First corals dead/dying

[kaiimac]

Hello,

I bought my first corals a little less than a week ago: a red mushroom, zoanthids, and a meteor shower coral. They opened the first day but haven’t been doing so great afterwards. The meteor shower no longer has color and is turning brown on the side, so I am thinking it’s probably a goner. I am wondering if I possibly burned it/them with too strong lighting, but I also worry about giving them too little. I have two of the Aquaknight A029. I know it’s not the best light, but I’ve seen people on YouTube growing coral. I also saw a video measuring PAR, and it had fairly high (I think around 300 near the top with whites and blues at 100%. I can get exact numbers if it helps). Anyway, here are some photos and my parameters.

Nitrate:10
Phosphate: 0
Alk: 9
Ph: 7.8
Temp: 76
Salinity: 1.026
Mushroom and Zoas in low flow, meteor shower in medium flow.

Any help would be great. I really don’t know how to dial in the whites and blues in terms of what ratio to use, but I had been using whites at 20% and blues at 90%. All corals started in the sand, and I just moved the meteor shower up. Thanks so much.

 

[Zeal]

Did you acclimate the coral first? Not sure if thats an issue but ive read on here its good to start them in a low par area and slowly move them

 

[kaiimac]

Yeah, the zoa and mushroom are in the sand, and the meteor shower is about an inch up. I didn’t slowly ramp up the light, though. I had it on 100% blue, 0 white the first day. Then I turned on a little white (20%) the next day going forward.

 

[Zeal]

I personally start all my corner in the corner of the tank. How old is the tank?

 

[kaiimac]

I personally start all my corner in the corner of the tank. How old is the tank?

Okay. Should I move them to the corner now? The tank is 2 months old.

 

[Zeal]

Im sure someone with much more experience will chime in during the morning but personally from all the research and questions ive asked these past couple months move them to a corner where the light isnt as bright for now.

Also raise your temp to 78-80. And hold it Temp might raise and lower during the day which is completely normal but 76F might be a bit low for a reef tank

Move the meteor shower also down down. It doesn't really like BRIGHT light. Im currently trying to nurture a neglected one and I can tell you i the past 3 days ive had it I see a bit of progress.

Another thing if I was you id look into getting a better light. If there's one thing you dont wanna be cheap on its lighting. A GOOD light goes a long way. Hell an AI Prime is only $200.

 

[BluTang85]

Well the first thing that sticks out is the ph, u want it between 8.0-8.3. If they opened up day one and have been closed ever since something def not right. I would make sure there in a low light area and let them adapt to the light. What are ur ammonia and nitrite levels, 2 months might be too early to start adding coral.

 

[mcarroll]

Phosphate: 0

Most things can't handle any light without a supply of po4.

If you're running any phosphate filters, eliminate them.

For the sake of saving any corals that are still savable, you should dose a little phosphate fertilizer (eg. Brightwell or Seachem, etc) to get your level to at least 0.03 ppm.

Monitor and continue dosing as needed...and don't let NO3 go down to zero in the process.

As the tank matures, you shouldn't have to keep up any dosing.

 

[kaiimac]

Thanks everyone. Ammonia and nitrite are 0. The tank is cycled, and I've had one fish in there for a few weeks. The ph has been steady at 7.8, and I keep getting mixed advice as to whether or not to chase the ph since calc and alk are in line.

I've moved them to the corners of the tank and lowered the lights. I'm worried about giving too little light now.

I had no idea that I needed phosphate in the tank. I was doing my best to keep it at 0. I am only running filter floss, purigen, and a skimmer. To my knowledge, purigen doesn't remove phosphate, but let me know if I should remove it. Is "Seachem Flourish Phosphorus" what I need? It looks like it's for planted tanks, but it's the only thing that sounds like a phosphate fertilizer.

 

[DMG Reef]

Mushrooms, zoos, and cyphastrea are good beginner corals. I didn't notice you mentioning your flow, but it's very important for coral health. I spent about 2 years chasing pH with buffers until I started keeping SPS. Using buffers has an effect on alkalinity, so that's not the best solution to raise pH. I pointed my power heads upward to create surface agitation, and my ph increased naturally.

Good luck. I've found cyphastrea to be very hardy and can make a comeback if parameters are good.

 

[kaiimac]

Mushrooms, zoos, and cyphastrea are good beginner corals. I didn't notice you mentioning your flow, but it's very important for coral health. I spent about 2 years chasing pH with buffers until I started keeping SPS. Using buffers has an effect on alkalinity, so that's not the best solution to raise pH. I pointed my power heads upward to create surface agitation, and my ph increased naturally.

Good luck. I've found cyphastrea to be very hardy and can make a comeback if parameters are good.

Thanks you! I have a Jebao wp10 and the stock pump on the NUVO 20. I have them all in low flow, but I’ll admit I don’t know what high/medium/low flow looks like exactly. They aren’t swaying or being pushed around at all... I have the jebao on the lowest setting.

