I can't Keep corals alive so I'm left with FOWLR

SaltyBeagle · 06/03/2016, 03:56 PM

my corals don't grow or just stay the same the slowly wither away

heathlindner25 · 06/03/2016, 04:07 PM

Ok, so keep fish only for a little while and work on your water chemistry

shifty51008 · 06/03/2016, 04:25 PM

can you tell us more about your tank? equipment what test kits and how often you test and also what are your water parameters (numbers please)

SaltyBeagle · 06/04/2016, 07:38 AM

mg 1360, ca 435, alk 138, phos 18ppb, nit 8ppm, 210gal 30gal sump, i use red sea test kits for everything except alk and phos i use hanna checker ...i just started vinegar dosing to bring my nitrates down I'm currently on week 4 . i have approx 21 fish. a school of 10 chromis , yellow tang , hippo tang, scopas tang, kole tang, mimic tang, orange spot rabbit fish, starry blenny , chalk bass, psuedochromis ,

SaltyBeagle · 06/04/2016, 07:45 AM

I've also been fighting a bit of cyan thats why i started vinegar dosing to get my nitrates down. i run a brs dual reactor with rowaphos and carbon. i have a eheim doing pump thats dosing my ca and alk and i dose mg manually daily. i use brightwell aquatics products for all three. i have a reef octopus diablo 200xs skimmer. use red sea coral pro salt . have 200lbs of live rock and a 3in sand bed in tank. i have 10 48" 54w t5 flouresent lights

SaltyBeagle · 06/04/2016, 07:46 AM

i test twice a month levels are quite stable

shifty51008 · 06/04/2016, 07:51 AM

nitrates are good, phophates you want around .03ppm or lower, so your ppb is good. your cal. alk and mag are good. what lights do you use? what kind of corals have you tried? all in all stability is key you don't want your parameters bouncing all over the place. what may seem like a small change to you can be a lot for a coral, if your alk changes just 1dkh a day can be hard on certain corals.

edit just saw your lights, they should be good for your system. I would suggest testing more often though than twice a month, maybe 2-3 times a week but if your positive they are stable then your ok.

Sk8r · 06/04/2016, 07:55 AM

How is your flow? Reefs use a lot. For a 50 gallon, eg, you need about 950 gph movement. WIthout that, corals can just kind of fade. Likewise lighting needs to be intense.

bmitchell138 · 06/04/2016, 09:12 AM

How old are the bulbs? If they are getting old that could why you are unable to keep corals and why you are seeing cyano.

SaltyBeagle · 06/04/2016, 01:31 PM

i have 2 1300gph powerbeads, 1 800gph powerhead, and a 2000 gph powerhead and my lamps are about 8 or 9 months old

ReefCowboy · 06/04/2016, 01:41 PM

Another important question is to know what corals are you trying to keep?

Sapelo · 06/04/2016, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Another important question is to know what corals are you trying to keep?

This.

SaltyBeagle · 06/04/2016, 05:44 PM

the only things i seem to be able to grow is a few ricordeas and candy cane coral. tanks been running for almost 2 years. i had a torch coral and frogspawn that were growing beautifully then got RTN i think .. a few months ago . I've tried monti cap . monti spongodes. pink birds nest leprechaun seritopora a few lower light acros all placing them higher in the tank since my lighting is on the lower end. all the corals i listed have died . its hard to not get discouraged ... i really would like to fix the problem or upgrade what i need to have a thriving reef

SaltyBeagle · 06/04/2016, 05:49 PM

I'm open to any advice on better easier to keep corals for my situation i guess

bmitchell138 · 06/04/2016, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SaltyBeagle

i have 2 1300gph powerbeads, 1 800gph powerhead, and a 2000 gph powerhead and my lamps are about 8 or 9 months old

At that age I would say it's time for some fresh bulbs. The color spectrum has probably changed. The experts can confirm this.

djbon · 06/04/2016, 06:00 PM

It could be your t5 light. If it is a normal flourescent bulb, it wont grow coral. You might need to get HO or VHO bulbs with proper ballast. I don't use t5 fixtures so i can't tell you what model to buy. If you prefer, get a LED or combi lighting system.

cougareyes · 06/04/2016, 08:36 PM

Your system sounds good to me, it sounds like you have a good grip on testing and your chemistry. Think about getting some frags instead of investing a a pricey colony, maybe something easier; alot of lps corals are easier. Also you just have to find what you are good at, I have a tank full of lps and I love them, they are my favorite.. I have a ton of euphyllias, I also have lost heads and entire colonies before, don't get discouraged. At one time I dipped my toe into sps, not, never had any success, lost them all but one monti. Also are you getting them from the same source, it's not always your fault. Do you feed a coral food, it helps sometimes especially with a new piece.

SaltyBeagle · 06/05/2016, 05:08 AM

I have only bought corals from vivid aquarium.com cuz my lfs has a very limited selection . What other online retailers are good for buying coral . Who do u guys buy from

cougareyes · 06/05/2016, 08:47 AM

Try some other sources, either way it can be hit or miss, like I posted earlier I would also try some more hardier pieces, maybe some lps. I have had some luck at unique corals and salty underground. As an example diver's den is very popular and has a good reputation, I have bought quite a few pieces from them, not one of their pieces lasted long in my tanks.

