Can not figure it out!!!!

MounteeFrag · Mar 26, 2017

OK guys I am a stubborn person, a person that refuses to ask for directions or in this case, Help! But it is time to put my tail between my legs and do just that, Ask for Help. My tank has been up and running for over 2 years and I can not get anything type of LPS or SPS to grow. Matter of fact I even have a hard time keeping Zoanthids. I do have some softies that stay the same size. So I am asking for anyone's help of trying to identify what is going on in my tank.

Equipment:

I have a 225 gallon display tank (60"x36"x24") with a 67 gallon Sump
2 Aqua Illumination Hydras 12inches off the water line
1 Aqua Illumination Hydra 26
2 Neptune Wave pumps
1 Jebao WP 60
AquaMaxx EM300 skimmer
Jebao 12000 return pump
BRS 2 part doser (dosing 30ml each a day)
Carbon reactor (BRS ROX carbon)
GFO reactor (BRS GFO)
JBJ auto top off

Parameters:

Salinity 1.025 refractometor
PH 7.9-8.0 (I have an airline running outside, used to run around 7.8)
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 10
Calcium 440 Red Sea test kit
Alk 9.24 KH Red Sea test kit
Magnesium 1180 Red Sea test kit
Phosphates 0 Hanna

I run everything with my Neptune Systems Apex. My lights come on around 9:30am with 3 hours of ramp time, stay at the highest peek for 4 hours and ramp back down until reaching 8:30pm. My blues will run at 100% and my whites run at 45% all the other colors are lower. I got these setting from AI. I use RODI water for top off and water changes. Water changes on this tank are done every 2 weeks at about 33 gallons (I cant do any bigger).

What am I missing? I have tried every type of coral. I have put a Acropora, Montapora, Toadstool in and it will be the same size in six months. Every once in a while I will start to see a really quick growth spurt and then nothing.

Do I not have enough light?
Is my lights too high off the water line?
Is my PH too low?
Is my nitrates too low?
Is my phosphates too low?

I want a full blown reef! Something that I have to frag pieces because they are getting too big. I am open for any suggestions. I know some corals are slower growers than other but I get no growth....

jenkinscrew2578 · Mar 26, 2017

Phosphates too low. Take GFO offline.

Dilan Patel · Mar 26, 2017

You have a very big tank very jealous.

Anyways somethings I can see is nitrates are high and Phosphates are at zero. From what i have researched and what I do in my own tank is keep a little bit of phosphates and nitrates in the water. Nitrates is good anywhere from 2-5ppm and phosphates lower than .10 but higher than 0. I believe corals use this as another source of food but I may be mistaking. Another member might be able to clarify that. Do you acclimate your corals to your lights. Par meter? Dip corals and inspect for parasites? Any supplemental feedings directed towards corals? Also I know that SPS like varied flow patterns so maybe give that a try if you havent yet. Any fish that would eat corals such as some types of triggers,puffers, angels or some sort. These are just a couple statements and questions I have for you.

MounteeFrag · Mar 26, 2017

I dip all corals in Coral rx, no fish that bother them. I will take GFO off line tonight after work. I run the neptune wave pumps on set patterns so nothing is constantly blasted.

CarrieB · Mar 26, 2017

Is there some reason you are running GFO with 0 phosphates? What happens if you shut that off?

Dilan Patel · Mar 26, 2017

So I can see what everyone is saying as phosphates need to rise a little and IMO I would lower nitrates just a little bit and see how that works. and do you supplement feedings to corals? Not saying you have too just am wondering.

MounteeFrag · Mar 26, 2017

I do no supplement feed my corals. As for my phosphates I figured 0 or at 0 would be the best. I am quickly finding out that I'm wrong.

Dilan Patel · Mar 26, 2017

i used to think the same thing until i started to do some digging and since i was not getting the growth I expected i upped phosphates a tad and nitrates and that helped. Now I supplement with some feeding such as restore Which i love it has helped my corals a lot it helps with tissure repair basically amino acids i used it on a dying acro and it had the brightest color after a couple days of using it. i hand feed each coral and they seem to show benefits. I am about to try acropower now and see if i get better results since all corals have healed properly.

nervousmonkey · Mar 26, 2017

+1 to what Dylan said re: Restor from Brightwell. Acropower, goniopower, chalicepower all work great, esp. if you spot feed them with it. What I do is get a Dixie cup, then drill a hole in the top, weight it down with something (small rocks, plumbing, whatever works) and put it over the top of the specific corals i am feeding. The way I weight the cup down is to drill four small holes on the sides of the cup (actually the top where you drink from), wind some string or fishing line through it and then tie on something heavy to keep it from floating away. Then just mix two parts saltwater to one part of the coral food and use a turkey baster, Julians Thing, or whatever can get the mixture out of the cup and into the cup.... OK, you know what I mean, just squirt it into the top of the weighted down plastic Dixie cup and you have a perfect tool for target feeding without having to turn off your circulation pumps or put Apex into Feed Mode. I do this to a couple corals a night, so that I can get the corals that like to be target fed a once or twice weekly soup of concentrated foods.

Oh, I keep the drilled Dixie cup on for 20-30 minutes

saltyfilmfolks · Mar 26, 2017

I have pretty amazing success not testing. Not using gfo. No carbon dosing. No vibrant. No trace elements. Instant ocean or natural sweater. Feeding the fish well. Spot feeding coral. Huge flow. High light. Low alk. Small skimmer. No bio pellets. Good cal alk dosing. refugium.

I guess I'm saying use our eyes more than numbers. If the coral looks hungry it is.

Rick.45cal · Mar 26, 2017

You need phosphates. GFO should only be used in problem situations in my opinion. It's easy to overdo it with that stuff.

Feed lots, your corals need planktonic food items to actually grow, without them they will just exist, or slowly starve.

scoopsthedog · Mar 26, 2017

MounteeFrag said:
I do no supplement feed my corals. As for my phosphates I figured 0 or at 0 would be the best. I am quickly finding out that I'm wrong.

Feed. Feed daily. Feed a mix. I feed a mix and swap every other day:
Reef Roids
Polyp Booster
Reef Bugs
Coral Frenzy
OceanMagik
Oyster Eggs

I have very low to no NO3 which I no isn't supposed to be good (running BactoBalls which seems to target NO3) but have dealt with high Pho. Everything has been growing from Zoas to two chalices, leather, etc.

MounteeFrag · Mar 28, 2017

Was thinking of do a 2 bulb t5 retro kit. Any thoughts

Dilan Patel · Mar 28, 2017

I use the BRS one as supplemental lighting to help get rid of shadows. I also like the looks as well of T5

MounteeFrag · Mar 28, 2017

I'm thinking of 1 bulb on each side of my LEDS. What color should I go with?

spiraling · Mar 28, 2017

MounteeFrag said:
I'm thinking of 1 bulb on each side of my LEDS. What color should I go with?

If you are trying to figure out what gives the best growth, then only change one thing at a time. Try upping the phosphates and lowering the nitrates. Once that is stable give it a month for results, then maybe try lighting or something else. If you can borrow a par meter you can adjust your lighting easier. Your lighting should be good enough to at least grow well in parts of your tank, so if you get no growth it might not be as big of a factor. Colors and intensity matter with leds.

My corals do a lot better when I feed them, but then I tend to get algae with the extra nutrients.

Dilan Patel · Mar 28, 2017

+1 to what Spiraling said.
In this hobby you do not wanty to change more than one thing at a time so if you succeed you know why or if something did not pan out you also know why.