Having Coral Difficulties

[Kristenpse]

Hello, I am new to the hobby and I am currently working towards making my 50 gallon tank into a reef habitat. Currently in the tank i have 2 azure damsels, deer cowrie, 2 money cowrie, peppermint shrimp, and an emerald crab. They are all doing wonderful in the tank.

A friend of mine has been cutting some of his coral pieces and we've been trying to get them to grow in my tank with no success. They seem to do well the first few days in the tank and then the polyps close up (Star Polyp Soft Coral). He gave me a mushroom coral, which seems to be still alive just not settled into a spot. All the pieces he has given me have not been glued or tied down, I've just been setting them on healthy pieces of live rock. They still have some brown coloring to them, but none of them are blooming and none of them have adhered themselves to the rocks. I've had these coral pieces for several weeks now and the polyps still won't open.

I've checked the calcium levels in the tank, checked pH/Alk/Ammonia/Nitrites everything is within normal ranges. I have supplement additives to add to the water for corals and invertebrates. The lighting is good quality for a reef tank. So I don't know if its something I am doing that's wrong or if my friend isn't taking them from his tank correctly. I haven't watched what he does when he removes them, i think he's just been cutting pieces off.

I really want this tank to be successful with coral, but so far I can't figure out what I am doing that is wrong. Any advice would help out greatly.

[Jormungandr]

How are you acclimating them?

[Leeworthy]

whats your water flow like? I find Polyps really like a good sweeping flow on them, and same for the mushrooms, also what height are you placing them at in the tank? What lighting are you using and how many bulbs? How old are the bulbs?

[dzhuo]

Originally Posted by Kristenpse

I've checked the calcium levels in the tank, checked pH/Alk/Ammonia/Nitrites everything is within normal ranges.

Try to be a little more specific with the parameters. If you have tested them, list them. If you rely on others to test your parameters (like LFS), I would suggest getting test kits yourself. You will need them if you are going to stay in this hobby.

Originally Posted by Kristenpse

I have supplement additives to add to the water for corals and invertebrates.

What supplements have you been adding? How much and at what frequency? Again, try to be a little more specify. Judging from the corals you are trying to keep, you most definitely do not need any supplements.

Originally Posted by Kristenpse

The lighting is good quality for a reef tank.

What kind of lighting?

Originally Posted by Kristenpse

I really want this tank to be successful with coral, but so far I can't figure out what I am doing that is wrong.

We are here to help. How long has this tank been set up? What kind of filtration (skimmer? fuge?) and flow you have?

[Kristenpse]

Parameters

pH 8.2
Temp 80-82 degrees
Alk (mili equaivalents/Liter) Normal range 1.7-2.8
NO2- 0.05 p.p.m.
NO3- low range 2.5 p.p.m
NH3/NH4- 0 p.p.m
All test reading from Marine Test Lab from Red Sea

Calcium 400 ppm (test Aquarium Pharmaceuticals)

Specific Gravity (Hydrometer) 1.023

Lights: 2 10,000K daylight 65watt 21" CoralLife compact fluorescent. Each contains 2 bulbs straight pin base. Also have 2 Actinic Blue light 65 watt 21" CoralLife compact fluorescent. The blues are in the back whites in the front.
From the top to sand floor is 20". The placement of the coral is between 14 to 16 inches from lighting to placement. Whites are kept on for 8 hour cycle, blues 12 hour cycle both controlled by timers.

Supplements: Liquid Calcium (Kent) recommended 1-5ml per 50 gallon to add to tank per day. Strontium & Molybdenum (Kent) 5ml per 50 gallon every 4 days. Iodide (Kent) 5ml per 50 gallons every week.

Filtration and Water Flow: Tank has been set up for a little over a month now. Water flow I have a Hydor Koralia 1 power head (Left side of tank placement is about 2-3 inches below water level, making motion of water flow from left to right). Also Aqua Clear Power Filter on the right side of the tank with Foam filter insert and activate carbon insert. The coral placements have been below the filter system. I currently use Reverse Osmosis system for water changes for adding water, but I don't have a protein skimmer at the moment.

