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Help with Reef Tank please

2K views 12 replies 5 participants last post by  Wiskey 
#1 ·
Hello!

I have been attempting a reef tank for about six months now and it has been a very rocky transition from a freshwater cichlid tank to this beast.. The specifics of my tank are posted below.

My issue is with keeping my coral happy. They seem to do well for a couple weeks when introduced then they seem to not open fully or not all. I am currently keeping a frogspawn coral (which initially grew a new 'head') then just sputtered. I also have an ACON which is not opening and a candy cane coral which is slowly opening less and less.

I also have a zooanthid which seems pretty happy.

Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance


Tank Hardware Details
• 90 Gallon Display Tank (DT)
• 40 Gallon Breeder Sump / Refugium (divided into 3 -- i) drain area; ii) refugium; and iii) return area)
• 1500 gallon / hour overflow box
• 2 x 300 Watt heaters – One in DT, one in sump (return area)
• 4 x 900 gallon / hour powerheads in DT (2 banks of 2, set on timers which 'randomly’ alternate on/off status)
• 1 x 200 gallon / hour powerhead in sump (drain area)
• 1 x 1300 gallon / hour Return pump in sump (return area)
• Protein Skimmer – reef octopus 110 INT in sump (drain area)
• Carbon in sump (replaced every 1.5 ish months)
• Course filter media (sponge) on a shelf in the sump, under the drains to buffer noise from drains (changed every three days)
• T5 lighting 4 x 54watt ( 2x antics on at 11 am off at 10 pm, all lights on noon till 9 pm, moonlight LEDSs on all night)
• Digital temperature meter with thermometer located 4” below water surface

Tank Parameter Details
• All water used in tank purified using RO/DI unit
• All water (water change or top off) is treated with API Proper pH 8.2 as directed
• Salt added for water change is Instant Ocean brand
Current (3/22/15) water parameters prior to the weekly 5 gallon water change are:
• Alkalinity = 11 dKH
• Ammonia = 0 mg/L
• Calcium = 480 mg/L
• Nitrite = 0 mg/L
• Nitrate = 5 – 10 mg/L
• pH = 8.2
• Phosphate = 0 mg/L
• Salinity = 35 ppt
• Temperature = 75.5 to 76.4 Celsius



Tank Inhabitant Details
• Healthy Chaetomorpia in Refugium
• Small dying off population of green hair algae in display tank
• Cynobacteria in Refugium
• Coraline algae establishing on live rock and ‘filler’ rock (mostly lime green and red stuff)
• 2 Healthy Clown Fish
• 5 blue legged crab
• 2 Welk snails
• Large population of arthropods
• Roughly 1.5” sand bed in DT (aragonite)
• Roughly 7” deep sand bed (aragonite) in refugium with presumably, the associated bacteria
 
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#2 ·
Hello Mosswalker, and welcome to TRT. First thing is I hope your temp is actually in FAHRENHEIT and not CELSIUS. 167deg F. is a smidge warm, even for reef creatures.:confused: Biggest help for us to help here would be seeing pics of your tank, and the placement of your corals. Do a few more posts...just small ones, and I think at 5 you can begin sharing your pics, and maybe we can see something to help us.
Hack
 
#6 ·
Sorry that I'm not the resident expert on LPS, barely hold my own with my softies, but there my chosen direction so all my attention goes into learning about their needs. With your zoas doing well, just a guess mind you, and I've tryed to think of good advice, is perhaps water quality? Read up on that frospawns are a barameter of water issues, as to where zoas kinda like 'dirty water'. Hoping some experts check in soon for you, and can be of assistance. I think you have a really cool looking set up, and wish you all the best,
Hack
 
#7 ·
If it were me I would try putting the Frogspawn that is not doing well in less light, like shadowed for a couple days. If it does better I'd keep it in less light. If it does worse then I'd move it into more light than it was in the first place. I would do this slowly so we don't bleach the coral and watch. If it starts getting better than we have an answer.

If none of this really does anything then it is water quality. I don't see allot of fish, and the tank is fairly new it is possible that the water is stripped a little too clean for it. Have you tried feeding it at all?

Whiskey
 
#11 ·
I don't think the problem is not enough light - mine are under less light that and do well. Might be a flow issue. Have you tried moving them to different areas? Frogspawn and other euphyllia are kind of finicky about flow - too much and they'll retract because they can be damaged on their own skeletons. But too little and detritius will settle in them and also cause issues, they should have a nice constant waving motion without whipping around.
 
#12 ·
Update

Thanks everyone!

I tried the advice and moved the frogspawn to an area with a little less light as well as adjusted some of the flow.

I also tried specifically feeding it. After the second day its for sure 50% improved. As was suggested, I think I was starving it due to the little food I was introducing into the tank for my fish.

I was going for a low bio load to better control nitrates as I'm gunning for sps in the future.

Thanks again for the advice and interest
 
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