Help with new Open Brain and Frogspawn

[reefn4fun]

Okay, where to start...I guess a hello is in order, so hello. Let me start by giving a little background information on my system and setup and just as soon as I can get some pictures (wife out of town with camera) I will. Okay here goes...I started this aquarium about 5 months ago with the hopes of having a reef tank. I started my research over 8 months ago and started aquiring equipment that mostly got good reviews from posts here. I had a 75 gallon tank sitting dry that had been a fish only. I first purchased my rock as I read that it needed to be cooked, and as I was afraid of unwanted hitchhikers I went with 100 lbs. of Marco Rock and cooked it for 2 months. I have a T5 lighting system from Reef Geeks which was the 6 light system I am running 3 daylight and 3 actinic with 2 icecap ballasts. My water filter is from The Filter Guys with a TDS meter on the system. I have a 30 gallon sump that houses my 2 Finnex 100W heater's with digital controller, Titanium grounding probe, Mag Drive 12, and Octopus skimmer extreme 200. I drilled holes for an overflow from Glass Holes the 1500 gph setup and enjoyed drilling the glass so much that I drilled 6 more holes 2 for return from sump and the others for a closed loop system. I utilized a sqwd with both the sump and the closed loop for alternating current like a wavemaker. The closed loop also has a Mag Drive 12 pump. I have a Ranco Dual Temp Controller that controls my heaters; I know they already have a controller buy one can't be to cautious; and my fans over my sump. (looking at a complete controller but still haven't made up my mind).

So my parameters
100 lbs rock
80 lbs live sand
0 ammonia
0 nitrate
0 nitrite
0 phosphate
8.3 ph
15 dkh
320 calcium
1.024 sal
79.8 temp

Here is my problem my wife decided she would get me some LPS for my birthday. Well I wasn't testing for calcium or carbonate hardness. She purchased a Open Brain and a Green Wall Frogspawn (that is what the aquarium store told her). Neither of the corols look like they are doing well they are both deflated and I can see the mouth on the frogspawn. Is my calcium so low that they wont open? I also have 2 clownfish, 1 banded goby, 8 asrea snails, and 8 blue leg hermit crabs.

[ChilisREasy]

raise calcium, lower DKH, do this by adding a liquid calcium supplement until dkh is 9 or 10 & calcium 380-420

or you can try a 25% water change (wich salt are you using, i recommend ReefCrystals)

[Hop]

What is the flow like? This is the number one reason that I find where frogspawn won't open fully, they are getting too much flow.

Also what test kits are you using.

[biowheel]

Welcome to TRT !!

[biowheel]

When was the last water change ?

[reefn4fun]

Originally Posted by ChilisREasy

raise calcium, lower DKH, do this by adding a liquid calcium supplement until dkh is 9 or 10 & calcium 380-420

or you can try a 25% water change (wich salt are you using, i recommend ReefCrystals)

I currently use IO salt. Will get to the store tomorrow to get reefCrystals.

[reefn4fun]

Originally Posted by Hop

What is the flow like? This is the number one reason that I find where frogspawn won't open fully, they are getting too much flow.

Also what test kits are you using.

I moved the Frogspawn to an area with moderate flow. It is still doing the same recessed almost completely into it's skeleton. The Open Brain is doing better I moved it to an area on the substrate that doesn't get as high a flow.

The test kits that I use are API I have both the saltwater kit and now the reef kit.

[reefn4fun]

Originally Posted by biowheel

When was the last water change ?

I did a 20% water change 2 days ago.

[biowheel]

Originally Posted by reefn4fun

I moved the Frogspawn to an area with moderate flow. It is still doing the same recessed almost completely into it's skeleton. The Open Brain is doing better I moved it to an area on the substrate that doesn't get as high a flow.

The test kits that I use are API I have both the saltwater kit and now the reef kit.

How long have they been in the tank ?

[biowheel]

It could be something irritating the corals . Did you have any cologne or oil on your hands when you put them in the tank ? Do you were gloves ? How did you acclimate them before putting them in your tank ?

[Hop]

Originally Posted by reefn4fun

I moved the Frogspawn to an area with moderate flow. It is still doing the same recessed almost completely into it's skeleton. The Open Brain is doing better I moved it to an area on the substrate that doesn't get as high a flow.

The test kits that I use are API I have both the saltwater kit and now the reef kit.

I should have been more clear. 1200gph through a 1/2" return is a lot different than a 2" output. Even through a scwd it is a lot of pressure through a small outlet. If they are getting beat up they won't open Two mag 12s pumping water through small outputs may be causing issues no matter where you put the corals... LPS have been about the easiest, non-demanding corals I've ever had and parameters have never been a problem for any of them...

I would suspect flow or lighting acclimation before just about anything else.

[reefn4fun]

Originally Posted by biowheel

How long have they been in the tank ?

They have both been in the tank for a week.

[reefn4fun]

Originally Posted by biowheel

It could be something irritating the corals . Did you have any cologne or oil on your hands when you put them in the tank ? Do you were gloves ? How did you acclimate them before putting them in your tank ?

I have the aqua gloves that I use to place things in my tank. As far as acclimating them I placed them in my sump in the bag they came in to adjust to temp and drip acclimated them for 2 hrs.

[Fat Tony]

I would suggest a couple better test kits, Salifert, Sera, Tropic Marin, Elos... all good kits, the API is fine for the cycleing, but you need something a little better to maintain the more imprtant levels that affect the heath of corals.

Alk, Calcium and Magnesium are the three tests you need to get. Test the water and give us the revised numbers.

IMO, if the Alk is really that high, it is your likely cause as the water they cam out of was probably half that in alk.

[reefn4fun]

Originally Posted by Hop

I should have been more clear. 1200gph through a 1/2" return is a lot different than a 2" output. Even through a scwd it is a lot of pressure through a small outlet. If they are getting beat up they won't open Two mag 12s pumping water through small outputs may be causing issues no matter where you put the corals... LPS have been about the easiest, non-demanding corals I've ever had and parameters have never been a problem for any of them...

I would suspect flow or lighting acclimation before just about anything else.

I have the 1" sqwd and have all the plumbing done in 3/4 inch. I used a head pressure calculator and came up with the system having 1,340.49 gph. Is this to much for my system? Yes, this was my first aquarium plumbing job and I have so many twists and turns it is hard to tell where one pipe starts and the other one ends.