Corals are ticked yay

[dannyd_]

Hello all. For a couple weeks now I've had troubles with my zoas, duncan, and gonipora. I just started dosing a couple weeks ago and I've been trying to get the tank dialed in, and I can't seem to get everything happy again. The zoas, all of them except the ugliest color naturally, won't open up fully at all anymore. The duncan polyp has been fine, but the green "skin" has slowly been receding. And the gonipora won't fully open. My alvepora also hasn't been open nearly as much as it usually is. Another clue that something is off is that my leptastrea is not fully open either, and thats only ever happened once before.

Tank is a year old
Nitrate: salifert test shows 0 but I feed heavy
Alkalinity: 8.6
Calcium: 450

I dose reef roids twice a week and i feed the duncan twice a week. I haven't done any major changes except for the dosing, and I started that because these corals weren't looking good. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[wtdenk]

How are your phosphate levels? Before your corals started showing signs of decline did you make any changes big or small? Change your water source or anything like that? Have you checked your in-tank magnets?

 

[Nate Chalk]

Zero nitrate and phos is bad

 

[Pkunk35]

How big is the tank, what’s the water change schedule and what did you start dosing? Twice a week roids and feeding heavy sounds like a lot, and strange that nitrate at 0, as mentioned I would test phosphate.

 

[dannyd_]

How are your phosphate levels? Before your corals started showing signs of decline did you make any changes big or small? Change your water source or anything like that? Have you checked your in-tank magnets?

I don't have any phosphate test but I was wondering if it was that. I know the reef roids can do that. But no changes to water sources and not sure what you mean by magnets

 

[dannyd_]

Zero nitrate and phos is bad

I refuse to believe that nitrate is zero I feed lots of food lol but maybe it isn't as much as I think

 

[dannyd_]

How big is the tank, what’s the water change schedule and what did you start dosing? Twice a week roids and feeding heavy sounds like a lot, and strange that nitrate at 0, as mentioned I would test phosphate.

15 gallons and I started two weeks ago. I do weekly water changes of five gallons (same schedule for almost 8 months now). I am gonna go to the fish store and have them test phosphates. But even then i just did a water change last week that was almost ten gallons, and I have only fed reef roids once so i feel I would see some sort of change this week if it was phosphates.

 

[Nate Chalk]

I refuse to believe that nitrate is zero I feed lots of food lol but maybe it isn't as much as I think

I does neo nitrate , ab+ , feed 3x a day, it can be zero. Stable 5-10 is best imo

 

[anthonygf]

15 gallons and I started two weeks ago. I do weekly water changes of five gallons (same schedule for almost 8 months now). I am gonna go to the fish store and have them test phosphates. But even then i just did a water change last week that was almost ten gallons, and I have only fed reef roids once so i feel I would see some sort of change this week if it was phosphates.

I would cut down on water changes. 33% a week is a lot. You need to dirty up the water. Do 10% a week, that is 1.5 gallons.

 

[anthonygf]

And last week you did a 66% water change, you are removing all the nutrients from the water. I haven't done a water change on my 75 for 2 months now, was doing 10% weekly, my nitrates are 25-45ppm and phos run from 0.08-0.18. I only feed my fish once per day with quality flakes only for at least 3 years now and my fish are fat and happy for 7 years. I also haven't fed the corals except for phyto 2-3 times a week and My corals are fine.

 

[anthonygf]

I just noticed you have a clam. How long have you had it?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Do you have an API test kit? API test always reads zero for me. And you dont have a phosphate test kit. I would suggest to upgrade your test kits.

It seems like something happened in your tank a few weeks ago, we can't know what it is. Maybe the alk has changed, maybe the filters on the rodi have never been changed, maybe your pumps are dirty and barely moving water? Mybe your phosphage is at .5 ....... I could guess all day long and still be wrong.

 

[dannyd_]

I just noticed you have a clam. How long have you had it?

I have had it for 3 weeks now. Also I see what you mean about the water not being dirty enough. I'll cut down on the water changes, that would explain the upset gonis. However the zoas? Arent they largely photosynthetic? I never thought I would have issues with them as they are hardy.

 

[dannyd_]

I does neo nitrate , ab+ , feed 3x a day, it can be zero. Stable 5-10 is best imo

I will try to feed heavier, but I think its becuase of my large volume water changes. Cutting down on them and I'll feed heavier. Thanks for the input.

 

[dannyd_]

Do you have an API test kit? API test always reads zero for me. And you dont have a phosphate test kit. I would suggest to upgrade your test kits.

It seems like something happened in your tank a few weeks ago, we can't know what it is. Maybe the alk has changed, maybe the filters on the rodi have never been changed, maybe your pumps are dirty and barely moving water? Mybe your phosphage is at .5 ....... I could guess all day long and still be wrong.

I use red sea for nitrate, calcium, and alkalinity. I took a water sample to the store today and they said phosphate was zero.

 

[dannyd_]

How big is the tank, what’s the water change schedule and what did you start dosing? Twice a week roids and feeding heavy sounds like a lot, and strange that nitrate at 0, as mentioned I would test phosphate.

Phosphate came back as zero.

 

[anthonygf]

I have had it for 3 weeks now. Also I see what you mean about the water not being dirty enough. I'll cut down on the water changes, that would explain the upset gonis. However the zoas? Arent they largely photosynthetic? I never thought I would have issues with them as they are hardy.

I think zoa's are mostly photosynthetic. Like I said I don't feed my corals but phyto, nitrate, phosphate and what ever I feed my fish and my zoa's are growing fast. My fish, a Yellow Tang, Flame Hawkfish, Filefish, two b/w damsels and two Clownfish many snails and a couple crabs. They devour the flake food more than frozen so I just feed quality flakes with all the variety mixed up once per day. I dose manually including micro elements. I run my lights 90% blues, 30-40% whites for 10 hours per day, ramping up and down first 2 hours.

As for the clam, I only managed to keep one alive for 18 months. I think with your feeding schedule is keeping your clam alive, also when they get a good size like 6 inches or more they get most of their nutrients from the lighting. I hope your clam lives a long and healthy life. I won't get any more clams, just too sensitive.

 

[anthonygf]

I don't see anything about your lighting

I don't have any phosphate test but I was wondering if it was that. I know the reef roids can do that. But no changes to water sources and not sure what you mean by magnets

The magnets used for wave makers or frag racks that are submerged in water, things like that. If the magnet is exposed to water can leach chemicals.

 

[anthonygf]

What do you have for lighting?

 

[Nate Chalk]

I'd say just because a coral is mostly photosynthetic, doesn't mean it doesn't need nitrates phosphate and feeding otherwise