Corals don't grow

Kewlworm · 08/15/2006, 01:17 PM

My tank is about 7 months old and the oldest corals I am are blasto, xenias, GSP, and some zoas. My xenias and GSP has grown, but very slow. My zoas looks they haven't grow at all. I only see a little skin coming out at the bottom of the polyps for quite some time, but that's it. What could it be?

I am going to start feeding them. I will use mysid shrimp for sure. How about Kent Zoomax? Are they any good? It's a mixed reef.

Thanks!

Dubbin1 · 08/15/2006, 01:22 PM

Well for starters I don't think you have enough light for that tank. Upgrade that to 175w or better yet 3 250w MH's and you should see a lot better growth.

csb · 08/15/2006, 01:35 PM

Upgrade what?? According to his sig, he has a 175w MH.

Do you dose any trace elements? Iodine?? OR... do you at least conduct regular water changes to replenish trace elements, calcium, alkalinity, etc??

jimcoman · 08/15/2006, 01:42 PM

whats your water quality like...

Kewlworm · 08/15/2006, 01:51 PM

sorry, yes, i have 2 175W MH on each side on top of the corals. Nothing in the center yet, so I didn't turn the center light on.

Salifert
ALK - 9.0 dkh, Ca - 450-460, Magnesium - 1350

AP
pH - day ~8.0, night ~7.8, Ammonia and Nitrite - 0, Nitrate - 0
need to get pH monitor or better test kit.

I don't have a PO4 and iodine test kit yet. I put drop of Lugol solution every 5 - 7 days or so. I used to dose purple up, but the calcium got way high and I stopped using it 2 months ago.

I do water changes every 2 - 3 weeks.

Thanks!

xtrstangx · 08/15/2006, 01:54 PM

More lighting. Stop adding Iodine until you get an Iodine test kit. Do water changes weekly.

Dubbin1 · 08/15/2006, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by csb
Upgrade what?? According to his sig, he has a 175w MH.

Yes and it only shows 1 and that only covers a 2' area. This is a 6 foot tank that we are talking about so he is in need of 3.

TWallace · 08/15/2006, 02:07 PM

Xenia, GSP and Zoanthids don't really require much light anyway, so I doubt if that's the cause.

Dubbin1 · 08/15/2006, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TWallace
Xenia, GSP and Zoanthids don't really require much light anyway, so I doubt if that's the cause.

Yes but light does help. We are also only talking about 7 months here so the tank is still pretty new. Give it time and things will start growing.

Kewlworm · 08/15/2006, 02:26 PM

I do have 3x175w MH, but only turn left and right side on because I don't have much corals and don't want to deal w/ the heat problem (although it's 78 w/ 2 MH). Need to fix my sig.

I think I will start feeding and hope for the best. Just got me some firecracker zoas want them to grow faster.

Should I use Zoomax from Kent, too?

Thanks!

Ciarán · 08/15/2006, 05:34 PM

Low pH. 7.8 at night is bordering on dissolution of Calcium Carbonate skeletons! Your corals will find it much harder if not impossible to deposit new skeleton at that really low pH. Use Kalk to slowly raise your pH to at least 8.2 or above and light your sump at night (make sure you have plenty of algae in there) to avoid an excessive pH drop. I reckon with alk and ca levels as high as they are, a lot is just precipitating out onto rocks and substrate. Use Kalkwasser as a balanced supplement to maintain your current levels (Do NOT raise them any more, you are pretty close to irreversible supersaturation and the subsequent precipitation or snowstorm. Let your Ca. drop to about 420, keep your alk stable (Do water changes and use a balanced 2 part to get these parameters). When you have levels ideally of Alk - 9dKH, Ca 410-420 ppm, start using a kalk drip.

The key to better growth IMHO lies not with trace element additions or extra light, yours is more than sufficient. It is to do with your pH, unquestionably. I have 150w of MH lighting and all my corals grow rapidly. My sarcophytons are truly like "mushrooms" and even "slow" growing corals such as platygyra grow noticably over a 2 week period. I dont dose trace elements regularly, as i said i have only 150w but my pH is always 8.2 or above, peaking at 8.45. I also find dosing Na(HC03)2 (Sodium Bicarbonate - easily made as a solution from baking soda) - buffers both pH and alkalinity to a lesser degree than Kalk.

Hope this helps,
Ciaran.

