Coral help before i quit this hobby again.

[RBarth]

I've been debating about reaching out but I figure why not cuz at this rate I might quit before I even start. Gonna b long winded so hang in there. Started the hobby 12 years ago and got up to a nice 90g cube with sump and the works. Had some success but knew just enough to b dangerous and bought any and everything. Most corals would make it 6 months but being single with money I just bought more. Didn't tend to the tank like I should have and bought corals I shouldn't have but...well...just kept buying. Had to leave home for 3 months and had a local freshwater guy go to the house and help while I was away. Needless to say when I got home it was a disaster. Ended up throwing almost everything away in utter disgust...nothing was alive by then anyway. Took a break for 10 years and got the bug again. Wife agreed to a 40g aio. Told her this time would b different. Watched every freaking brstv video and of course r2r. Set the 40g up about 2 months ago. Cycled with clowns n bacteria. Hot topic that I don't want to get into but decided to do the 4 month deep cycle with no light for DT. Wanted to get a jump on corals so set up coral qt tank. 10g tank: simple setup. Had a Unopened kessil a350...yes a 350 that was using for that tank. Used bacteria to cycle. Ammonia went to zero, nitrite stayed up because really didn't have anything for the bacteria to bind to (what i was told). Did a 100% water change with DT water about a week before my first 8 frags arrived. They looked fine on arrival...dipped them per protocol and in the qt tank they went. Had a par meter from back in the day and dang the kessil was struggling. Settled on about 80. A few days in some started to close. Moved them around, adjusted flow, played with light etc. And yes, I probably shouldn't of done that but I did. Black Friday hit and I bought 2 large zoa colonies on live rock. dang those things were dirty and fuuuull of worms and u name it. Looked ok at first and now, well, they are doing the same thing as my others. Thought it was the light and just installed a Smat farms led 2 days ago. Here's the deal: every freaking parameter is where it's supposed to b. Seriously. I am the point where if I can't keep this stuff alive in my qt I want out before I start spending big money of stuff for the DT. what the heck AM I DOING WRONG!?!? I'm attaching pics...please be nice...I really want this to work but I feel like a complete failure and I feel like I'm doing this by the book!!!

 

[3429810]

I would say the first thing is going to fast on the coral qt possibly. Can you post a list of what all the parameters actually are? And what brand of test kits? You mentioned you have an unused a350 only giving 80 par to which seems almost impossible unless you have the intensity down low. Maybe the par meter is defective? Might be the angle of the picture but the power head seems like it’s aimed right at the zoas to. That’s probably not a good thing either. Hopefully one of the answers to these will help some people lead you in the right direction.

 

[DrZoidburg]

Too much light? No pests? Blue reads lower par than it actually is with mine.

 

[RBarth]

I would say the first thing is going to fast on the coral qt possibly. Can you post a list of what all the parameters actually are? And what brand of test kits? You mentioned you have an unused a350 only giving 80 par to which seems almost impossible unless you have the intensity down low. Maybe the par meter is defective? Might be the angle of the picture but the power head seems like it’s aimed right at the zoas to. That’s probably not a good thing either. Hopefully one of the answers to these will help some people lead you in the right direction.

I had the intensity turned down. That light gives u 2 channels. Did 100% blue zero white. At max I could get it to 200. Don't think it's the par meter cuz the new smat farm putting out good numbers at low intensity. All test kits are hanna. Alk 8.4, P04 .005, ph 8.1, Nitate 8, salinity 1.026, temp 78, did not measure calcium at this time. Coral pro salt. 10% weekly water changes using dt water. Have recently turned power head up in direction.

 

[3429810]

I had the intensity turned down. That light gives u 2 channels. Did 100% blue zero white. At max I could get it to 200. Don't think it's the par meter cuz the new smat farm putting out good numbers at low intensity. All test kits are hanna. Alk 8.4, P04 .005, ph 8.1, Nitate 8, salinity 1.026, temp 78, did not measure calcium at this time. Coral pro salt. 10% weekly water changes using dt water. Have recently turned power head up in direction.

