Helppp idk what’s wrong :(

[kevthetaco]

All my corals are doing fine except my Xenia and my toadstool. My Xenia is still pulsing, slowly but pulsing, and my toadstool hasn’t fully opened like before. My salinity is okay it’s at 1.025 as of yesterday, I can’t really test for anything else though as I haven’t gotten around to buying it. My Al light bar is about 10 in. above my tank and I’ve inputted photos of my light settings. I’ve had it like this since I got it and I swear they were doing fine. It might have something to do with what I can’t test yet but I honestly have no clue. Btw my LFS has been guiding me through my whole process since I’m new and he recommended me his light settings, lights on for 6 hours, 3 of those which have 45% white light and the rest are pure blue. Added old pics of toadstool and Xenia

 

[Llyod276]

Bruh, chillax on the toadstool. I used to think mine was dying and whatever. Nope just temperamental, it'll open again. I'd only worry if it collapses. If the stalk is goin strong it ain't even close to death...

And most say xenias are a pest/weed. But I've managed to melt them, idk how but never did well. Be careful with them, it's either gonna do too well, or melt...

 

[Llyod276]

And those gsps are gonna rule your tank one day...

 

[kevthetaco]

And those gsps are gonna rule your tank one day...

Haha yes ik but I love them, ima glue them to the back of the tank when they get too big, but idk my Xenia has been looking weird lately and I love my Xenia

 

[kevthetaco]

Ik Xenia is classified as a weed same with the gsp but I kinda like how quickly they grow

 

[Llyod276]

I miss that attitude. But never again with gsp, I can find pics of my old swamp tank... hold up... well dam and blast!!! Can you believe this my pics from 2020-2022 are gone!!!! 3 years of my life just gone!!! No more swamp tank pics....!!!!
Heres the last one I took before tank tear down

 

[backbayreef]

Keep them on a small island and you will thank us later. However, they will still spawn and grow all over your tank. But hey — it’s all good. Let them overtake your tank so you can justify to yourself / significant other that you NEED upgrade to a larger tank and save these animals from suffocating. ;)

 

[Fish Fan]

GSP can definitely take over a tank, but nothing beats Xenia for overtaking a tank; be happy yours are not doing well :)

I’m kind of joking of course, but definitely know that many, many have regretted getting Xenia. I actually really like them, the pulsing (When they do it) is nothing short of cool. But I haven’t found a way to keep them successfully at bay. Even keeping them on a totally separate rock than your main aquascape doesn’t really work, they seem to just show up everywhere in the tank.

I believe that no one knows for sure why or why not they pulse. And even though this is considered an easy, beginner coral, this kind of thing does happen where no matter what you do you just can’t seem to be successful with a particular coral.

That said, not having test kits to test for water parameters is a problem, in my opinion, especially if you’re just getting going in the hobby. I would suggest that you stop acquiring corals, and put some money into some test kits. I believe the Salifert test kits are the best bang for your buck, reasonably affordable, regarded as accurate, and easier to read than something like API where you have to match colors.
https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/s...MIwfLL_6rRiwMVQHBHAR1SAxfjEAQYASABEgLvUfD_BwE
You don’t have to buy them all in one bundle like that, but this would be a good selection of test kits if you want to keep corals.

It’s very hard for anyone on R2R to help you if you can’t let us know what your water parameters are ;-)

This could be your lighting, but also flow is very important, as are your parameters.

Are you using tap water or RODI water?

A little more info may help the R2R gurus better help you.

Good luck!

 

[Fish Fan]

Keep them on a small island and you will thank us later. However, they will still spawn and grow all over your tank. But hey — it’s all good. Let them overtake your tank so you can justify to yourself / significant other that you NEED upgrade to a larger tank and save these animals from suffocating. ;)

That is the way to do it!

