Trouble with Corals please help.

[Thatguy96]

Hey everyone. I am having trouble keeping Zoo?s Anemone?s etc.

Below is some info on my tank, and suggestions to what I am doing wrong and what I need to focus on would be greatly appreciated?

To start a little about my tank:

Tank:
125 gallon 6 foot

Lighting:
72 inch LED Solaris
Day light 6 hours
Lunar 4 hours

Filtration:
25 gallon sump 5 chamber?s three main ones for Skimmer
Refugeum (4 inch sand bed Live Rock and finally getting cheeto to grow)
Custom king Skimmer (does a great job pulling stuff out)
To help the Skimmer out I bought a Red Sea Izonizer releases Oxygen in the tank to break up waste molecules and clear up my water.
I just ordered a Phosphate reactor (will be coming in on Friday)

Water flow:
I have two sea swirls
And two power heads
I am getting a wave maker today

Water Parameter?s
Nitrate 0
Calcium 410
Amonia 0
Nitrite 0
PH 8.2
Salinity 1.024
Phosphate ?
Temperature 78 degrees (Aqua Med Chiller)

Live stock:
Naso Tang 12 inches I love this one
Blue hippo = 4 inches
Red Sea Tang = 5 inches
Sailfin Tang = 2 inches
Blue legged hermit Crab?s
2 cleaner shrimps
LawnMower Goby
4 clowns = 2 inches

I have been working hard on perfecting my water parameters.
I first had a Nitrate problem they were off the roof due to over feeding and a lot of light. They are all controlled now. I have improved the water quality by doing more frequent water changes, and letting the fuge cycle and establish a bit.
I have been dipping the water and increasing my calcium finally got it to 410. I also put in a Alkalinity Buffer at the same time.

I have a Deltech Calicium Reactor that I plan on installing in a few weeks.

Should I just wait a little while longer until my tank can get some choroline algae etc before I start putting in Corals?

 

[jejton]

How long has the system been running?

 

[MikeyZO]

Coralline algae has little to do with corals. There are plenty of tanks out there that have healthy corals but very little coralline algae. How long has your tank been running?

 

[KathyC]

You left 2 critically important parameters off of your list..Alkalinity and Magnesium. What are those levels at?

What kind of test kits are you using?
Tough to believe your nitrates are at zero with that Naso in there!

 

[Thatguy96]

Tank has been running for about a year now!

I did a rock rearrangement (Stacked all the rock up so that none were leaning on the back) this past weekend so that my Naso Tang can swim around in a circular motion and so that the tank has better water flow.

 

[Thatguy96]

You left 2 critically important parameters off of your list..Alkalinity and Magnesium. What are those levels at?

What kind of test kits are you using?
Tough to believe your nitrates are at zero with that Naso in there!

Ha Ha they are I just tested yesturday and Nitrates are fine.

Calcium I use Salfert test kit
Alkalinity I use Red Sea and its at 150
i have not tested for magnesium.

 

[KathyC]

You need to test for Magnesium as it is one of the 3 most important parameters..and it keeps your Alk stable.

Not sure what Alk at 150 means..what measurement is that at? KH..meq/L?..something else??

 

[Thatguy96]

You need to test for Magnesium as it is one of the 3 most important parameters..and it keeps your Alk stable.

Not sure what Alk at 150 means..what measurement is that at? KH..meq/L?..something else??

I appreciate all your responses! I will go ahead and test my Alk as soon as I get home and post.

What do you reccommend to use for a Magnesium Test kit.

 

[Aquatic Life Direct]

You left 2 critically important parameters off of your list..Alkalinity and Magnesium. What are those levels at?

I was just about to ask this as well... i would recommend a salifert magnesium test kit as it is very easy to use.

 

[Bob 1000]

Tank has been running for about a year now!

I did a rock rearrangement (Stacked all the rock up so that none were leaning on the back) this past weekend so that my Naso Tang can swim around in a circular motion and so that the tank has better water flow.

If you have sand I think you may have made some phosphate soup from stirring the sand while moving the rocks..That's why I'm BB now because I move my rocks too much to have sand.. Just a suggestion I didn't read the book on your tank in the beginning,,,lol..

 

[ZANYMASTER]

Wow,4 tangs?Skimmer handling the load?

 

[Thatguy96]

If you have sand I think you may have made some phosphate soup from stirring the sand while moving the rocks..That's why I'm BB now because I move my rocks too much to have sand.. Just a suggestion I didn't read the book on your tank in the beginning,,,lol..

Ha Ha, Bob I think that might be one of the reason. I woke up today and saw that my sun corals are slowly starting to come out. about 3 out of 8 heads are half way open.

I am in the process of getting a Magnesium Test kit and found out yesturday that the Alk test that my friend gave me was a year out of date wow so I will have to get a new one there.

Any suggestions to Alk test's out there

 

[Thatguy96]

Wow,4 tangs?Skimmer handling the load?

Skimmer is doing great! I have it on a dry Skim and also have an Ozoneizer to help the waste break up.

 

[KathyC]

The new version of the Salifert Alk kit seems to be accurate.

 

[Wes]

I like the Elos alk kit better than the Salifert. Same price, accurate, and less reagents to deal with