How to help these coral?

JasonV · Mar 4, 2019

I'm still learning the names of things but the green coral (one with two heads) below is shriveled up more than normal, what do you think that could be from? Also I noticed the other coral that I posted a photo of with is not expanding like it was a week or so ago...

Salinity is 1.026. It's about 6" up in a 18" tank, light is about 13" above it. I've been putting a few caps of Roti Feast in my tank every other day and using part A and part B Seachem Calcium & Carbonate every other day as well. Any ideas to help?

Hemmdog · Mar 4, 2019

What are your water parameters? What is your light?

JasonV · Mar 4, 2019

Hemmdog said:
What are your water parameters? What is your light?

Nitrite / Nitrate 0. Phosphate .03 KH 8 Salinity 1.026. I see the LFS didn't write down my Calcium & Magnesium numbers so I will go today and have them do those.

I'm using an Aquatic Life 3' HO output bulbs. There are 4 bulbs total. 2 are white and 2 are blue. I replaced them all today. 39 watts. The blue bulb says 420/460 on it.

Hemmdog · Mar 4, 2019

JasonV said:
Nitrite / Nitrate 0. Phosphate .03 KH 8 Salinity 1.026. I see the LFS didn't write down my Calcium & Magnesium numbers so I will go today and have them do those.

I'm using an Aquatic Life 3' HO output bulbs. There are 4 bulbs total. 2 are white and 2 are blue. I replaced them all today. 39 watts. The blue bulb says 420/460 on it.

Was your mag low? It looks like low mag to me. Maybe increase feeding a bit to get some detectable nitrate as well.

Your white bulb; is it a coral bulb? Like a ATI coral + ? That’s a good bulb, if it’s an office building white t5, you could have problems, and that would explain some of the algae in your pic as well.

Nice Octospawn that thing is sweet!

JasonV · Mar 4, 2019

Hemmdog said:
Was your mag low? It looks like low mag to me. Maybe increase feeding a bit to get some detectable nitrate as well.

Your white bulb; is it a coral bulb? Like a ATI coral + ? That’s a good bulb, if it’s an office building white t5, you could have problems, and that would explain some of the algae in your pic as well.

Nice Octospawn that thing is sweet!

Thank you for the info! I'm using an ATI T5 39 Watt Aquablue bulb and ATI T5 39 Watt Blue Plus.

I just added three caps of each of the part A and part B product. Can you think of anything else that may be causing the issue. I have them secured in place. I think flow rates and light levels are good.

Hemmdog · Mar 4, 2019

JasonV said:
Thank you for the info! I'm using an ATI T5 39 Watt Aquablue bulb and ATI T5 39 Watt Blue Plus.

I just added three caps of each of the part A and part B product. Can you think of anything else that may be causing the issue. I have them secured in place. I think flow rates and light levels are good.

Hmmm. You use RODI water right?

If your nitrate is truely 0, that’s the problem.

JasonV · Mar 4, 2019

Hemmdog said:
Hmmm. You use RODI water right?

If your nitrate is truely 0, that’s the problem.

I'm making my own RODI water and it comes out of the hose zero according to my TDS digital meter that I use. I just checked it and the water in the storage bin and out the hose is 0 TDS. So do I need to introduce nitrates into the tank then?