 

[kevthetaco]

GSP can definitely take over a tank, but nothing beats Xenia for overtaking a tank; be happy yours are not doing well :)

I’m kind of joking of course, but definitely know that many, many have regretted getting Xenia. I actually really like them, the pulsing (When they do it) is nothing short of cool. But I haven’t found a way to keep them successfully at bay. Even keeping them on a totally separate rock than your main aquascape doesn’t really work, they seem to just show up everywhere in the tank.

I believe that no one knows for sure why or why not they pulse. And even though this is considered an easy, beginner coral, this kind of thing does happen where no matter what you do you just can’t seem to be successful with a particular coral.

That said, not having test kits to test for water parameters is a problem, in my opinion, especially if you’re just getting going in the hobby. I would suggest that you stop acquiring corals, and put some money into some test kits. I believe the Salifert test kits are the best bang for your buck, reasonably affordable, regarded as accurate, and easier to read than something like API where you have to match colors.
https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/s...MIwfLL_6rRiwMVQHBHAR1SAxfjEAQYASABEgLvUfD_BwE
You don’t have to buy them all in one bundle like that, but this would be a good selection of test kits if you want to keep corals.

It’s very hard for anyone on R2R to help you if you can’t let us know what your water parameters are ;-)

This could be your lighting, but also flow is very important, as are your parameters.

Are you using tap water or RODI water?

A little more info may help the R2R gurus better help you.

Good luck!

A lot of useful info from this so thank you, I’ve been looking into buying a 4 pack of the Salifert test kit as it’s about $5, but if it helps at all there’s a brown spec on the stem of my Xenia, I’ll put a picture to help. I’m using RODI water to top off but for this week I’m topping off with salt water to try and raise my salinity to a perfect state, I have 2 Powerheads on opposite sides for flow and I put pictures of my lighting system, which I believe to be fairly high. Also I’ve maintained both GSP and Xenia on their own little island as ik they consider them weeds, may not help much but also just really like how gsp looks when it covers a rock

 

[Fish Fan]

A lot of useful info from this so thank you, I’ve been looking into buying a 4 pack of the Salifert test kit as it’s about $5, but if it helps at all there’s a brown spec on the stem of my Xenia, I’ll put a picture to help. I’m using RODI water to top off but for this week I’m topping off with salt water to try and raise my salinity to a perfect state, I have 2 Powerheads on opposite sides for flow and I put pictures of my lighting system, which I believe to be fairly high. Also I’ve maintained both GSP and Xenia on their own little island as ik they consider them weeds, may not help much but also just really like how gsp looks when it covers a rock

I don’t want to pretend that I’m a coral husbandry expert, I’m not, but I have some thoughts. I’m sure other members will also be able to help here.

A lot of good in your reply! Get the Salifert kits, but if your tank is past the cycle, I’d put my money into the kits included in the pack I linked above. I *Believe* but definitely could be wrong that the Salifet 4 pack for $50 includes ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH, and all of these except the nitrite would not be bad to have. In saltwater aquaria specifically nitrite is not toxic, so no need to test for that, in my humble opinion. Ammonia after you cycle is likely not going to be a problem, unless you have die off. Nitrate and pH, absolutely.

Past the cycle, I think nitrate, phosphate, calcium, alkalinity, and to a lesser extent magnesium are important. pH is good too.

RODI water is what you want. You said in your first post that your salinity was 1.025, which is more or less perfect. I wouldn’t top off with saltwater at this point.

If you don’t have one, consider an Auto Top Off system (ATO) to help keep your salinity stable, that’s really important with coral care.

 

[kevthetaco]

I don’t want to pretend that I’m a coral husbandry expert, I’m not, but I have some thoughts. I’m sure other members will also be able to help here.

A lot of good in your reply! Get the Salifert kits, but if your tank is past the cycle, I’d put my money into the kits included in the pack I linked above. I *Believe* but definitely could be wrong that the Salifet 4 pack for $50 includes ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH, and all of these except the nitrite would not be bad to have. In saltwater aquaria specifically nitrite is not toxic, so no need to test for that, in my humble opinion. Ammonia after you cycle is likely not going to be a problem, unless you have die off. Nitrate and pH, absolutely.

