Little to no growth and dying corals
- Thread starter Reef_puck
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Lavey29
10K Club member
You need to keep nutrients levels and other Parameters in good ranges for many months before corals thrive in your environment and also includes light and flow.
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Reef_puck
Active Member
Yes. Lighting and flow should be good unless these are no longer in the feeding world.
. Tank is a 90g reef running 2x Radion XR15 Blues , Mp-40 and a Mp-10.
You think this will be 3 months or more before I see any change? I know things don’t change fast but how will I know this is working?
. Tank is a 90g reef running 2x Radion XR15 Blues , Mp-40 and a Mp-10.
You think this will be 3 months or more before I see any change? I know things don’t change fast but how will I know this is working?
Lavey29
10K Club member
For me, things were up and down the first year. After a year the tank got much more stable and predictable and once I fine tuned lighting and flow to match stable parameters then everything took off and thrived. Patience is key in this hobby. You are on the right path now but still gonna be some months before you start seeing noticeable results.
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Reef_puck
Active Member
While I am working on increasing phosphates/nitrates and hopefully not going over the line of algae outbreaks. Should I still do water changes at this point or skip a few months until those parameters show up on a test kit? I typically do 30 gallons every month and a half.
Lavey29
10K Club member
If you are not doing weekly water changes on a new tank under a year that is unstable you will have continual problems. Your tank is only a couple months old. Not much growth happens the first year. Tank is to unstable with ugly phases too.
Your water changes are not frequent enough.
In a 90 gallon tank, FAITHFUL, WEEKLY water changes are all that is needed to enjoy a thriving tank.
Understand that water changes serve two purposes; to export nutrients from the tank and to replenish elements consumed by coral.
In your case, faithful 20% weekly water changes will do the trick. So for your tank, I would suggest an 18 gallon water change weekly. Monitor the tank. I'm sure you will begin seeing improvements over the next 6-8 weeks as the water changes will allow you chemistry to stabilize.
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Reef_puck
Active Member
The tank is over a year old now.
The chemistry is good except no phosphates and low nitrates. Water changes are not going to increase those but probably dilute them more.
I would think.
Tank had went through a Cyano stage about 10 months ago. There is Valonia in the overflow. No signs of the GHA. If that comes in this tank then I will tear it down. Past tanks years ago I could never beat it.
Good Coraline algae all over the glass and rock.
The chemistry is good except no phosphates and low nitrates. Water changes are not going to increase those but probably dilute them more.
I would think.
Tank had went through a Cyano stage about 10 months ago. There is Valonia in the overflow. No signs of the GHA. If that comes in this tank then I will tear it down. Past tanks years ago I could never beat it.
Good Coraline algae all over the glass and rock.
Lavey29
10K Club member
Sorry I saw your post that the tank was set up in November and I thought 2023 but you meant 2022.
Did you ever raise your light intensity and measure par? I was running my radions at 70% and had no coral growth. When I bumped intensity to 100% corals took off.
It sounds like you may have more than one problem. If your 90 gallon Tank is 48" two XR15 is not a lot of light expecialy for Sps. You should do a Par test you might be surprised.
Lavey29
10K Club member
Water changes do virtually nothing to lower phosphates because phosphates bind to rocks and then slowly release back into the water so as you remove some phosphates during the water change, the rock is leaching phosphate back into your tank.
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Reef_puck
Active Member
there are no phosphate readings. Salifert and a LFS test as well. I get the need for nutrient export.
I have the lights up to 90% intensity.
I guess there is no one answer fits all. In this thread it’s too much light and not enough light. Too low nutrients but do frequent water changes. I guess I have to keep changing things until it works but there goes stability.
I have the lights up to 90% intensity.
I guess there is no one answer fits all. In this thread it’s too much light and not enough light. Too low nutrients but do frequent water changes. I guess I have to keep changing things until it works but there goes stability.
Lavey29
10K Club member
I think you are taking positive steps to improve your tank but ideally you need to evaluate results after maybe 3 to 6 months of solid stability in water chemistry, nutrients, lights and flow. Nothing will change for you dramatically in weeks. Results take patience which is one of the most difficult aspects of the hobby.
The only way to know how much Par you have is to test with a good Par meter. You have good Coraline growth which is a good sign. Go slow it should continue to improve.
Lavey29
10K Club member
You have really nice scape to work with. Have you always had your wave pumps mounted down that low? Early on I killed off a few corals with to much flows. Softs and LPS really don't need much. I have my pumps mounted 3 inches below the surface. To much flow can impede growth also.