 

[Vahanyos]

I think you may have given them too much light. Lower the intensity to about 20% and give it a couple days to recover and to see how they react. Don’t worry about giving too little light as they are beginner coral and hardy. A little light is enough for them to open up.

Your parameters are not within worry-some ranges. Nothing a couple water changes can’t help adjust. As far as your PH, just increase surface agitation like the previous poster said and they should balance out.

Your temp can be adjusted a little higher but not too fast. I don’t think 76 temp is a problem either for them not being happy.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

If nothing is swaying in the water, I would guess that your flow is to low. Try increasing it a little. Also, you want to know how much light your fixture is putting out. 300 PAR at the surface isn't very much. Low flow, low light, and 0 phosphates makes me think that they are being starved.

 

[kaiimac]

Okay. So PAR at the bottom of the tank is 186 with both blue and white at 100%. With only 100% blues and no white, it’s 102 at the bottom of the tank. I currently have lights turned down to 40% blue and 10% white, and the mushroom actually opened all the way for a bit today.

I will increase the flow as well to see if that helps. Temp is at 77.5 now. Would it help to buy coral food and feed them? I have some frozen mysis, but the corals are so tiny.

 

[Vahanyos]

Certain coral feed differently. Research first but you can broadcast feed or target feed phyto or marine snow. I do that every 3-4 days and I notice them more plump. Careful tho as it can be easy to over feed that stuff

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Okay. So PAR at the bottom of the tank is 186 with both blue and white at 100%. With only 100% blues and no white, it’s 102 at the bottom of the tank. I currently have lights turned down to 40% blue and 10% white, and the mushroom actually opened all the way for a bit today.

I will increase the flow as well to see if that helps. Temp is at 77.5 now. Would it help to buy coral food and feed them? I have some frozen mysis, but the corals are so tiny.

Was that measured in your tank with a PAR meter, or is it a guesstimate based on numbers for the light?

The only way to be sure what the light is in your tank is to measure it with a PAR meter yourself.

 

[kaiimac]

Was that measured in your tank with a PAR meter, or is it a guesstimate based on numbers for the light?

The only way to be sure what the light is in your tank is to measure it with a PAR meter yourself.

There is a youtube video where a guy with a PAR meter took readings in a tank of the same depth and width as my tank (his is a nuvo 10, and mine is a nuvo 20). I have two lights instead of one, though.

 

[mcarroll]

I had no idea that I needed phosphate in the tank. I was doing my best to keep it at 0. I am only running filter floss, purigen, and a skimmer. To my knowledge, purigen doesn't remove phosphate, but let me know if I should remove it. Is "Seachem Flourish Phosphorus" what I need? It looks like it's for planted tanks, but it's the only thing that sounds like a phosphate fertilizer.

Now you know! Corals can't live without it. That's the right stuff.

I currently have lights turned down to 40% blue and 10% white, and the mushroom actually opened all the way for a bit today.

Get them back to normal when you get the nutrients dosed up. Remember to re-test your nutrients 30min to 1 hour after dosing to see if there was an instant rush of uptake. The idea is for there to be at least 0.03 ppm left over at this point. (That's at the very bottom of most test kits' range, so shooting for >0.03 ppm vs just 0.03 is a good idea.

Would it help to buy coral food and feed them?

No.

There is a youtube video where a guy

I've already heard that joke.

Get a lux meter app (free) and measure for yourself just at the water surface. Post your results. When you're done, order an LX-1010B lux meter for <$20 to have around later. That's what I've used forever. Love it. Check out my article: Beginner’s Lux.

And don't hesitate on that fertilizer. Get nitrates too if you think there's a chance you may need to dose them as well. (It's cheap.)

 

[kaiimac]

Now you know! Corals can't live without it. That's the right stuff.



Get them back to normal when you get the nutrients dosed up. Remember to re-test your nutrients 30min to 1 hour after dosing to see if there was an instant rush of uptake. The idea is for there to be at least 0.03 ppm left over at this point. (That's at the very bottom of most test kits' range, so shooting for >0.03 ppm vs just 0.03 is a good idea.



No.



I've already heard that joke.

Get a lux meter app (free) and measure for yourself just at the water surface. Post your results. When you're done, order an LX-1010B lux meter for <$20 to have around later. That's what I've used forever. Love it. Check out my article: Beginner’s Lux.

And don't hesitate on that fertilizer. Get nitrates too if you think there's a chance you may need to dose them as well. (It's cheap.)

This is all super helpful. Thanks so much. I’ll follow your advice and see how it goes!

 

[kaiimac]

Hello everyone! I thought I would just check in to give an update. Turns out I was being too dramatic. All my corals have survived and are now doing well. I actually thought about throwing the meteor shower coral away because it was so brown and dead-looking, and now, it’s completely fine. Crazy how fast they go from brown to grey and pink.

I definitely fried them with high lighting because they’re all doing really well after turning it waaaaay down. I also think having PO4 helped as there is now a small amount being detected. I also dipped the Zoa in peroxide to get rid of hair algae, and that helped it a lot. Here are some photos (I swear the zoas were all open right before this)!