Frustrated, needing advice - Corals on slow decline for the past month

[1_hopeless_reefer]

Tank is still new. Need to get your PO4 up. It should never be at zero. I feel like the problem you are having is that the coral you have placed are using it faster than you are putting it in. With the tank being so new your parameters are going to fluctuate regardless. Just feed a little more a little higher nitrate is not going to hurt anything just keep it stable and below 20. Try doing smaller water changes once a week. Say 1-2 gallons. This will help alleviate some of the problems associated with over feeding but all in all my recommendation is to feed smaller portions more often. Hope this helps. And good luck on your journey.

 

[kittenbritches]

You've been given a lot of solid advice, but I am rather confident that your goniopora is actually an alveopora. Alveopora have 12 tentacles per polyp, while goniopora has 24. Luckily for you, alveopora is actually easier to take care of.

Goniopora before / now: (looked like the right, maybe not quite as bad, since July)

 

[Forty-Two]

You've been given a lot of solid advice, but I am rather confident that your goniopora is actually an alveopora. Alveopora have 12 tentacles per polyp, while goniopora has 24. Luckily for you, alveopora is actually easier to take care of.

I think you’re right. This is mine (ignore the diatoms). Looks like a different structure to me.

 

[Timfish]

I thought that second video narrator sounded familiar! Forensic files; one of my favorite narrators of all time. A little crossover between murder and people killing corals I guess.

Yeah, I've heard him narrate other PBS productions too.

 

[Morpheosz]

I received a Hanna ultra low phosphate test kit today and measured 8ppb. I'm guessing that's

You've been given a lot of solid advice, but I am rather confident that your goniopora is actually an alveopora. Alveopora have 12 tentacles per polyp, while goniopora has 24. Luckily for you, alveopora is actually easier to take care of.

Ah, thank you!

 

[Morpheosz]

I received a Hanna ultra low phosphate test kit today and measured 8ppb. I'm guessing that's very low! I also ordered some NeoPhos.

 

[kittenbritches]

Ah, thank you!

Sure thing!

 

[Morpheosz]

So, I ordered a Hannah ULR Digital Phosphorus checker. I have been obsessively testing and dosing for the past 3 days and I am completely baffled by the results.

Day 1: 7ppb - added Neophos (per directions to raise the amount I wanted) - later that day 14ppb - seemed to work
Day 2: 8ppb - added same dose of Neophos
Day 3: 4ppb - added a double dose of Neophos
Day 4: 1ppb - added a quadruple dose of Neophos

Is it conceivable that my tank is using it up that quickly? Per reviews and the BRS video on the Hannah checker, it seems to be pretty accurate.

To add insult to injury, my 2 really sad Euphyllia haven't changed, but the 2 that were in decent shape - the hammer and torch - are showing considerably less extension today.

I ran the full gamut of tests today just to double check nothing else was out of whack and found that with my obsessive testing as and selective dosing of late, I have landed on some really solid numbers for the other vitals:

Temp: 77.5
Salinity: 1.025
Ph: 8.0
NO3: 5ppm (dosing this daily again too to bump it up a bit from a low of 3ppm a week ago)
Mg: 1260 (still working on this one, it was 1320 last week, but doesn't seem like this should be low enough to cause issue?)
Ca: 450
Kh: 10.3

Also curious what people's thoughts are on a target for Phosphates? It feels like I've read that around 0.03ppm is a good target. Given the formula of Phosphorus PPB -> Phosphates PPM is *3.06/1000, I'm guessing my target should be in the 10ppb range of Phosphorus - does that logic checkout?