LPS struggling - Assumed to be lack of water change

[johnnyenv]

Hello,

I was hoping for some pointers regarding my tank. Pretty much the following Corals are not doing as well as they used to

Blasto - All heads quite small.
pulsing Xenia - Fully recessed for weeks
BTA - somewhat recessed
Torch - Somewhat recessed
Chalice - Slight bleaching
GSP - Doing fine
Zoanthids - not all open

Now I can tell you that I've not done a water change in months which is what I suspect is the problem.

My tank parameters are
NH4 - 0
NO2- 0
NO3 - 0 (I can't detect any using the colour kits, everything else is a Hanna Instruments checker reading).
PO4 - 0.05
DKH - 10
Salinity - 1.026
MG - 1200
Calcium - 530 (I know this is high, I'm trying to bring it down).
PH - 7.9
Temp - 24.0

Lights are XR30 Pros at 30% power for 8 hours a day.
There is a Skimmer running on the system as well as Phosgaurd reactor, Carbon Reactor and a ALR15 Algae reactor.

I'm assuming given my crucial parameters are fine that the tank is starved of a type of trace element however I have no idea how to test for this?

I am dosing Iodine and Reef trace by Seachem twice weekly as well as 10ml of Red Sea NOPOX daily.

Any help would be great.

 

[Dsnakes]

Do you have any livestock in there, or do you broadcast/target feed them?

 

[johnnyenv]

Porcupine puffer
Regal Tang
Banana Wrasse
Rainbow Wrasse
Peacock wrasses x2
Fox face
Flame Angel
Cerub Angel
Orange spotted Goby
Clown fish
Halloween hermits
Various snails
2x scarlet shrimp
XL urchin
Sand sifting starfish
Feather dusters
Serpent star

 

[Mal11224]

Water change might help to put some trace elements back into your water. Looks like you have no nutrients in your tank and I noticed that your Alk is around 10 Dkh, which is kind of high for a low nutrient tank. I have nitrates at 5 ppm and level my Alk at 8.2 dkh. Could be why some corals are bleaching. Lack of nutrients may be why they aren't happy. May need to spot feed and make some minor adjustments to your tank parameters.

 

[johnnyenv]

I think I might be over filtering as with zero water changes in months to run zero nitrates given the level I feed seems odd.

BiDaily
Cube of Mysis,
many pieces of large krill (Mainly for puffer)
blood worms
brineshtrimp
Pellets

I am dosing trace elements but only recently so I'm wondering if they are that badly depleted I'm having issues.

Thanks for the advice on Alk.

The reason its high is I can't seem to grown Coraline algae, it starts then perishes away.

 

[Mal11224]

Yeah, with no water changes, the need for supplements is necessary. Gets depleted after a while. The high alk is not a big issue, just need some nutrients in the tank. The corals have nothing to consume.

 

[johnnyenv]

Yeah, with no water changes, the need for supplements is necessary. Gets depleted after a while. The high alk is not a big issue, just need some nutrients in the tank. The corals have nothing to consume.

Anything in particular you’d recommend I target feed them with?

 

[Mal11224]

I like reef roids. I use that for my corals. Also, I use LRS reef frenzy as a meaty treat for my scolies, elegance and euphyllias. They grow fast and get chunky.

 

[johnnyenv]

Ordered some.
I tested again last night and the Calcium is now 542 and Magnesium is 1280.

My LFS advised me the high calcium is likely the reason for the current coral situation. Last week I had a leather just completely retract and now its practically disintegrating.