My friend has been cutting the pieces off, placing them in small plastic Tupperware with water from his tank. The pieces aren't attached to any rubble rock the bottom parts seem to curl into themselves if that makes any sense. I'm not sure how he's removing them from his tank since I haven't been there to watch. When he's brought them over the polyps have mostly been closed except maybe 1 or 2. They stay open for a few days in my tank then close back up. The rest of the polyps never open.

I'm sure I've forgotten to post something here and I'm trying to be specific as possible. As for how long the tanks been set up, almost 2 months now. I was having a "grass like" algae problem, but since the addition of the cowries and emerald crab they have put the algae under control. The tank history (along with filter, rocks, and power head) all came together. My friend needed the room at his house for a crib and he already has successful reef tank so he gave my husband and I this tank along with the live rock, filter, heater, and power head. It had been set up previously at his house for several years, but he never made it a reef tank because the lighting he had for it previously was basic fluorescent (used in fresh water tanks). I'm sorry I wasn't more specific in my first post, I'm new to the whole terminology and have been spending hours doing research on corals. If I am still missing something in this post please let me know and I will do my best to specify.

[Ram Jr]

Its a young tank my friend. It will take time to grow sps and corals in general. You should get a sump and a skimmer and at least a T5 fixture. It wont take as long as you think to get the tank growing because of how old the live rock is. But it will go through its cycles. So be prepared for that. If I were you after you get the skimmer and sump take a few months to let the tank mature and then start to add stuff. Less money down the tube from killing things ..

[dzhuo]

Originally Posted by Kristenpse

Alk (mili equaivalents/Liter) Normal range 1.7-2.8

I am assuming this is meg/L? If so, this is very low. You are average 4 to 7 dKH.

Originally Posted by Kristenpse

NO2- 0.05 p.p.m.

You should not have any nitrite. It might be an indication your tank still haven't finish cycling yet.

Originally Posted by Kristenpse

Specific Gravity (Hydrometer) 1.023

I would also up the sg to 1.025 or 1.026.

Originally Posted by Kristenpse

Supplements: Liquid Calcium (Kent) recommended 1-5ml per 50 gallon to add to tank per day. Strontium & Molybdenum (Kent) 5ml per 50 gallon every 4 days. Iodide (Kent) 5ml per 50 gallons every week.

You don't need any of these at this stage with the corals you are intended to keep. I would stop all dosing.

Originally Posted by Kristenpse

Tank has been set up for a little over a month now.

It's a very new tank so things aren't as stable as they are. I would wait a little longer before adding more corals.

Originally Posted by Kristenpse

I don't have a protein skimmer at the moment.

If possible, I would look into a skimmer. I personally would recommend a skimmer to anyone (regardless of type of corals or fish stock list) except if you have a very small tank (10g or less).

Originally Posted by Kristenpse

I'm sorry I wasn't more specific in my first post, I'm new to the whole terminology and have been spending hours doing research on corals.

No worry.

[thebkramer]

+1 to EVERTHING dzhuo advised!!!


WELCOME TO RC & THE ADDICTION!!

[lexiz1]

Are you using RO/DI water or tap water? What is your TDS (total Dsiolved Solids) level at? Had a problem with my RO unit. Once I cleared that up, my corals bloomed.

+++1 on dzhuo.

[sponger0]

Your lighting Im not sure are adequete enough for that size tank based on where there placement is. The flow is another thing that comes to mind. Also your sg should be brought up a bit. But dzhuo pretty much got it

[chuckdallas]

I used to use a Red Seas Test kit for alk and it had a range of 0 - 3 in mili-equivalents/liter (or something close to that). The color chart had shades of color almost across the entire spectrum, where the bottom third was bad, the middle third was "normal" and the top third was "higher than normal", based on their suggestions. Being an engineer (by schooling) and a pilot (by trade), I don't like guessing during a test. I switched to the API kit which reads in dKH. I take 5 ml (or thereabouts) of sample water to be tested and add 3-13 drops of the liquid. It turns the sample blue on the first drop and when it changes to red or orange, you know the test is done. The alk level is determined by how many drops you used and should be in the 8-10 range. I think the numbers you quoted are okay for a Red Seas Kit, but it's all subjective. I didn't like having to try to convert to dKh, because almost everyone here uses dKh to talk about alk.