Past the cycle, I think nitrate, phosphate, calcium, alkalinity, and to a lesser extent magnesium are important. pH is good too.

RODI water is what you want. You said in your first post that your salinity was 1.025, which is more or less perfect. I wouldn’t top off with saltwater at this point.

If you don’t have one, consider an Auto Top Off system (ATO) to help keep your salinity stable, that’s really important with coral care.

Sorry my mistake it’s a 3 pack and it’s for magnesium, calcium, and alkalinity, along with a separate phosphate tester. I already have some basic tester for ph, nitrate, ammonia, just need those 3 to be able to test well my parameters. Ik eventually I’ll get a auto top off, but considering the small size of my tank and the fact it’s sitting on my desk with limited space on the bottom I may need to upgrade before that lol. I started my little tank as a little experiment since I have a freshwater but now it has became a passion and I’m upset I didn’t start with a bigger tank. Also I’ll include a link to the test kits
Test kits

 

[Fish Fan]

The test kits you linked are solid for coral husbandry, and that’s Calc, Alk, and to a lesser extent Mag - that’s the “big three” for coral care.

As far as an ATO, they are - in my most non-expert opinion - even more important for smaller tanks than a larger tank. Salinity swings in small tanks can be very large, and when the salinity changes it takes with it a lot of other parameters.

If you want to keep coral in a very small tank, I would very much look into a robust ATO.

 

[kevthetaco]

The test kits you linked are solid for coral husbandry, and that’s Calc, Alk, and to a lesser extent Mag - that’s the “big three” for coral care.

As far as an ATO, they are - in my most non-expert opinion - even more important for smaller tanks than a larger tank. Salinity swings in small tanks can be very large, and when the salinity changes it takes with it a lot of other parameters.

If you want to keep coral in a very small tank, I would very much look into a robust ATO.

Found this ATO for like $45, can you give a quick opinion on it? Might be as simple as just putting the pump in the gallons I have under my desk and calling it a day, would also prevent salinity swings like you mention. Thanks for the advice still confused on my Xenia tho :(

 

[Llyod276]

ATOs are good but unless hooked to a permanent water source like say a garden spigot, all it does is delay your refills.
I had an rodi system with a booster pump that was attached to a spigot permanently left open and man I forgot about it till it failed 2 years later. Then I had to go back to refilling manually with buckets. And no rodi, but it was well water. Ungreat.
Now after moving, I don't use rodi, just let the chlorine from city water evaporate and bam! Water is just fine. No issues.

 

[Fish Fan]

Found this ATO for like $45, can you give a quick opinion on it? Might be as simple as just putting the pump in the gallons I have under my desk and calling it a day, would also prevent salinity swings like you mention. Thanks for the advice still confused on my Xenia tho :(

I don’t have any experience with that ATO, but I’m not loving the looks of it or some of the reviews.

@VintageReefer what ATO do you use on your smaller tanks? TIA!

 

[Llyod276]

My wife. She's the ATO.

 

[Fish Fan]

ATOs are good but unless hooked to a permanent water source like say a garden spigot, all it does is delay your refills.

This is not entirely true. An ATO helps to keep the tanks salinity stable, which is very important in reef keeping, even if you have to manually refill your ATO reservoir periodically. ATO’s are even more important on smaller tanks because small tanks will see a greater swing in salinity. If the salinity changes, it also changes other parameters along with it, so keeping a stable salinity is a pretty good idea :)

 

[Llyod276]

But how automatic is it if you're still refilling reservoirs???

I don't question the stability , but for TRUE AUTOMATION.

 

[BryanM]

ALK, phos, and nitrates are the things I generally test for. Mag and calc seem problematic to test for... This is a good read: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/just-say-no-to-magnesium-testing-rmm-is-born.1017528/