Declining colony

[Ksturg]

i have a colony that over the past month is declining and I'm not sure why. All water parameters are where they should be temp is good so is salinity. I dipped all three of my zoas today and cleaned them of all algae and have been inspecting for nudis spiders worm and anything else. So far I have found nothing. I have them in medium water flow and in the middle to bottom of tank. Lights are led not the best it's what I could afford but they are rated for corals. I need help I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I will post 2 pics they are a month apart and you can see the difference.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

i have a colony that over the past month is declining and I'm not sure why. All water parameters are where they should be temp is good so is salinity. I dipped all three of my zoas today and cleaned them of all algae and have been inspecting for nudis spiders worm and anything else. So far I have found nothing. I have them in medium water flow and in the middle to bottom of tank. Lights are led not the best it's what I could afford but they are rated for corals. I need help I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I will post 2 pics they are a month apart and you can see the difference.

A new tank can be tough on corals. what are your no3 and po4 at? what light and what settings? tank size depth and the mounting height of the light.

 

[Ksturg]

I don't remember right off hand I know the saltwater place I go to tested it and said they good. I believe the led are 144w bar it's full spectrum with the blues for night. I run the days for 8hrs and the blue the rest of the night. Should I turn the blue off when I go to bed or does it matter.

 

[Fish Werx]

What do you mean by the parameters are where they are supposed to be? Just asking, not trying to be rude.
Sometimes I have had my system where I thought it should have been only to find out that some corals prefer a little different variations of what I thought and had heard was optimal. My zoas love it when my water is right before a change. With just a bit more No3 and Po4 than I usually like to run....
Also, I have non brand LED lights on my tank and my corals seem to be doing just fine. Just got to find the right intensity and length....

 

[Fish Werx]

I don't remember right off hand I know the saltwater place I go to tested it and said they good. I believe the led are 144w bar it's full spectrum with the blues for night. I run the days for 8hrs and the blue the rest of the night. Should I turn the blue off when I go to bed or does it matter.

I turn off all lights for a good length of darkness for the tank at night. Maybe a moonlight setting super low? But def not full blues all night.

 

[Fish Werx]

Id also look into getting a set of test kits to keep on hand. Best to do your own tests and keep track of levels so you can see what works and what does not. And a refractometer to measure salinity if you can swing it.

 

[Ksturg]

Ok the water parameters are 0 ammonia 0 trite and 5 trate ph 8.0 just had the calcium alk and phos checked don't remember the number but they were where the fish store that I get my corals from have theirs. Temp is 80.7 salt is 1.025 idk if I need to move them up maybe and my water flow is in the medium range.

 

[Ksturg]

I have a test kit just not one for the big 3. Yeah the refractometer is not in the budget right now but I'll work it in. Maybe they are too low in the tank where do you have yours?

 

[DracoKat]

Sometimes I dip my zoas in ReVive when I see them looking weak. they usually come back strong.

 

[Ksturg]

Revive huh I'll check that out. I figured by now id see some growth not die off

 

[Ksturg]

Ok so here is where I have them placed at you will have to zoom the pic in to see the ones on the left

 

[Fish Werx]

I have a test kit just not one for the big 3. Yeah the refractometer is not in the budget right now but I'll work it in. Maybe they are too low in the tank where do you have yours?

I do have mine up a little higher. A little above mid point. But I think it had to do with funding the right balance of light and flow. My zoos are right in the flow from the largest and they seem to be liking it. But each group is different.

 

[Ksturg]

Maybe I'll try moving them up and see what happens.The ones in the middle have lost almost all the color.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

place I go to tested it and said they good.

turn down the lights a bit and spot feed them. they like the juice of frozen food. You can tell if they're getting too much flow by looking at the skirts. If they've receded an the flow is still moving them its too much.

Imo if you move and or dip or what ever itll stress the coral. then itll be a bit of a reset the next week or so. Putting them on the bottom mich be good as it may be a bit more laminar a flow.
Its a new tank. the parameters and trace elements and diatom spoo and a bunch of other things are making the water a bit nasty. Its why most suggest a hardy coral and fish in new tanks. Tester coral.

 

[Ksturg]

Yeah I was just doing some reading and maybe I have too much light on them I'll turn it down and see how that goes.