06/03/2016, 03:56 PM	#1
SaltyBeagle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: minnesota Posts: 29	I can't Keep corals alive so I'm left with FOWLR my corals don't grow or just stay the same the slowly wither away

06/03/2016, 04:25 PM	#3
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	can you tell us more about your tank? equipment what test kits and how often you test and also what are your water parameters (numbers please) __________________ 75 gal. mixed DT, 100 gal. sump, 50 gal. fuge, Clownfish breeder

06/04/2016, 07:51 AM	#7
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	nitrates are good, phophates you want around .03ppm or lower, so your ppb is good. your cal. alk and mag are good. what lights do you use? what kind of corals have you tried? all in all stability is key you don't want your parameters bouncing all over the place. what may seem like a small change to you can be a lot for a coral, if your alk changes just 1dkh a day can be hard on certain corals. edit just saw your lights, they should be good for your system. I would suggest testing more often though than twice a month, maybe 2-3 times a week but if your positive they are stable then your ok. __________________ 75 gal. mixed DT, 100 gal. sump, 50 gal. fuge, Clownfish breeder

06/04/2016, 07:55 AM	#8
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	How is your flow? Reefs use a lot. For a 50 gallon, eg, you need about 950 gph movement. WIthout that, corals can just kind of fade. Likewise lighting needs to be intense. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

06/04/2016, 06:00 PM	#16
djbon Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, MY Posts: 813	It could be your t5 light. If it is a normal flourescent bulb, it wont grow coral. You might need to get HO or VHO bulbs with proper ballast. I don't use t5 fixtures so i can't tell you what model to buy. If you prefer, get a LED or combi lighting system. __________________ 75 gallon DT, 5 gallon sump, DIY LED bar with moonlight, DIY Arduino controller Current Tank Info: 75 gallon/Arduino Controller

06/03/2016, 04:07 PM	#2
heathlindner25 Moved On Join Date: May 2012 Location: flowery branch georgia Posts: 3,644	Ok, so keep fish only for a little while and work on your water chemistry

06/04/2016, 07:38 AM	#4
SaltyBeagle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: minnesota Posts: 29	mg 1360, ca 435, alk 138, phos 18ppb, nit 8ppm, 210gal 30gal sump, i use red sea test kits for everything except alk and phos i use hanna checker ...i just started vinegar dosing to bring my nitrates down I'm currently on week 4 . i have approx 21 fish. a school of 10 chromis , yellow tang , hippo tang, scopas tang, kole tang, mimic tang, orange spot rabbit fish, starry blenny , chalk bass, psuedochromis ,

06/04/2016, 07:45 AM	#5
SaltyBeagle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: minnesota Posts: 29	I've also been fighting a bit of cyan thats why i started vinegar dosing to get my nitrates down. i run a brs dual reactor with rowaphos and carbon. i have a eheim doing pump thats dosing my ca and alk and i dose mg manually daily. i use brightwell aquatics products for all three. i have a reef octopus diablo 200xs skimmer. use red sea coral pro salt . have 200lbs of live rock and a 3in sand bed in tank. i have 10 48" 54w t5 flouresent lights

06/04/2016, 07:46 AM	#6
SaltyBeagle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: minnesota Posts: 29	i test twice a month levels are quite stable

06/04/2016, 09:12 AM	#9
bmitchell138 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 84	How old are the bulbs? If they are getting old that could why you are unable to keep corals and why you are seeing cyano.

06/04/2016, 01:31 PM	#10
SaltyBeagle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: minnesota Posts: 29	i have 2 1300gph powerbeads, 1 800gph powerhead, and a 2000 gph powerhead and my lamps are about 8 or 9 months old

06/04/2016, 01:41 PM	#11
ReefCowboy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 1,742	Another important question is to know what corals are you trying to keep?

06/04/2016, 05:44 PM	#13
SaltyBeagle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: minnesota Posts: 29	the only things i seem to be able to grow is a few ricordeas and candy cane coral. tanks been running for almost 2 years. i had a torch coral and frogspawn that were growing beautifully then got RTN i think .. a few months ago . I've tried monti cap . monti spongodes. pink birds nest leprechaun seritopora a few lower light acros all placing them higher in the tank since my lighting is on the lower end. all the corals i listed have died . its hard to not get discouraged ... i really would like to fix the problem or upgrade what i need to have a thriving reef

06/04/2016, 05:49 PM	#14
SaltyBeagle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: minnesota Posts: 29	I'm open to any advice on better easier to keep corals for my situation i guess

06/04/2016, 08:36 PM	#17
cougareyes Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 713	Your system sounds good to me, it sounds like you have a good grip on testing and your chemistry. Think about getting some frags instead of investing a a pricey colony, maybe something easier; alot of lps corals are easier. Also you just have to find what you are good at, I have a tank full of lps and I love them, they are my favorite.. I have a ton of euphyllias, I also have lost heads and entire colonies before, don't get discouraged. At one time I dipped my toe into sps, not, never had any success, lost them all but one monti. Also are you getting them from the same source, it's not always your fault. Do you feed a coral food, it helps sometimes especially with a new piece.

06/05/2016, 05:08 AM	#18
SaltyBeagle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: minnesota Posts: 29	I have only bought corals from vivid aquarium.com cuz my lfs has a very limited selection . What other online retailers are good for buying coral . Who do u guys buy from

06/05/2016, 08:47 AM	#19
cougareyes Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 713	Try some other sources, either way it can be hit or miss, like I posted earlier I would also try some more hardier pieces, maybe some lps. I have had some luck at unique corals and salty underground. As an example diver's den is very popular and has a good reputation, I have bought quite a few pieces from them, not one of their pieces lasted long in my tanks.