Corals not opening!

[fab79]

Hi dear reefers,

I ve had my tank for well over 5 mths already.. Basically started off with FOWLR.. only started to recently purchase a few simple corals to start off. Basically when i put into the tank they opened fully, but after a few days all started not to open anymore. It's been 2 weeks and they still dun open. My hammer has since died.. can anyone tell me whats wrong?

Also only after 2 weeks did i add DT Liveplankton

So could the problem be:

1) temperature? I only have a fan blowing across the surface of the water and the MH lamp. My temp is kept constant at 28 degrees celsius.

2) Nitrate? my nitrate levels are only 12.5-25 using tetra test kit

3) salinity? I m using a swinging arm hydrometer with salinity level at 1.022-23

4) lighting? could a MH without a chiller be too strong for my 3ft tank?

5) placement of corals? I ve tried all kinds of positioning with my LPS at the top and buttons and Soft corals at the bottom.

6) feeding? I ve only started dosing DT live plankton after 2 weeks since puuting the corals in my tank

The only test kits i have is nitrate and calcium.

My nitrate levels are 12.5-25ppm

calcium levels at 440ppm

My setup is as follows:

Chemical filtration:

Seachem carbon 250ml

Rowaphos phosphate 250ml

Biological filtration:

20kg of LR

50kg Live sand

Mechanical Filtration:

3 feet sump with 7 inch DSB

Weipro skimmer 2012 using 3200l/hr powerhead

Additives:

70% Red Sea salt... just changed to Tropic Marine salt 30%

Corallife Kalkwassar

Tank conditions:

Nitrate 12.5-25 (using tetra testkit)

Calcium at 440ppm (using JBL testkit)

Lighting:

150W Metal Halide 10000k

Pumps:

Hailea 6540 1770l/hr

Alife powerhead for circulation 3200l/hr

Livestock:

Invertebrates:

1 tube anemone

1 gonipora LPS

1 yellow polyp

1 button

1 pulsing Xenia

10 red legged hermit crabs

2 turbo snails

1 topshell

2 cleaner shrimp

1 reef lobster

1 orange gorgonian

1 Blue Linkia

1 Red Linkia

1 serpent starfish

1 sea cucumber

Fishes:

1 regal tang

1 firefish

1 tomato clown

1 red perch

1 brazillian royal gramma

[FuEl]

Some of the more important water parameters are not checked. I suggest you check your pH and kH levels..

[bubble_gum]

did u dose copper b4 in ur FOWLR????

[fab79]

No i never dose copper b4...

Could anyone gimme possibilty which parameters are more likely so tt i can buy the specific test kit?

Don't wana spend too much money buying test kits..

spent a bomb recently...

[fab79]

anyone?

can tell me whats wrong?

[Michael Young]

Could you tell us which of your corals are not doing well and the pH of your tank?

The basic test kits you need to have are NH4, NO2, NO3 and if you don't have a pH meter, a test kit for that as well

[lightningstrike]

u'll hv to test to find out. suggest u get somemore test kits: strotium, magnesium, iodide, etc........

[Michael Young]

u'll hv to test to find out. suggest u get somemore test kits: strotium, magnesium, iodide, etc........

Lightningstrike, I don't think the death of his coral has anything to do with Strongtium, Iodide or Magnesium. Water parameters are indeed important but they are not everything.

[ben]

we are not the life forms in your tank so how will we know what had happened? better u test all the parameters for your water first before anything.

[fab79]

All of them are not opening...

I thought nitrate is the one that affects corals and not ammonia?

Was thinking of buying an all in one test kit from red sea..

Anyone had any experience with that?

[ben]

everyone tank has different problem. so u must test first before any conclusions

[lightningstrike]

Lightningstrike, I don't think the death of his coral has anything to do with Strongtium, Iodide or Magnesium. Water parameters are indeed important but they are not everything.

hi Michael Young,

i m not saying that water parameters r everything. juz suggesting him to get more test kits to test the water parameters. u will never know what's the status of ur water parameters till u hv tested them right?

i do agree wif u water parameters r not everything. there r other factors as well. e.g. temp, current, lights, poor placement, etc.

