Hello,
Forgive me if this question has come often on reef to reef. I keep a 210 gallon reef tank (LPS) that is fairly well established about 3 years...live rock completely covered in coralline algae. I just have been having terrible difficulty keeping my Euphyllia (which happen to be my favorite). Most other species of LPS are doing well...but the Euphyllia seem to recede and die with time. This process seems to be accelerating when I try new pieces. It does not appear to be brown jelly as I do not see any "jelly" just tissue disappearing. My parameters are as follows:
ALK= 9.1-9.5 , CA= mid 400's, P04= always around 0.1, PH = 8.3 to 8.4, temp 79, Mg= 1400 ish, Nitrates always sort of low range up to about 5. I have tried low flow, higher flow and different placement of the Euphyllia. I use 3 Radion XR30 lights by Ecotech set on there LPS program at about 50% of its max. I have used phytoplankton/zoo plankton/fuel (amino acid)/as well as coral frenzy a couple days per week on alternate day schedules...I have also tried not to use them as well. I also do about a 30 gallon weekly water change with Fritz salt. I have a professional RO unit thru Culligan water systems they service and change cartridges filters. I have a 2-3 inch sand bed.
I am not sure what I am missing or why this keeps happening. My only thought.. is there any way I can be still introducing silicates to the system? I do have chronic diatoms on the sand and glass that I need to scrape and remove a couple times a week. The tank shouldn't be having the "new tank" diatom period at this point. I was under the impression the diatoms really won't kill the coral and they don't appear overgrown on the coral surface despite the sand being covered. Is the sand toxic? Although I am not getting terrible spikes of any sort. My only other thought is if I am giving them enough light intensity....but again the other LPS are not affected. The other thought is that nitrates are to low...but why just the Euphyllia? Of note I have had the same happen to wall/branch hammers and torch. I have had Octos that did better.
Incidentally I am in the final stages of saving up for a new larger walk around tank as I would like a little more width for more options with aquascaping and coral placement. This is however a ways away due to turnover time in production. I plan on trying to go bare bottom this time around. Before taking that step in a few months I would like to solve this problem to prevent it now and for the future tank. I would appreciate any ideas as I am perplexed and hate to keep losing what is my favorite species of LPS. I need that movement they provide in my tank!
THANK YOU!!
Forgive me if this question has come often on reef to reef. I keep a 210 gallon reef tank (LPS) that is fairly well established about 3 years...live rock completely covered in coralline algae. I just have been having terrible difficulty keeping my Euphyllia (which happen to be my favorite). Most other species of LPS are doing well...but the Euphyllia seem to recede and die with time. This process seems to be accelerating when I try new pieces. It does not appear to be brown jelly as I do not see any "jelly" just tissue disappearing. My parameters are as follows:
ALK= 9.1-9.5 , CA= mid 400's, P04= always around 0.1, PH = 8.3 to 8.4, temp 79, Mg= 1400 ish, Nitrates always sort of low range up to about 5. I have tried low flow, higher flow and different placement of the Euphyllia. I use 3 Radion XR30 lights by Ecotech set on there LPS program at about 50% of its max. I have used phytoplankton/zoo plankton/fuel (amino acid)/as well as coral frenzy a couple days per week on alternate day schedules...I have also tried not to use them as well. I also do about a 30 gallon weekly water change with Fritz salt. I have a professional RO unit thru Culligan water systems they service and change cartridges filters. I have a 2-3 inch sand bed.
I am not sure what I am missing or why this keeps happening. My only thought.. is there any way I can be still introducing silicates to the system? I do have chronic diatoms on the sand and glass that I need to scrape and remove a couple times a week. The tank shouldn't be having the "new tank" diatom period at this point. I was under the impression the diatoms really won't kill the coral and they don't appear overgrown on the coral surface despite the sand being covered. Is the sand toxic? Although I am not getting terrible spikes of any sort. My only other thought is if I am giving them enough light intensity....but again the other LPS are not affected. The other thought is that nitrates are to low...but why just the Euphyllia? Of note I have had the same happen to wall/branch hammers and torch. I have had Octos that did better.
Incidentally I am in the final stages of saving up for a new larger walk around tank as I would like a little more width for more options with aquascaping and coral placement. This is however a ways away due to turnover time in production. I plan on trying to go bare bottom this time around. Before taking that step in a few months I would like to solve this problem to prevent it now and for the future tank. I would appreciate any ideas as I am perplexed and hate to keep losing what is my favorite species of LPS. I need that movement they provide in my tank!
THANK YOU!!
