Coral not doing well

[Impala67]

Hey guys I have a 20 gallon reef tank I’ve had it running for about 6 to 7 months and my coral was doing great until about two or three days ago They will not open and when they do it’s very slight. My parameters are normal and haven’t changed and even if there was ammonia my fish would show signs of it. What should I do I already did a water change? And to add on to it all I’m two weeks away from adding them into a new 55 gallon aquarium so please I don’t know what’s up. Should I try to target feed them down the light up the light more flow less flow what do I need to do?

 

[PeterC99]

What changed 2 or 3 days ago? Lighting, flow, pH, salinity, Alk, Calc, change a filter, harvest chaeto, etc.? Something did.

 

[Rmckoy]

I wouldn’t check ammonia .
warfare from other corals , parameter changes .
temp. Lighting ,
Something sprayed in the air such as cleaners or air freshener
Op mentioned parameters are normal but what is normal ?
Values help identify issues

 

[Impala67]

What changed 2 or 3 days ago? Lighting, flow, pH, salinity, Alk, Calc, change a filter, harvest chaeto, etc.? Something did.

Well my filter has been acting up from time to time I have to manually spin the impeller to restart it but that’s it that’s all that changed well then again I moved my tank two weeks ago but everything was fine then.

 

[Impala67]

I wouldn’t check ammonia .
warfare from other corals , parameter changes .
temp. Lighting ,
Something sprayed in the air such as cleaners or air freshener
Op mentioned parameters are normal but what is normal ?
Values help identify issues

Well I used Clorox wipes and dusting material occasionally I’ll burn a candle from time to time but that’s it parameters ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 0.25 salt .026 you know the normal stuff should I add a phosphate bag or something or what should I do?

 

[Flux Capacitor]

If you’re gonna run anything I’d run a bag of carbon.

 

[PeterC99]

Well my filter has been acting up from time to time I have to manually spin the impeller to restart it but that’s it that’s all that changed well then again I moved my tank two weeks ago but everything was fine then.

Whoa - you moved your aquarium? How did the move occur? Did you empty everything out and then restock?

 

[Impala67]

Whoa - you moved your aquarium? How did the move occur? Did you empty everything out and then restock?

no I just removed some of the water and moved it maybe 20 feet away in a new location of my home

 

[Impala67]

Should I try to feed them or something I’m just trying to help these guys I don’t know what to do?

 

[austibella]

I personally would not burn candles. gases, smoke and fumes are toxic to fish., but that can be debated. I believe it is so. especially for a small tank. Run Carbon

 

[austibella]

Perimeters might say normal but they really aren't you have either biopsis or hair algae in your tank hard to tell by the pic. So they are sucking up phosphate thus you will get false readings. I know you said you did a water change do another big one. Keep in mind if you do a 10% water change there is still 90% dirty water left...Add beneficial bacteria and more clean up crews to take care of your algae . That should help your corals

 

[Uzidaisies]

Your heater working?

 

[Impala67]

Perimeters might say normal but they really aren't you have either biopsis or hair algae in your tank hard to tell by the pic. So they are sucking up phosphate thus you will get false readings. I know you said you did a water change do another big one. Keep in mind if you do a 10% water change there is still 90% dirty water left...Add beneficial bacteria and more clean up crews to take care of your algae . That should help your corals

I’ve had hair algae for a while I’ve been dealing with it but it never ever bothered the coral before I mean no body’s tank is perfect they all have there pests lol.

 

[Impala67]

Your heater working?

Yes it is working great it stays at the exact temp all day!!!

 

[Udest]

Hmmm I'd slow down on trying to fix stuff same thing happened to me and I nuked everything in my old 5 gal, you said your filter was having trouble I'd start there. I'd clean out the filter and get any debris out of it.

 

[kittenbritches]

Well I used Clorox wipes and dusting material occasionally I’ll burn a candle from time to time but that’s it parameters ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 0.25 salt .026 you know the normal stuff should I add a phosphate bag or something or what should I do?

Are you testing other parameters? Phosphate, calcium, magnesium, alkalinity? What type of lights and wavemakers do you have and what are they set to? Is the 20' move in the same room? Does their new spot get more or less natural light? What type of tests are you using for ammonia and nitrate? And what type of media do you have in your filter? Was the impeller sticking before the move?

Apologies for the 20 questions. The more info you can provide the more help you can receive.

 

[Udest]

Wait a sec what are you dusting with!? The same thing happend to inappropriate reefer he was using canned air near his tank and everything started acting odd too.

 

[austibella]

I’ve had hair algae for a while I’ve been dealing with it but it never ever bothered the coral before I mean no body’s tank is perfect they all have there pests lol.

That's what I'm trying to say the hair algae is surviving do to the nutrients in the water so you are getting a false reading algae is acting like a refugium so therefore your test is showing low numbers only because your algae is sucking up to many nutrients in the water. do larger water changes, add beneficial bacteria and your algae will go away and you corals will be fine. Its not the algae hurting your corals its the nutrients .I hope I'm explaining that right so you can understand

 

[Impala67]

Hmmm I'd slow down on trying to fix stuff same thing happened to me and I nuked everything in my old 5 gal, you said your filter was having trouble I'd start there. I'd clean out the filter and get any debris out of it.

I already did all of that I’ll probably have to buy a new impeller!!

 

[Impala67]

Are you testing other parameters? Phosphate, calcium, magnesium, alkalinity? What type of lights and wavemakers do you have and what are they set to? Is the 20' move in the same room? Does their new spot get more or less natural light? What type of tests are you using for ammonia and nitrate? And what type of media do you have in your filter? Was the impeller sticking before the move?

Apologies for the 20 questions. The more info you can provide the more help you can receive.

I have a USA current orbit marine light with two marineland power heads with only one setting. The 20 is in the same room but it’s by a window I also blocked off the light from there with a pice of foam board I don’t have a magnesium, alkaline, or calcium test kit yet and trust me it’s on my to do list. My phosphate is at .05 and hasn’t changed my temp is at 76.2f I normally use api test kits I bought the tidal 35 serchem for this tank it has whatever media it came with but I just added this

it’s carbon plus zeolite which should help with any chemicals. The impeller was sticking before the move and I need to buy a new one.