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Reef_puck
Active Member
Well today is pushing me closer to giving up on this tank. Lost 2 more corals. A nice torch $$$ that I had for 6 months, and a green/pink frogspawn. They were there the other day now bases are empty. The toadstool is about to die as well, it’s shriveled up and twisted.
I kkkwnit would take some time to hopefully get some nutrients in the tank but did not expect to start losing all the corals. The Zoas at the bottom of the tank look ok but the rest is not looking good.
Planning a large water change tomorrow. Debating where I went wrong on this tank. Besides purchasing allegedly top equipment. And going slow not adding or changing rapidly. Past tanks all succumbed to overwhelmed hair algae that resulted in tearing those tanks down.
Now The corals are not making it. The fish seem ok.
From other posts I do not see people waiting 2 years to add corals unless I am missing something. Even relatively easy to keep corals such as mushrooms and leathers are not making it.
Should just get rid of all the livestock/rock and start over? do a larger water change like 90%? Pack it in and put it on the curb? I am a really bad mood on this tank now.
PH 8.0
Ammon 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 25
Phos 0.1
Mag 1275
Alk 6.7
CA 420
Temp 77
Apex Neptune, ph, orp, temp monitors and power brick
INKBIRD temp controller with dual heaters
Auto top off
4 stage RO/DI 100gpd
Eshopps Axium 160 skimmer
MP-40
MP-10
2 XR-15 lights
Kessil blue tuna light for the refiguim (not running)
I kkkwnit would take some time to hopefully get some nutrients in the tank but did not expect to start losing all the corals. The Zoas at the bottom of the tank look ok but the rest is not looking good.
Planning a large water change tomorrow. Debating where I went wrong on this tank. Besides purchasing allegedly top equipment. And going slow not adding or changing rapidly. Past tanks all succumbed to overwhelmed hair algae that resulted in tearing those tanks down.
Now The corals are not making it. The fish seem ok.
From other posts I do not see people waiting 2 years to add corals unless I am missing something. Even relatively easy to keep corals such as mushrooms and leathers are not making it.
Should just get rid of all the livestock/rock and start over? do a larger water change like 90%? Pack it in and put it on the curb? I am a really bad mood on this tank now.
PH 8.0
Ammon 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 25
Phos 0.1
Mag 1275
Alk 6.7
CA 420
Temp 77
Apex Neptune, ph, orp, temp monitors and power brick
INKBIRD temp controller with dual heaters
Auto top off
4 stage RO/DI 100gpd
Eshopps Axium 160 skimmer
MP-40
MP-10
2 XR-15 lights
Kessil blue tuna light for the refiguim (not running)
Lineatus
Active Member
With those lights at 90%, you’ll be able to grow corals, it’s not a lighting issue. Your parameters look fine apart from the nitrate and phosphate, those need to increase or you will not be able to keep soft corals and lps happy.
A 10% weekly water change would help with stability and won’t really dent your nutrient issue.
Easiest (and most fun) solution would be to add more fish. Your tank is chronically under stocked, which is not helping. 90g is a great tanks size, you have a lot to choose from. Your clearly worried about algae, so to mitigate that stress and to help your nutrient issue, I’d pick up a small tang (maybe a bristletooth) or even a fox face.
Dont give up, you’ve got a lovely looking tank, you’ll find a solution. This hobby takes patience, results take time
A 10% weekly water change would help with stability and won’t really dent your nutrient issue.
Easiest (and most fun) solution would be to add more fish. Your tank is chronically under stocked, which is not helping. 90g is a great tanks size, you have a lot to choose from. Your clearly worried about algae, so to mitigate that stress and to help your nutrient issue, I’d pick up a small tang (maybe a bristletooth) or even a fox face.
Dont give up, you’ve got a lovely looking tank, you’ll find a solution. This hobby takes patience, results take time
sneekapeek
Active Member
I had this same issues of corals wasting away one by one until I dosed cipro to rebalance bacterial levels. There is problematic bacteria that may be causing the issue, without testing it’s a shot in the dark.
I have found corals are extremely resilient to environmental issues. Such that there is a range of parameters that most people would agree to be good and bad. Some say no phos is bad, but is total phosphorous non existent? Too much gray area to say aha that’s it.
Have you taken any of the corals out to dip with iodine or anything to rebalance/kill bacteria in and around affected coral?
I have found corals are extremely resilient to environmental issues. Such that there is a range of parameters that most people would agree to be good and bad. Some say no phos is bad, but is total phosphorous non existent? Too much gray area to say aha that’s it.
Have you taken any of the corals out to dip with iodine or anything to rebalance/kill bacteria in and around affected coral?
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