[lightningstrike]

Lightningstrike, I don't think the death of his coral has anything to do with Strongtium, Iodide or Magnesium. Water parameters are indeed important but they are not everything.

stroutium, iodide, magnesium, etc r juz some of the test kits examples i m quoting. of coz, ph, kh, no3 as well....... many more. juz lazy to name them all.

[Vinoth]

Is it coz of the temperature? 28 seems to be on the high end.

[fab79]

Assuming that it is indeed the water parameters..

I ve did a major water change and change of salt brand to what many reefers consider one of the beetter brands using Tropic Marine SSalt.. they contain almost all the trace elements..

My skimmer is skiming very little nowadays compared to when i first got it?

I belive my LS is quite little for a 3ft tank with 3ft sump..

my nitrate levels are low

So what i can conclude is that it MIGHT NOT be the water parameters... My tank has been running with that liitle bioload for 5mths already...

[Michael Young]

All of them are not opening...

I thought nitrate is the one that affects corals and not ammonia?

Was thinking of buying an all in one test kit from red sea..

Anyone had any experience with that?

There are many things that will kill corals:

1. Ammonia (will kill everything!)

2. High NO2 level

3. pH too low or high

4. Insufficient or too much water flow

5. Too much or too little light

6. Harrassment by other livestocks

And the list goes on and on.....

There are just too many hypotheses why your corals are not opening.... Your hammer could have succumb to harassment by one of your hermit crabs, it could be too much light cos you placed it directly under your MH....? It could be one of anything...

In fact, I would check my pH,NH4 and NO2 immediately if I were you. And do a water change to bring down NO3 while you're at it.

[fab79]

coukld it be having MH 150W without a chiller be any cause of it?

I ve heard many reefers with 28 degrees temp..

Has anyone successfully kept corals with MH and only a cooling fan?

[Michael Young]

hi Michael Young,

i m not saying that water parameters r everything. juz suggesting him to get more test kits to test the water parameters. u will never know what's the status of ur water parameters till u hv tested them right?

i do agree wif u water parameters r not everything. there r other factors as well. e.g. temp, current, lights, poor placement, etc.

Hey Lightning,

I said that because the poor guy is worried sick about his corals not opening and to tell him about these test kits is just gonna push him over the edge.

IMO, what he really need to know now is the pH, NH4 and NO2 level of his tank.

[Michael Young]

coukld it be having MH 150W without a chiller be any cause of it?

I ve heard many reefers with 28 degrees temp..

Has anyone successfully kept corals with MH and only a cooling fan?

A constant 28 degree C will not kill your corals. In fact, most shallow coral reefs have temperatures that exceed 28 degrees from time to time.

[FuEl]

nothing wrong with 28..my tank is mostly around 28 degrees celcius.

Skimmer skimming little..hohoho...sure sign of low kH. Suggest you check your kH..most likely it will be around 6. Meaning fatal pH swings occuring during the night.

[lightningstrike]

Yes Michael, i do agree wif u. kind of insensitive of me not to c that fab79 is worried sick. sorry guys!

[fab79]

Thanks guys...

been investing lotsa lotsa money already and so long still cant keep beloved corals.. so a bit heart pain..

Guess i have to do the inevitable...

i' ll most prob get a all in one test kit from red sea...

saw it at 60 bucks

[lightningstrike]

for ur info, the red sea 5 in 1 test kit will consists of kh, ph, ammonia, nitrite & nitrate. cost ard $50 to $60 i think.

[fab79]

yup...

think it's any good?

cause red sea salt sucks!

[lightningstrike]

red salt??? red sea u mean.

i hv frenz using it. so far, no bad reviews abt the testkits.