Please help!!! My chaeto is dying!!

[Dom]

Alk and calcium are perfectly fine. Phosphates and nitrates are a bit high nitrates are 30 and phosphates are also 0.31
I’m using a light called ocean revive t247b. They are pretty strong lights my tank is only 20 gallon

Never heard of it so I can't comment on that specific light. But generally speaking, my goal is 8000-10000 lumens at the bottom of the tank. Some people measure in PAR, but I have a lux meter.

 

[Natescorals]

If you are running a reef tank, I would use Reef Crystals. Been using it for 10 years and am happy with the results.

this light par value

 

[Dom]

Don't bother switching to reef crystals, the levels in your tank with regular IO are just fine for a reef, especially if you are going to use all for reef. Reef crystals is just artificially high in the big 3 for those that don't dose. I switched to IO because reef crystals is no better for more money.

I can't keep chaeto alive either. It lives ok in my invert qt but dies once it's moved to the tank. Not sure why.

I found them on Chewy. There is a $2.00 difference between IO Salt mix and IO Reef Crystals. For an extra 2 bucks, its worth trying the switch.

 

[Natescorals]

That’s why intensity is so low I only keep soft corals and euphyllia

 

[Natescorals]

I found them on Chewy. There is a $2.00 difference between IO Salt mix and IO Reef Crystals. For an extra 2 bucks, its worth trying the switch.

But alkalinity is extremely high with reef crystals. My alk already hits 11dkh with a 2 gallon water change weekly using instant ocean.

 

[Jeeperz]

I found them on Chewy. There is a $2.00 difference between IO Salt mix and IO Reef Crystals. For an extra 2 bucks, its worth trying the switch.

The problem with reef crystals is the 1600 mag and the 10+ ALK and the organics in it along with the unnecessary metal chelators. If that's what you keep it works. I keep my ALK at 9 ish and mag around 1300-1400. High mag can kill snails, or make them week and get picked off by others. @Randy Holmes-Farley has good reasoning behind not using it that made me switch and the only thing I noticed was more money in my pocket.

 

[Dom]

this light par value

Again, I don't work in PAR but in Lumens. But a quick search on R2R suggest 500 par for SPS. If this is true, then you are way under at the tank bottom.

You can compensate by raising the frags up closer to the light.

 

[Jeeperz]

I found them on Chewy. There is a $2.00 difference between IO Salt mix and IO Reef Crystals. For an extra 2 bucks, its worth trying the switch.

I just purchased a big bucket of io through chewy for like $35 and reef crystals was almost $60, that was maybe 3 weeks ago. Maybe reef crystals in on sale or io is not, but they were not even close to the same price when I purchased

 

[fish farmer]

That’s why intensity is so low I only keep soft corals and euphyllia

Can you post a shot of your display tank?

Also how long has your tank been setup?

Do you use RO/DI water?

 

[Natescorals]

The problem with reef crystals is the 1600 mag and the 10+ ALK and the organics in it along with the unnecessary metal chelators. If that's what you keep it works. I keep my ALK at 9 ish and mag around 1300-1400. High mag can kill snails, or make them week and get picked off by others. @Randy Holmes-Farley has good reasoning behind not using it that made me switch and the only thing I noticed was more money in my pocket.

Again, I don't work in PAR but in Lumens. But a quick search on R2R suggest 500 par for SPS. If this is true, then you are way under at the tank bottom.

You can compensate by raising the frags up closer to the light.

it would be impossible for me to keep my euphillias in that high of lighting and I would also have to increase the flow too which would really bother the euphillias too. Sometimes I think having SPS would be so much easier than trying to keep euphillias because with them you need very low light and low flow but the lower the flow the more problems

 

[Natescorals]

Can you post a shot of your display tank?

Also how long has your tank been setup?

Do you use RO/DI water?

Yes I’ll take a picture it’s been setup for 4 months

 

[Natescorals]

Adding coral to the top or too the bottom wouldn’t really change anything

 

[Natescorals]

Yes I use RODI

 

[fish farmer]

it would be impossible for me to keep my euphillias in that high of lighting and I would also have to increase the flow too which would really bother the euphillias too. Sometimes I think having SPS would be so much easier than trying to keep euphillias because with them you need very low light and low flow but the lower the flow the more problems

I don't have a par meter but my hammers are high up in my tank with moderate flow..you don't want crushing flow, but a little sway. I think when people suggest euphilla in the sand is because they also want to keep SPS in the same tank.

 

[Natescorals]

I don't have a par meter but my hammers are high up in my tank with moderate flow..you don't want crushing flow, but a little sway. I think when people suggest euphilla in the sand is because they also want to keep SPS in the same tank.

What is considered moderate flow? How can I test the rate of flow

 

[Natescorals]

The light mounted

 

[fish farmer]

What is considered moderate flow? How can I test the rate of flow

When it is open you want to have a little sway to the tentacles...if they are whipping around it is too much. Mine would usually close up if the flow is too high.

 

[Natescorals]

Here

 

[Natescorals]

This was when it was happy

 

[fish farmer]

You tank looks good....all the corals look happy in that picture. I don't see much of algae issues in the main tank.

Is the hammer closed up now? How about the Green Star Polyps...open or closed?