new to run corals,

 

[Cell]

Let your tank mature a bit while you practice keeping all your levels stable and perhaps reevaluating the additives you are using based on their actual necessity in your system. In a new tank with few corals, you should not need to dose much of anything.

 

[Drew1600]

can we get a full tank pic to see what else is in their?
Why are you dosing so much stuff in a new tank?

Definitely, thank you for the quick reply! I am dosing in attempt to jump start the ecosystem, bacterias, algaes, etc.
10g btw. This is sunlight @ 60%. Circulation pump top right corner.

 

[Drew1600]

Let your tank mature a bit while you practice keeping all your levels stable and perhaps reevaluating the additives you are using based on their actual necessity in your system. In a new tank with few corals, you should not need to dose much of anything.

Awesome, thank you so much. I will look in to dialing down, I was dosing high in an effort to more quickly establish the tank.
Any tips on maintaining pH and thus KH?

 

[Cell]

Also, stop running phosguard if you arent monitoring phosphate levels.

 

[Cell]

Awesome, thank you so much. I will look in to dialing down, I was dosing high in an effort to more quickly establish the tank.
Any tips on maintaining pH and thus KH?

Dont chase pH. Your range is fine.

What salt mix are you using? You should not need to dose any alk or calcium yet with just a couple frags. Your water changes should be sufficient. Are you measuring alk at all?

 

[Cell]

Why epsom salt? Are you treating the fish for something?

Sorry, just saw your alk post. 10 is too high, generally.

Microvert is unnecessary. You want your cuc eating algae. If you have to supplemental feed, you have too much cuc.

Seems like you are trying to fast track tank maturity with additives and it just doesnt work like that. Much of what you are adding is recommended for mature tanks with lots of coral, not a new tank with a few frags.

Generally, reefers start getting into dosing with kalkwasser, which provides the needed alk and calcium for tanks early on in coral growth and numbers. Once you cannot reach the demand with kalk, then you graduate to 2 part.

 

[Alaeriel]

Microvert is unnecessary. You want your cuc eating algae. If you have to supplemental feed, you have too much cuc.

Or not enough algae from the tank's age

 

[Cell]

Baking soda raises kH with a temporary pH drop. Soda ash (baked baking soda) raises kH but also raises pH.

 

[Cell]

Or not enough algae from the tank's age

Sure, same thing.

 

[firmefatboy799]

looking back you should probably stop with all the additives, your tank hasn't even cycled properly you have a long way to go before you're ready for corals, and you gotta get all that freshwater plastic decorative stuff outta there, doesn't work well in salt, and you don't need an air bubbler in there it causes salt creep, go buy a chromi fish and throw him in and let your tank cycle you need beneficial bacteria to do its own thing and pods etc etc before you can think about sustaining corals,