Still Trying to Help a Torch

[mythesis]

Thanks for the pics! Are you able to vacuum the aragonite? Looks like there is algae etc on the surface. The coarser size will let detritus down deeper into the bed and it will need cleaning.

Par numbers are kinda what I expected based on the size of the tank. They have them pretty close to the water which is not helping spread and you can see it in the numbers as you move off to the side from the center of the lights. The front to back depth is also going to have some wild numbers as the lights are not really long enough to provide even coverage front to back. If you are going to use a shorter light like the XR15 they should be oriented with the length of the tank and have 3 across the width towards the back and 3 across the width towards the front. Or go with a longer light like the xr30 and have at least 3 preferably 4 oriented front to back.

I think I'm stuck with these lights for now. Maybe next year I can convince the budget committee to buy a bigger tank with more lights :)

UNLESS.... you want to keep soft corals with just a few LPS. Then you are ok with what you have.

All that said you need more light. Your corals are stretching for light.

I also notice the leather in the corner? Are you running some carbon? They can release compounds which upset the stony corals.

Yes, I had been doing carbon in a bag. As part of Christmas the tank got a GFO/Carbon reactor which I installed last week.

I don't know how cold the tank got but even room temperature would not be an issue long term IMO. I have had plenty of corals get shipped and arrive 55-60 degrees F and they are fine in a day.

If it were my tank.. Get the lights powered up. Corals don't need 40 days to acclimate to 30 par. You know when it's too bright on the LPS as they will be all scrunched up inside the top of the skeleton almost instantly. 120 par on them minimum! 7 day acclimation is plenty.

Definitely upping the intensity. I also "slid" the lights forward so the corals at the front of the tank get more light.

Nitrates!!! Feed more Get your nitrates up 20ppm at least. Target feed the LPS a couple times a week with mysis, lps pellets.. something more than powder. Or make a thick paste out of powdered food and squirt directly on them.

Keep us posted!

So...crazy thing. I did a 15 gal water change yesterday after rolling the bucket of salt to mix it and raising it to 1.026 in the mixing tank.


Today's measurements were way lower across the board:

Salinity: 1.0255 (half the time it would do 1.025, other half 1.026)
pH: 7.8
Phosphate: 0.11 (makes sense, GFO doing its job)
Nitrate: 0.0 (!!!) That's a drop from 10.4 -> 0 in 2 weeks....
Calcium: 380
KH: 8.5
Magnesium: 1230


I did add a big bottle of copepods & been doing some Phyto in the last 2 weeks, but I would have thought that would raise nutrients, not deplete them.


Will add some AB+, Mag, & Reef Fusion 2 part today

 

[Shirak]

I think I'm stuck with these lights for now. Maybe next year I can convince the budget committee to buy a bigger tank with more lights :)



Yes, I had been doing carbon in a bag. As part of Christmas the tank got a GFO/Carbon reactor which I installed last week.



Definitely upping the intensity. I also "slid" the lights forward so the corals at the front of the tank get more light.



So...crazy thing. I did a 15 gal water change yesterday after rolling the bucket of salt to mix it and raising it to 1.026 in the mixing tank.


Today's measurements were way lower across the board:

Salinity: 1.0255 (half the time it would do 1.025, other half 1.026)
pH: 7.8
Phosphate: 0.11 (makes sense, GFO doing its job)
Nitrate: 0.0 (!!!) That's a drop from 10.4 -> 0 in 2 weeks....
Calcium: 380
KH: 8.5
Magnesium: 1230


I did add a big bottle of copepods & been doing some Phyto in the last 2 weeks, but I would have thought that would raise nutrients, not deplete them.


Will add some AB+, Mag, & Reef Fusion 2 part today

Maybe order some sodium nitrate or neonitrate. The dry sodium nitrate is cheap and will last forever. I have been battling some hair algae on a neglected tank and the nitrates drop multiple ppm daily.

Try tossing a frozen mysis cube in every day. If you are already doing that.. toss in two!

 

[BryanM]

I think I'm stuck with these lights for now. Maybe next year I can convince the budget committee to buy a bigger tank with more lights :)



Yes, I had been doing carbon in a bag. As part of Christmas the tank got a GFO/Carbon reactor which I installed last week.



Definitely upping the intensity. I also "slid" the lights forward so the corals at the front of the tank get more light.



So...crazy thing. I did a 15 gal water change yesterday after rolling the bucket of salt to mix it and raising it to 1.026 in the mixing tank.


Today's measurements were way lower across the board:

Salinity: 1.0255 (half the time it would do 1.025, other half 1.026)
pH: 7.8
Phosphate: 0.11 (makes sense, GFO doing its job)
Nitrate: 0.0 (!!!) That's a drop from 10.4 -> 0 in 2 weeks....
Calcium: 380
KH: 8.5
Magnesium: 1230


I did add a big bottle of copepods & been doing some Phyto in the last 2 weeks, but I would have thought that would raise nutrients, not deplete them.


Will add some AB+, Mag, & Reef Fusion 2 part today

My understanding is that mag tests aren't all that great for us at home.

And I would agree with the load you have (very low), that you're not consuming it much. So your tester is likely just testing low and your mag level is probably the 1320 the mixing instructions say it mixes to.

 

[mythesis]

Just an update.

Lights up to 90%

Phosphate down under 0.05. Added magnesium, calcium, KH.

Nitrates still really low from dosing phyto. Feeding extra right now to boost those again.

Also moved the torch to brighter part of the tank.

In general everything looks happier again. Torch is only like 50-75% extended, but at least it's waving around again. Letting things settle for a few weeks and not touching anything.

But at this point nothing looks stressed anymore.

 

[BryanM]

Just an update.

Lights up to 90%

Phosphate down under 0.05. Added magnesium, calcium, KH.

Nitrates still really low from dosing phyto. Feeding extra right now to boost those again.

Also moved the torch to brighter part of the tank.

In general everything looks happier again. Torch is only like 50-75% extended, but at least it's waving around again. Letting things settle for a few weeks and not touching anything.

But at this point nothing looks stressed anymore.

Nice!!