New coral issues

[lamarlover52]

I just got my first big patch of corals, I had some leathers and gsp before though. Yesterday I picked up 8 corals from Facebook marketplace (student with no job so I can’t afford the buy online or in store). But I have the feeling they aren’t doing good. I got 3 zoas, a frogspawn, a trumpet coral, an orange mushroom, pulsing Xenia, and a weird sps which the guy threw in for free. My tank is a 20 gallon long with a nicrew 50 over the part where I have corals, my tank is 4 months old but I used about 5 pounds of live rock and bacteria additives. I have one Dartfish, 2 nassarius, 3 trochus and 2 blue legged. The frogspawn doesn’t seem too bad but it’s kinda exposed. The orange mushroom seems good but when I was placing it, some of the “glowy part” was left on my hand. The trumpet seems to be doing bad and was damaged in transport. The Zoe’s seem good. The worst part was that the pulsing Xenia was competing dead and fallen apart when I looked this morning. The sps which the guy claimed was a fire corals seems ok but I don’t expect it too last, I would appreciate an identification on it. I don’t have my tank perimeters yet but I am about too. Although I know I have 1.025 salinity. I did a freshwater dip. I have lot of macro algae in the tank. I’m just here to ask more experience reef keepers if these signs are normal or not, and what I should do if they aren’t.

 

[tzabor10]

I remember when I was new. It’s all going to happen the way it does. Knowing your parameters would help. Are you dosing? Might be time. I’d watch out for fire coral. Flow lighting, filtration, nutrients and dosing will help most coral succeed. Good luck

 

[Shirak]

Corals should not be dipped in fresh water.

 

[lamarlover52]

Corals should not be dipped in fresh water.

I heard about freshwater dipping before and I didn’t have any dipping solution so I did it, but I’ve looked more into and you’re 100% right. Although it says it can be ok for soft corals but not sps and the sps is doing much better then the xenia

 

[lamarlover52]

I remember when I was new. It’s all going to happen the way it does. Knowing your parameters would help. Are you dosing? Might be time. I’d watch out for fire coral. Flow lighting, filtration, nutrients and dosing will help most coral succeed. Good luck

thanks for letting me know, all I have is freshwater tests right now but I’ll check when I get some saltwater. I am going to start doing next week because of the stony and honestly I wasn’t planning on getting the fire but the guy said it was free and it was an “easy coral and not an sps” which I doubted but still wanted to try it out, it’s seems actually ok right now.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

your tank is mysteriously too clean for 4 months old, the sand and rocks should not be that white. A nicrew 50 watt should be enough for a 20 gallon, but crank it to 100%.

What are the nitrate and phosphate levels? What is the alkalinity? These are important to know for corals.

Also as mentioned above never freshwater dip corals.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

What does the flow look like in your tank?
I agree, we need to know your tank parameters and what you are using to test them.

 

[Shirak]

thanks for letting me know, all I have is freshwater tests right now but I’ll check when I get some saltwater. I am going to start doing next week because of the stony and honestly I wasn’t planning on getting the fire but the guy said it was free and it was an “easy coral and not an sps” which I doubted but still wanted to try it out, it’s seems actually ok right now.

I use Hanna for Alk, high range Nitrate, ultra low range phosphate
Salifert for Ca and Mg

Refractometer for Salinity with DIY calibration solution. The store purchased stuff is questionable.

Salifert Alk test is good too. I would get alk test kit first. This is key if you want to keep stony coral. That and proper salinity.

 

[lamarlover52]

What does the flow look like in your tank?
I agree, we need to know your tank parameters and what you are using to test them.

your tank is mysteriously too clean for 4 months old, the sand and rocks should not be that white. A nicrew 50 watt should be enough for a 20 gallon, but crank it to 100%.

What are the nitrate and phosphate levels? What is the alkalinity? These are important to know for corals.

Also as mentioned above never freshwater dip corals.

your tank is mysteriously too clean for 4 months old, the sand and rocks should not be that white. A nicrew 50 watt should be enough for a 20 gallon, but crank it to 100%.

What are the nitrate and phosphate levels? What is the alkalinity? These are important to know for corals.

Also as mentioned above never freshwater dip corals.

I think the high amount of macro late stopped a lot of the normal diatoms although I still have some, I also have some green algae (not hairy or bad looking) that I think is the start of coralline, which would smell sense because there’s a lot of live rock with coralline in there. I’m keeping the light low while the corals acclimate but I will turn it up slowly. I’ll test alk tomorrow and I will definitely not be freshwater dipping anymore.

 

[lamarlover52]

thanks for letting me know, all I have is freshwater tests right now but I’ll check when I get some saltwater. I am going to start doing next week because of the stony and honestly I wasn’t planning on getting the fire but the guy said it was free and it was an “easy coral and not an sps” which I doubted but still wanted to try it out, it’s seems actually ok right now.

your tank is mysteriously too clean for 4 months old, the sand and rocks should not be that white. A nicrew 50 watt should be enough for a 20 gallon, but crank it to 100%.

What are the nitrate and phosphate levels? What is the alkalinity? These are important to know for corals.

Also as mentioned above never freshwater dip corals.

I also had a typo I meant 4 weeks