What is causing my corals to not grow?!

[namlessdude]

Here are my parameters.

I don't know why but my corals will not grow whag so ever. I hit a point where NOTHING is growing and things are even dying.

Even easy corals like pulsing xenia, waving hand xenia, torches, kenya tree, leathers, zoas, and torches won't grow! The only thing that actually is growing well is green hair mushroom.

My candy canes are losing tissue and my leathers are starting to fall apart.

I am so desperate to fix this. Even my macro algae won't grow!!!

 

[Fish Fan]

I'm sorry you're having some difficulties. What's your lighting like? This is seeming to me like a low light issue.

#reefsquad what do you guys think?

 

[namlessdude]

I'm sorry you're having some difficulties. What's your lighting like? This is seeming to me like a low light issue.

#reefsquad what do you guys think?

I have 2 nicrew hyperreef 100. This is the PAR reading i have on my tank. Somethings have been moved but everything is within range of where they should be. Maybe it's a light thing but shouldy my chaeto and other macros grow? Shouldnt waving hand xenia and my GSP blow up no matter what cz they are very hardy? Even my zoas dont extend their necks which they wouldve if it was a lighht thing

 

[Scallopking]

At face value doing nothing else just based on your levels, I would lower your Alk level and stop dosing Mg if you are and let both drop. I think your Alk is on the very high side as well Mg. I may also revalidate that salinity level with another device. If you’re dosing Mg just stop that altogether. No need to keep that up.

 

[namlessdude]

At face value doing nothing else just based on your levels, I would lower your Alk level and stop dosing Mg if you are and let both drop. I think your Alk is on the very high side as well Mg. I may also revalidate that salinity level with another device. If you’re dosing Mg just stop that altogether. No need to keep that up.

This was right sfter water change. Here is the trend in my values. I just tested mag for the first time and i was dosing 3 part aquaforest 1+2+3+ ehich i stopped for a bit and did not see any difference. I started again and things seemed tk get worse. I am using IO salt and rught sfter a water change things look SOOO GOOD for a day or 2 before back to baseline.

 

[JGT]

Nitrates?

 

[namlessdude]

Nitrates?

I dont have a test kit for that :(

 

[19Mateo83]

How old is this system?

 

[Fish Fan]

I have 2 nicrew hyperreef 100. This is the PAR reading i have on my tank. Somethings have been moved but everything is within range of where they should be. Maybe it's a light thing but shouldy my chaeto and other macros grow? Shouldnt waving hand xenia and my GSP blow up no matter what cz they are very hardy? Even my zoas dont extend their necks which they wouldve if it was a lighht thing

That's a really great way to measure an show your PAR with the green tape, I like that

 

[tbrown]

What did you use to test your Phosphates? I've read that high phosphates can cause coral growth to slow down. 1.0 - I'm going to assume Salifert or API, not Hanna?

 

[Reef Jedi]

Please post nitrates and phosphate levels. Also I agree with bringing alk down to 8 and mg to 1350. With your current levels you’re running a very high level and I’ve never had good luck up that high.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

What size is the tank? Did you measure those par your self? Can we see pictures of the corals, sometimes the corals give clue's. IME, just surviving and not growing usually comes down to lighting, IMO 80% of growing corals is about the light. How is the flow in the tank? Leather corals will fall apart if there is not enough flow.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I also would be curious to know what you are testing phosphates with.
I would grab a nitrate kit if you can!

 

[ReeferTCG]

When this happened to me in the past, if corals were slowly declining was too low light and parameters swinging all over the place.

 

[Rocks reef]

A full tank shot would help. Please take a white light photo so we can see the corals.
Phosphate being 1.0 isn’t the main issue.
We need to know Nitrate as well.
Mag tests are notoriously inaccurate, so hopefully your Mag isn’t even higher than 1500.
What are you using to test with?

 

[BryanM]

500 par from those lights mounted at that height seems somewhat unlikely.

You have a large shadowing zone in the middle of your tank, if it were me I would probably move the lights a few inches closer together.

 

[namlessdude]

I got a salifert test kit for magnesium and alk. I ordered one for calcium and its on its way. For now, i test calcium with my API test kit. I also test phosphate with salifert.

 

[namlessdude]

500 par from those lights mounted at that height seems somewhat unlikely.

You have a large shadowing zone in the middle of your tank, if it were me I would probably move the lights a few inches closer together.

I see a few replies saying it might be light. If its a light issue, wouldnt some corals still grow? For example, my waving hand xenia and zoas should extend their necks and still grow because they are hardy and acclimate to most light. Especially the zoas because i have them high and low jn the tank.

Also, what about my macro in sump? That isnt growing... even algae on glass is rare.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Are you running any activated carbon?

 

[namlessdude]

Are you running any activated carbon?

Yes but i replace it once a month so i can def up that to once biweekly but i do run it. Why do you ask?