Ok that makes more sense then. Parameters seem pretty good other than not knowing calcium but an alk of 8.4 with coral pro salt is weird unless you started with something lower first. Was the power head aimed right at them? What type is it?

 

[DrZoidburg]

RSCP its usually 11+ dkh

 

[RBarth]

I can test calcium but just didn't think I needed too for zoas. I can't test today though. Hydor PH. Think it's the 400 series. Shouldn't I be using dt water for qt wc? I'm sure I can bump that alk up but it doesn't seem that off to me but I guess it's why I'm asking lol

 

[RBarth]

Ok that makes more sense then. Parameters seem pretty good other than not knowing calcium but an alk of 8.4 with coral pro salt is weird unless you started with something lower first. Was the power head aimed right at them? What type is it?

PH was right at them but to rule that out I got it rippling the water for the last few days.

 

[RBarth]

Would yall agree that most of those frags are toast? Any harm in just leaving them in to see 'if'??

 

[RBarth]

PH was right at them but to rule that out I got it rippling the water for the last few days.

*wasn't

 

[RBarth]

Got a lunch meeting so I'll b back in a bit but should I consider doing a larger water change with new water versus dt water?

 

[tritonpower]

I think tank maturity may be an issue. I had a 20 gallon frag tank in my garage with a 10 gallon sump that I couldn't even keep orange digi alive in initially. Now that it is close to a year old frags are thriving. I have since drilled the 10 gallon tank and made it a fish QT (without meds) tank and got a 20 gallon tank as a sump for both tanks for 45 gallons of total water volume. It is doing even better now. I think larger water volume and tank maturity will make the biggest difference.

I would just put in some really cheap frags like GSP for now and see how it does. Only get more expensive frags when at least 1 year old. I know it is hard to be patient like that but it is necessary

 

[3429810]

I can test calcium but just didn't think I needed too for zoas. I can't test today though. Hydor PH. Think it's the 400 series. Shouldn't I be using dt water for qt wc? I'm sure I can bump that alk up but it doesn't seem that off to me but I guess it's why I'm asking lol

No not important for zoas but you want to know everything so you can check for general stability and see trends happening. No you don’t have to use dt water for it and I honestly wouldn’t and don’t. My reasoning is that if I’m taking somewhat depleted water from my dt then it’s going to get even more depleted in my qt leading to the levels being different in both tanks which you want to avoid. I agree with the guy above who said to just add a few cheap hardy corals to test the waters but what’s done is done so now you have to move forward. If you wanted though I would choose one cheap lps and something like a birds nest to keep in the tank after you get this sorted out. That way you have a gauge for at least one of each type to see how they are doing. I have some zoas, a gsp, a bi colour candy cane and a green birds nest in mine. I wouldn’t write any of them off though they just look closed.

 

[Tamberav]

