Problem with Reefkeeping

[Eek_z_cat]

Hi all,

Hope someone can help. I have been a marine tank keeper for 2 years+ now.

However never been as successful as some of you thus requires your help.

I have a 3-ft tank, with MH lights, a chiller, a protein skimmer and using 2 external

filters. I normally dose my tank with calcium, strontium, magnesium, iodide and trace elements.

I also do regular partial water changes, at least once a month.

However, I notice that my hardcorals (e.g bubble, hammer) can live at most to a period

of 3 months and my softcorals (e.g. leather, star polyps) can live at most up to 9 months.

For buttons its worst, at most its 1 or 2 months before it shrinks and dies. Worst of all I can't even

get coralline algae to grow in my tank. Fishes are not a problem for me.

I really do not want to keep on buying and killing these corals so does anyone know and can help

with my problem?

Really appreciate it! Thanks!!!

[[V]tEc]

Hi all,

Hope someone can help. I have been a marine tank keeper for 2 years+ now.

However never been as successful as some of you thus requires your help.

I have a 3-ft tank, with MH lights, a chiller, a protein skimmer and using 2 external

filters. I normally dose my tank with calcium, strontium, magnesium, iodide and trace elements.

I also do regular partial water changes, at least once a month.

However, I notice that my hardcorals (e.g bubble, hammer) can live at most to a period

of 3 months and my softcorals (e.g. leather, star polyps) can live at most up to 9 months.

For buttons its worst, at most its 1 or 2 months before it shrinks and dies. Worst of all I can't even

get coralline algae to grow in my tank. Fishes are not a problem for me.

I really do not want to keep on buying and killing these corals so does anyone know and can help

with my problem?

Really appreciate it! Thanks!!!

have u checked for the things that u dosed? overdosing will cost more harm than good....what r ur water perimeters?

[Eek_z_cat]

have u checked for the things that u dosed? overdosing will cost more harm than good....what r ur water perimeters?

That's the problem with me... I don't check my water parameters. I only followed the instructions

on the bottles of the supplements. Is it necessary since I do regular partial water changes?

As I read somewhere before that as long as partial water changes are done regularly, water parameters

should be ok.

Also, are external filters ok for marine tanks?

Thanks.

[sherman]

Bro,

[V]tEc bring up a good point.

Its good to check each parameter first brfore dosing.

Over dosing does more harm then good.

Also what is external filter?

[[V]tEc]

That's the problem with me... I don't check my water parameters. I only followed the instructions

on the bottles of the supplements. Is it necessary since I do regular partial water changes?

As I read somewhere before that as long as partial water changes are done regularly, water parameters

should be ok.

Also, are external filters ok for marine tanks?

Thanks.

i read from somewhere in the forum by 1 of the bro. never dose anything which u dun test. my advise is go get some test kit n test ur water. else there's no other way to find out what is wrong with ur water. those instructions for dosing r juz a rough guide. if u have alot of lps, u need to dose CA more often. if u have very little lps, then u might be overdosing ur CA...juz trying to state an example....

if u realli plan to keep corals, get some test kits, there's no ez way for reef keeping...

[Eek_z_cat]

Bro,

[V]tEc bring up a good point.

Its good to check each parameter first brfore dosing.

Over dosing does more harm then good.

Also what is external filter?

Sorry, I should say canister filters instead of external filters....

[Eek_z_cat]

i read from somewhere in the forum by 1 of the bro. never dose anything which u dun test. my advise is go get some test kit n test ur water. else there's no other way to find out what is wrong with ur water. those instructions for dosing r juz a rough guide. if u have alot of lps, u need to dose CA more often. if u have very little lps, then u might be overdosing ur CA...juz trying to state an example....

if u realli plan to keep corals, get some test kits, there's no ez way for reef keeping...

Noted, so I guess test kits it will be for me!! Generally what test kits should I purchase?

Nitrite, nitrate, pH, Calcium testers.......????

Thanks!!!

[sherman]

Can used but no so efficient.

Need to clean weekly