Still a bit perplexed at not as much growing...

[Lapras]

Hi all,
So I've had my tank a few years already, but really having some issues growing acros.

When acros die in my tank, they usually follow this pattern:

1. Polyps not as extended (although some)
2. The tips get almost this "scraped" look, like turning white
3. The color tends to get almost a "pastel" look
4. Slowly dies and loses tissue - not like peeling off, but almost as if the tissue itself gets thinner and thinner until only skeleton remains.

Here are my parameters:

Lighting: ATI T5 8 bulb (recently replaced all bulbs over past 8 weeks, 1 bulb per week); about 1.5ft over the waterline

Alk: Very steady 7.6
Ca: 569 (i don't dose it in hopes it will fall)
Mg: 1295
PO4: 0.04
Nirate: between 5-10ppm
Sg: 1.026
Temp: 78

Flow: 2 x MP40 on pulse (they switch 20% to 40%), one Tunze on a sea sweep lowest setting, and a Tunze very low blowing on the back of a rock

Skimmer: LifeReef

Fish (do I have too many?):
1 x yellow tang,
1 x bristletooth tang,
1 x red tail trigger,
4 x bartlet anthias,
3 x lyretail anthias,
2 x red dragonette,
1 x dartfish,
1 x cardinal fish,
1 x royal gramma,
2 x clownfish,
1 x yellow coris wrasse,
1 x melanarus wrasse,
1 x orange spot blenny

I've attached some pictures for what I described, esp the tips part... that's how I can tell they're going to go downhill.

There are some acros, however, that are encrusting and doing well. I can grow coralline algae very well, too.

Thank you all for any input or suggestions.

 

[ycnibrc]

Do u start your tank with dry rock? And do u dose anything?

 

[ycnibrc]

Your tank scenario is exactly what I try to explain in this thread

Why cant u keep sps?

For those who dose bacteria after your tank has problem keeping Sps please post result improve or not it will help to narrow down the possible cause

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Lapras]

I started with live rock, guessing it wasn't fully cured. I did add some additional live rock. I dose zeoBak now, and a small amount of ZeoStart. So far about 3-4 weeks?

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Have you used a flashlight and checked for pests? I had red bugs, I had some corals rocking and some pale little to no pe. I’m in my second treatment tonight, but most my corals that were affected have made massive improvements in a week. Just food for thought. Good luck and your tank looks great.

 

[Lapras]

I did check for pests, have not found any signs of pests or red bugs.

 

[ycnibrc]

I started with live rock, guessing it wasn't fully cured. I did add some additional live rock. I dose zeoBak now, and a small amount of ZeoStart. So far about 3-4 weeks?

It will take 4 to 6 months until u can see changes. Just keep your nutrients up a little po4 1pm and po3 10ppm. You can Help by removE your coral out off the water briefly then put it back it will slime and breath better.

 

[LC8Sumi]

Well I think you have multiple problems adding up:

- the calcium is way too high for that alkalinity. You’d want something like 150ppm less for that alk

- the po4 is very low to that nitrate, you’d want something like 0.1-0.15 ppm for that nitrate

- these two are already probably weakening the corals, and on top of those the tank is getting blasted by 5-700par of t5 - I’d remove 4 bulbs until the water parameters get in check & stabilised.

 

[Braves Fan]

What kind of salt are you using ,,, how often and how large of water changes are you doing? That's a big Calcium number ,, I just started using a salt with a lower Calcium and Alk number ,, I wanted a salt that test below my target numbers ,, I would rather dose up ,, instead of doing a water change that would bring my numbers up to higher than my target numbers ,, I was using Reef Crystals salt ,,

 

[Topekoms]

What is your PH at?

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

More phos, a little less light, check your flow... flow often affects PE.

Bump your alk a little and that will drop your calcium

 

[Dave Cureton]

Your parameters look decent to me aside from the really high calcium. Have you done an ICP test? Have you verified the SG by a second source like your LFS?

 

[Beardo]

I don't believe high calcium levels cause any direct impact on coral health.

Some of your corals look similar to an issue I had which was caused my contamination. Have you verified you don't have a rusty magnet or anything similar?
As far as slow to no growth over a few years... 18" mounting height for t-5 seems pretty high, most that I see run at max of around 10". Are you sure your corals are getting enough light? Have you ever checked par readings?

 

[jda]

Go to the basics: Calibrate your refractometer and check your temp measurer with something with mercury in it.

Get your calcium down... they need to be in balance for good calcification.

Check for stray voltage.

 

[Lapras]

Well I think you have multiple problems adding up:

- the calcium is way too high for that alkalinity. You’d want something like 150ppm less for that alk

- the po4 is very low to that nitrate, you’d want something like 0.1-0.15 ppm for that nitrate

- these two are already probably weakening the corals, and on top of those the tank is getting blasted by 5-700par of t5 - I’d remove 4 bulbs until the water parameters get in check & stabilised.

thank you. i lifted my lights higher and checked par, around 190-200

should i focus on getting my po4/alk up or reducing nitrates?

 

[jda]

It is not the lights. It is not the N or P. IMO, look elsewhere.

 

[Lapras]

Go to the basics: Calibrate your refractometer and check your temp measurer with something with mercury in it.

Get your calcium down... they need to be in balance for good calcification.

Check for stray voltage.

thanks i did check salinity, it's still 1.026. i use the digital milwaukee reader. i checked against some test solutions.

i did not yet check for stray voltage, what's an acceptable range? i will do that once I'm back home. i did not know stray voltage would affect sps as much.

 

[Lapras]

What is your PH at?

8.05 to 8.24

 

[Lapras]

Well I think you have multiple problems adding up:

- the calcium is way too high for that alkalinity. You’d want something like 150ppm less for that alk

- the po4 is very low to that nitrate, you’d want something like 0.1-0.15 ppm for that nitrate

- these two are already probably weakening the corals, and on top of those the tank is getting blasted by 5-700par of t5 - I’d remove 4 bulbs until the water parameters get in check & stabilised.

thank you. i lifted my lights higher and checked par, around 190-200

should i focus on getting my po4/alk up or reducing nitrates?

 

[Lapras]

Go to the basics: Calibrate your refractometer and check your temp measurer with something with mercury in it.

Get your calcium down... they need to be in balance for good calcification.

Check for stray voltage.

i checked for stray voltage. reading was between 4.5 and 5.2 volts