I've been debating about reaching out but I figure why not cuz at this rate I might quit before I even start. Gonna b long winded so hang in there. Started the hobby 12 years ago and got up to a nice 90g cube with sump and the works. Had some success but knew just enough to b dangerous and bought any and everything. Most corals would make it 6 months but being single with money I just bought more. Didn't tend to the tank like I should have and bought corals I shouldn't have but...well...just kept buying. Had to leave home for 3 months and had a local freshwater guy go to the house and help while I was away. Needless to say when I got home it was a disaster. Ended up throwing almost everything away in utter disgust...nothing was alive by then anyway. Took a break for 10 years and got the bug again. Wife agreed to a 40g aio. Told her this time would b different. Watched every freaking brstv video and of course r2r. Set the 40g up about 2 months ago. Cycled with clowns n bacteria. Hot topic that I don't want to get into but decided to do the 4 month deep cycle with no light for DT. Wanted to get a jump on corals so set up coral qt tank. 10g tank: simple setup. Had a Unopened kessil a350...yes a 350 that was using for that tank. Used bacteria to cycle. Ammonia went to zero, nitrite stayed up because really didn't have anything for the bacteria to bind to (what i was told). Did a 100% water change with DT water about a week before my first 8 frags arrived. They looked fine on arrival...dipped them per protocol and in the qt tank they went. Had a par meter from back in the day and dang the kessil was struggling. Settled on about 80. A few days in some started to close. Moved them around, adjusted flow, played with light etc. And yes, I probably shouldn't of done that but I did. Black Friday hit and I bought 2 large zoa colonies on live rock. dang those things were dirty and fuuuull of worms and u name it. Looked ok at first and now, well, they are doing the same thing as my others. Thought it was the light and just installed a Smat farms led 2 days ago. Here's the deal: every freaking parameter is where it's supposed to b. Seriously. I am the point where if I can't keep this stuff alive in my qt I want out before I start spending big money of stuff for the DT. what the heck AM I DOING WRONG!?!? I'm attaching pics...please be nice...I really want this to work but I feel like a complete failure and I feel like I'm doing this by the book!!!

Tank looks sterile as heck. Look how clean your frag plugs are.

Ya everything can test ok but what about the million things we don't test for that make a tank mature?

Those zoa's look like they could benefit from an iodine dip as I see some skin getting that fuzzy/peeling appearance. They would also benefit from some mature live rock and not bottled bacteria.

That dirt and worms was probably keeping those colonies of zoa's happy before. Many critters are beneficial along with bacteria and so on.

My coral QT tanks are pretty dirty and mature and man do corals love it.

This is not a display. It is my fishless coral QT. It just gets stuffed full of discarded frags. It has no filtration, just live rock and flow and they love it.

Here is another, a 10g I set up just a few weeks ago. I set it up the same day the corals arrived. I just took some live rock and added freshly mixed water and plopped the corals in after a coral rx dip/rinse. No filtration. No testing, no feeding, no dosing, just water changes now and again and topped off with RODI.

Corals don’t want ultra clean sterile environments.

 

[RBarth]

Yes it is very sterile for sure. One of the biggest "do what" moments I had coming back in the hobby was that I basically couldn't buy REAL live rock and fragging was something hipsters did. Well, I guess I'm gonna do some iodine dip for the corals, do a 50% wc with new water, keep the power head turned up and wait for the real live rock these coral colonies came with a chance to do something. One of the biggest 'problems' is I read so many conflicting things. 'Set up a quick and easy qt tank'.....

 

[RBarth]

Update: brought my 12 year old par meter to my LFS to test it. Almost 150 off!!!! So...I do think flow and sterile tank played a part but pretty sure I was cooking those things. What I thought was 130 was actually 280...dangit.

 

[Bepis]

Another thing to remember is that corals take time tk adjust, zoas can stay closed for a week or two before adjusting to an environment, it’s not always best to rush into a multitude of solutions

 

[dvgyfresh]

Another thing to remember is that corals take time tk adjust, zoas can stay closed for a week or two before adjusting to an environment, it’s not always best to rush into a multitude of solutions

And every time you change something you can reset the clock so to speak , the best thing I think is to be hands off let the tank do the work vs you

 

[RBarth]

Completely agree with both comments. I was able to get a chunk of real live rock and have the light where it needs to b now and flow as well...promised myself to not even look at them for the next week lol

 

[HuduVudu]

I really want this to work but I feel like a complete failure and I feel like I'm doing this by the book!!!

If you think that there is a book to do this by, then you are in for some really frustrating times.

You have to do this by yourself. You are the one responsible for your success or failure. Your goals are your own, set them accordingly.

Foxhole prayers might bring kind people to try to help but they won't be able to, no matter how much they want to.

I highly suggest that you re-think why you have chosen this hobby.