08/15/2006, 01:17 PM	#1
Kewlworm Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL. Posts: 754	Corals don't grow My tank is about 7 months old and the oldest corals I am are blasto, xenias, GSP, and some zoas. My xenias and GSP has grown, but very slow. My zoas looks they haven't grow at all. I only see a little skin coming out at the bottom of the polyps for quite some time, but that's it. What could it be? I am going to start feeding them. I will use mysid shrimp for sure. How about Kent Zoomax? Are they any good? It's a mixed reef. Thanks!

08/15/2006, 01:35 PM	#3
csb Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 541	Upgrade what?? According to his sig, he has a 175w MH. Do you dose any trace elements? Iodine?? OR... do you at least conduct regular water changes to replenish trace elements, calcium, alkalinity, etc?? __________________ Winter ski bum, summer reef bum. Tank pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/snojrnl Current Tank Info: 30g mixed reef

08/15/2006, 01:42 PM	#4
jimcoman Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Rancho Santa Margaritia, CA Posts: 63	whats your water quality like... __________________ Brian Current Tank Info: 50 gallon cube, 30g disply 20g sump, Euro reef es5-2, 250w 14k Pheonix on PFO M80, Lumen Max 3...

08/15/2006, 05:34 PM	#11
Ciarán Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Ireland Posts: 268	Low pH. 7.8 at night is bordering on dissolution of Calcium Carbonate skeletons! Your corals will find it much harder if not impossible to deposit new skeleton at that really low pH. Use Kalk to slowly raise your pH to at least 8.2 or above and light your sump at night (make sure you have plenty of algae in there) to avoid an excessive pH drop. I reckon with alk and ca levels as high as they are, a lot is just precipitating out onto rocks and substrate. Use Kalkwasser as a balanced supplement to maintain your current levels (Do NOT raise them any more, you are pretty close to irreversible supersaturation and the subsequent precipitation or snowstorm. Let your Ca. drop to about 420, keep your alk stable (Do water changes and use a balanced 2 part to get these parameters). When you have levels ideally of Alk - 9dKH, Ca 410-420 ppm, start using a kalk drip. The key to better growth IMHO lies not with trace element additions or extra light, yours is more than sufficient. It is to do with your pH, unquestionably. I have 150w of MH lighting and all my corals grow rapidly. My sarcophytons are truly like "mushrooms" and even "slow" growing corals such as platygyra grow noticably over a 2 week period. I dont dose trace elements regularly, as i said i have only 150w but my pH is always 8.2 or above, peaking at 8.45. I also find dosing Na(HC03)2 (Sodium Bicarbonate - easily made as a solution from baking soda) - buffers both pH and alkalinity to a lesser degree than Kalk. Hope this helps, Ciaran. __________________ "You can take the man out of the bog, not the bog out of the man." Saying in Ireland basically meaning - Once a hick always a hick!! Current Tank Info: 20g anemone species tank with some zoos, LPS, SPS, Ocellaris and Flameback Angel - 275 gal empy due to study!

08/15/2006, 01:22 PM	#2
Dubbin1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Findlay, Ohio Posts: 11,540	Well for starters I don't think you have enough light for that tank. Upgrade that to 175w or better yet 3 250w MH's and you should see a lot better growth.

08/15/2006, 01:51 PM	#5
Kewlworm Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL. Posts: 754	sorry, yes, i have 2 175W MH on each side on top of the corals. Nothing in the center yet, so I didn't turn the center light on. Salifert ALK - 9.0 dkh, Ca - 450-460, Magnesium - 1350 AP pH - day ~8.0, night ~7.8, Ammonia and Nitrite - 0, Nitrate - 0 need to get pH monitor or better test kit. I don't have a PO4 and iodine test kit yet. I put drop of Lugol solution every 5 - 7 days or so. I used to dose purple up, but the calcium got way high and I stopped using it 2 months ago. I do water changes every 2 - 3 weeks. Thanks!

08/15/2006, 01:54 PM	#6
xtrstangx Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Shawnee, Kansas Posts: 4,568	More lighting. Stop adding Iodine until you get an Iodine test kit. Do water changes weekly.

08/15/2006, 02:07 PM	#8
TWallace Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Seattle Posts: 1,464	Xenia, GSP and Zoanthids don't really require much light anyway, so I doubt if that's the cause.

08/15/2006, 02:26 PM	#10
Kewlworm Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL. Posts: 754	I do have 3x175w MH, but only turn left and right side on because I don't have much corals and don't want to deal w/ the heat problem (although it's 78 w/ 2 MH). Need to fix my sig. I think I will start feeding and hope for the best. Just got me some firecracker zoas want them to grow faster. Should I use Zoomax from Kent, too? Thanks!