Reef problems

[timmonsjr]

I am having coral troubles and death and cannot figure out why. I would like some advice on other things I might check or monitor, other than what I am doing. Those corals that are supposed to be easy - mushrooms - are shriveling up in my tank.

Tank 75 gallons
Water parameters - temp between 72 and 76 degrees with chiller.
Nitrates - 40 or below on high range testing
Ph - 8.0 - 8.2
Salinity - 30
Calcium 410-450
RO water - 0 phosphates, 0 nitrates before mixing.

Giving phytoplankton bi-weekly for corals. Feeding some brine shrimp, formula one, formula 2 in small amounts every other day for the fish and "meaty" corals. Using Essential elements once a week.

Inhabitants - 4 kinds of mushroom coral, dozen brittle stars (brown and red), spiny urchin, small, glass goby (2), bicolor blenny, 2 bangai cardinals, ocelaris clown (2), sea whip, ricordia (various), red sponge coral, gorgonia (2 tan, 3 corky), zoanthid rock with polyps green and brown), boring sponge, small sand sifting star (2) Lots of live rock with coating of coraline algae.

Lighting - two coralife 48" lights, 10,000 k and blue actinic bulbs. On 10 hours, off 14.

Filtration - overflow into wet/dry with algae - established "critters" growing inside. Protein skimmer, changed 2 times a week. (Red Sea Prism hang on).

Recently died - 2 wrass (small clowns), several gorgonias, 2 lettuce nudibranch, two purple gorgonia. All mushrooms and zoanthids are looking shriveled and unhappy, gorgonias are not "blooming" at all any more, two pink tipped anemone.

Seems like things are crashing and I can't find anything major wrong with things I am doing. Everything was doing really well until about a week ago and seems to be declining...

HELP!! What else do I need to check or do?

This tank is in a school where we use it as part of our life science curriculum. It is one of four tanks and the only one we are having trouble maintaining - the others are touch, urchin and predator so easier. We really want this one up and running and beautiful - to illustrate what reefs can look like, teach about the animals and the importance of reefs and instill conservation and lifelong interest in our kids. HELP!!

[dv3]

just looking at your parameters id say ...ur temp is too low, ph is a little low, and nitrate is a little high, and you may not have enough light......all small problems but could add up to one big one ....but im just guessing ...lol

[biowheel]

Your Salinity is on the low side . Your nitrates are very high . When was the last water change ? Are you using RO water or RO/DI water ? Have you tested the TDS in the RO water ?

[Jadinop]

Forgoing the obvious water quality issues which can be helped with a series of water changes, you have a few problems that need to be addressed.

Lighting is no good for corals. Two 48" 40w flourescent tubes are insufficent for corals and would only be barely good enough for a fish only tank.

Your Red Sea Prism skimmer is a poor performer. If you are serious about turning your tank around you need to invest in a quality skimmer. Check out the MSX line at Marine Solutions.

Many of the things you listed as already dead are prone to only surviving for short terms in our tanks. Lettuce nudis and gorgonians commonly die after a few weeks. Anemones will certainly die in a tank with your lighting so no suprises there.

Stop dosing phyto for the corals, they do not eat it.
Stop dosing Essential elements. Don't dose what you don't test for.
Rasie your water temp, 76 to 80 would be more appropriate for a reef tank.

[ckusnierek]

Stop putting all that stuff in your tank your polluting the water.

Do a 20% WC weekly for the next month use RO/DI

I highly doubt with all the phyto and other organics your putting in there that your PO4 is 0

do you have a skimmer?
If not you need one!

You very light on the lighting especially for anemones. If they are power compacts
If so, You will want to get them out they will DIE.

How longs has this tank been setup?

Another thought is could one of the kids be putting stuff in the tank?