Sorry I added the n03 last second I forgot it, but it was under 10ppm but my reagant is also expired. I use hanna checkers.
See if you can get the LFS to test NO3 for you – can't trust expired chems. ;)
Mechanical I do the mesh sponge, floss, then have bag of zeolite, and matrix rocks.
Sounds like a freshwater fish tank filter setup...saltwater is used to clean zeolite filters from freshwater, right?
Was this tank converted from a fish only tank? You should be able to dispense with all of that.
Is there a protein skimmer?
I have a gyre 4 at one end of the tank, and its dialed down, its great flow. I had that elegance in a cove that was hidden from any direct flow
Hm....corals need some direct flow in order to feed and breathe through their boundary layer of mucus and stagnant water.
The coral-seawater interface is an important, highly dynamic microenvironment for reef-building corals. Also known as the concentration boundary layer (CBL), it is a thin layer of seawater bordering the coral surface that dictates the biochemical exchange between the coral colony and bulk seawater. The CBL is thus a key feature that modulates coral metabolism.
From: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-024-02531-7
Too much flow can theoretically hurt them, but you might've been overprotective on this (GPH in the wild is WAY more than we can provide in a tank by one or two orders of magnitude). Plus those pumps, and most pumps these days, provide flow velocity (not GPH) that is just adequate in the first place....so it's pretty safe for most corals to be in the path.
GPH gets all the attention, so if you don't know the dif between flow velocity (eg feet/second) and flow rate (eg GPH), check out Tunze's classic video demonstration and you should get it before the end:
In a nutshell, velocity is what does all the work, not GPH....so a low velocity pump on "60%" where it's actually "off" for part of the cycle and lower-speed for the "on" part of the cycle might be just barely effective in the tank.
with enough shade from my k7 light. It was getting measured light at 60PAR. Just to help it adjust. But obviously that didnt help.
That's below corals compensation point – the point at which photosynthesis can cover their basic energetic needs. 100 PAR (~5000 lux) would be a good minimum for most corals in the future. If you haven't already read Dana Riddle's articles on coral lighting that talk about what "too much" is and how corals deal with lighting, this should be at the top of your reading list.
For stability it has been great, I do 20 gallon water changes every 3 days.
That sounds like a potentially aggressive water change schedule. Might be fine, but do you test enough to know what impact these water changes have on nutrient and mineral levels? I'd be very curious if, among other things, no3 and/or po4 were dipping too low. If you have your test numbers logged I'd be curious to see them. (I'd start logging test results if you don't already.)
As for shipment, he lives in the same state not even an hour away. It had two heating packs with styrofoam case. It seemed well.
Sounds like measures were taken. Seems less likely but I wonder if there's any chance of overheating during the trip?
Yeah I regret doing the dipx, I just hated the hitchhikers I got from earlier corals, and I pulled some hitch hiker worm off the elegance with tweezers too. I shouldve just done idione dip if anything.
Curious if you have a pic of the worm by any chance? Hitchhikers have been fear mongered just like other things in the hobby, so it's worth checking these things out before reacting.
I'm not sure any dip is recommended for a coral that's already tweaked....a better fate if you were paranoid of hitchhikers would have been an observation tank (aka "QT"....meaning quarantine, which traditionally means 40 days of observation). Something you should consider setting up if you plan to acquire more livestock sight unseen.....you are unable to predict the risk you're taking when you buy in that manner. Be prepared for anything – and don't bet everything on something that's supposed to be some kind of cure-all, aka magic bullet. Better yet, buy locally where you have the advantage of walking away after seeing the coral is in marginal condition.
I feel horrible about it.
Something we've all gone through, more or less, so don't feel too bad. The only real reason to feel bad IMO is if you don't learn from your mistakes.....somehow I think that's not going to be your problem.
