Help with parameters & dosing, please

[yourmom]

I've had my 40 gal AIO display tank since October and I've noticed my corals aren't thriving.

Nuvo Fusion AIO cube with media chamber, AI16 light. Weekly-ish water changes of 5 gal. I have a skimmer that is not in use, unsure if I should incorporate.

Stock: 2 clowns (one recently added), bicolor blenny, pistol shrimp & ywg pair, tiger conch, cleaner shrimp, sherman rose anemone (had for 6 mo now), flame scallop (I know...), yellow cucumber that just split, an emerald crab and some snails.

Coral: Plate coral, mushroom, pulsing xenia, pipe organ, frogspawn, 2 small zoa colonies, blasto, candycane, and 4 different varieties of goniopora. Everyone looks fine BUT the goniopora are really struggling. All 3 plugs are tucked in tight. One larger piece seems happy but the others are probably dying and I can't figure out why.

Parameters: Nitrate 10.3 (hanna), alk 8.3 (hanna), calcium 401 hanna/350-360 salifert, magnesium 1245 (salifert), pH 7.8-7.9 (API), Salinity .024-0.25/32 or so(refractometer).

I don't dose anything, but I'm starting to think I should. Mag is a little low but not too terrible... I feed frozen spirolina brine or mysis in AM with a splash of phytofeast. NewVision pellet/flake in PM.

I appreciate any help you're able to provide. Let me know if you need more info. Thanks in advance!

 

[Saltyreef]

Run the skimmer and check your ph in a few days.
I would do bi weekly water changes on schedule if you dont want to dose yet.
The mag needs bumped up a tad.

Would be good to knoe your phosphate level in relation to the nitrate.
Higher nutrients requires a few tweaks ime.

 

[KC's CNC Creations]

................. I've noticed my corals aren't thriving.

elaborate.

 

[yourmom]

elaborate.

The gonioporas, specifically, had been lively and colorful since I introduced them into the tank in March. They were out and happier/more colorful than I saw them in my local store. This way for probably 3 months. I didn't glue them down, so when my anemone took up residence right smack in the middle of my tank, I was worried but they stayed happy for at least another 3-4 weeks. Then started to not come out as often so I put them on a plug shelf away from the nem and they didn't like it there. After a few weeks I moved them from the plug shelf to rock outside of nem reach a few weeks ago, and I was optimistic because the purple one came out for a day or so. Now it's back inside too and the others are also. One is starting to die, I can see the change in its skeleton. There's a small feather duster on at least one plug, maybe two, and some algae. I have heard dusters are good so hadn't given it much thought but if I need to remove it let me know...

I have one giant yellow goni that is free-standing and hasn't had any issues. Same tank so obviously same water parameters.

The other one that isn't thriving is my candy cane. It was looking lovely but I think the nem got to it also and it started to wither a bit, losing volume and color. I moved it but it hasn't recovered yet.

Other corals and anemone/fish seem fine.

 

[yourmom]

Run the skimmer and check your ph in a few days.
I would do bi weekly water changes on schedule if you dont want to dose yet.
The mag needs bumped up a tad.

Would be good to knoe your phosphate level in relation to the nitrate.
Higher nutrients requires a few tweaks ime.

Skimmer: I am limited on space behind the tank so I'd have to either remove a filter sock or the media tower to use the skimmer. I'm also extremely nervous about having it overflow, not sure where to place it as far as water level.

I only have an API test for phosphate. I can try that.

I'm not opposed to dosing if the tank would benefit from it, I just want to make sure I'm not changing a ton of stuff at once and overcorrecting.

 

[Saltyreef]

You may not need to dose yet.
You might also benefit from kalkwasser.

 

[yourmom]

You may not need to dose yet.
You might also benefit from kalkwasser.

I hadn't heard of kalkwasser. I'll see if they have it locally. It's for the ATO reservoir?

 

[Saltyreef]

I hadn't heard of kalkwasser. I'll see if they have it locally. It's for the ATO reservoir?

When i used it in my ato, it worked just fine.
Theres another way to incorperate it with a kalk stirrer if your evap replenishment doesnt keep the elements as stable as needed in between water changes.

 

[Saltyreef]

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[homer1475]

Pics of tank and "unhealthy" corals, as well as whats "healthy". Your parameters don't look to be out of wack, but a phosphate number might be revealing also.

 

[yourmom]

Pics of tank and "unhealthy" corals, as well as whats "healthy". Your parameters don't look to be out of wack, but a phosphate number might be revealing also.

Here are current pics from today. Sorry for the lighting, I put AI on “feed mode” lighting which is better but not great.

Yellow goniopora is happy, all others not so much…

candycane

Full tank

 

[KC's CNC Creations]

The gonioporas, specifically, had been lively and colorful since I introduced them into the tank in March. They were out and happier/more colorful than I saw them in my local store. This way for probably 3 months. I didn't glue them down, so when my anemone took up residence right smack in the middle of my tank, I was worried but they stayed happy for at least another 3-4 weeks. Then started to not come out as often so I put them on a plug shelf away from the nem and they didn't like it there. After a few weeks I moved them from the plug shelf to rock outside of nem reach a few weeks ago, and I was optimistic because the purple one came out for a day or so. Now it's back inside too and the others are also. One is starting to die, I can see the change in its skeleton. There's a small feather duster on at least one plug, maybe two, and some algae. I have heard dusters are good so hadn't given it much thought but if I need to remove it let me know...

I have one giant yellow goni that is free-standing and hasn't had any issues. Same tank so obviously same water parameters.

The other one that isn't thriving is my candy cane. It was looking lovely but I think the nem got to it also and it started to wither a bit, losing volume and color. I moved it but it hasn't recovered yet.

Other corals and anemone/fish seem fine.

Goniopora require feeding, have you been feeding it?

 

[yourmom]

Goniopora require feeding, have you been feeding it?

This is my problem! ‍[face palm] New to reefing, and I target feed my other corals but never received a positive response from my Goni so I didn’t think they liked it when I basted them. I haven’t been using my reef roids lately, mostly targeting with mysis. I’ll incorporate the reef roids again and see if they perk up. Any other small particle food recommendations?