Help fixing peramaters

[Rockedash]

Hi! I recently noticed that my corals dont really grow and if they even do the growth would be minimal. I found out that my ph was low at 7.8 (had a high alk aswell) and i raised it to 8.2-8.3 but have seen minimal to no difference in anything. I do weekly 10% water changes and use RODI water with Insta ocean salt. Everything in the tank looks healthy to me the fish are eating and active and happy. I feel so helpless not knowing what to do i want to make sure everything thrives and im not being a bad owner and hurting my corals and fish. An issue i have noticed is that my riccordea mushrooms shrinkl from time to time .Thank you in advance for the help and for taking the time to read this.
The tank paramaters are:
Salnity:1.026
Ammonia:0ppm
Phosphate:1.0ppm
Alk:19 dkh
Nitrate:0
(Using api master reef kit)

(tank photo)

 

[paul01609]

Up your nitrate to around 5ppm and lower po4 to maybe around .03

 

[LordofCinder]

The tank looks very new.
I see no powerheads, corals suffocate without water flow.
I see the water surface is very still, which is not good for gas exchange with the air/water.
Phosphate at 1 is extremely high, corals can't grow with phosphate that high.
Not enough rock IMO

It seems to be a mix of several different issue's, you seem to be missing the basics. I would suggest to keep researching and reading and continue being patient, your tank is obviously still going through changes, corals dont like change, they like stability.

 

[paul01609]

Alk is way to high

 

[homer1475]

Umm 19DKH?

And agree on water movement. Need a PH of some sort to move some water around.

 

[I never finish anythi]

More flow , and that alk is way to high . Aim for 8.5

 

[Spare time]

You need a better phosphate test kit. You're also consider dosing vinos or feeding your fish anymore to get the nitrate up to detectable levels. You also mostly have slow growing corals.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I assume the 19 dKH is either a typo or a faulty test . Can you confirm it?

 

[Rockedash]

I assume the 19 dKH is either a typo or a faulty test . Can you confirm it?

My test looks to be faulty but i had my lfs test it and they said it was 16 dkh which isnt much better..

 

[Spare time]

Do you dose anything?

 

[Rockedash]

Do you dose anything?

I had low KH a few months back and dosed Seachem twice but that was a while ago and ive done a bunch of water changes since that time.

 

[Spare time]

I had low KH a few months back and dosed Seachem twice but that was a while ago and ive done a bunch of water changes since that time.

Have you checked calcium or magnesium? Maybe whatever you are measuring salinity with it off

 

[Rockedash]

Have you checked calcium or magnesium? Maybe whatever you are measuring salinity with it off

I went to my lfs store to get my water tested and it looked like all of my parameters that i tested were off.
The paramaters that they tested were:
salinity -1.026
ph-8.2
ammonia- 0.10ppm ( i took the water sample after i fed my fish if that matters)
Nitrite-0.1ppm
nitrate-21ppm
kh-16
cal-415
mag-1457
phos-1.3ppm

 

[Spare time]

I went to my lfs store to get my water tested and it looked like all of my parameters that i tested were off.
The paramaters that they tested were:
salinity -1.026
ph-8.2
ammonia- 0.10ppm ( i took the water sample after i fed my fish if that matters)
Nitrite-0.1ppm
nitrate-21ppm
kh-16
cal-415
mag-1457
phos-1.3ppm

I doubt there is really any ammonia and nitrite. What test kits do they use?

 

[hsosa]

definately additional flow will greatly help . u can perhaps upgrade ur return pump or add a small pump for for flow . Nero 3 or a stupid clone will work wonders. also u can reduce ur light period since u dont really have alot of corals in there that will help. you can also invest in a decent Hannah all tester start there . water changes I would drop It down to 5% you could be unbalancing the tank every time u do a water change and having alk spike . it looks like ur tank is under 15 gallons which is tough for beginners . good luck

 

[Rockedash]

I doubt there is really any ammonia and nitrite. What test kits do they use?

It was something fancy I think it’s called the aqua spin

 

[Rockedash]

definately additional flow will greatly help . u can perhaps upgrade ur return pump or add a small pump for for flow . Nero 3 or a stupid clone will work wonders. also u can reduce ur light period since u dont really have alot of corals in there that will help. you can also invest in a decent Hannah all tester start there . water changes I would drop It down to 5% you could be unbalancing the tank every time u do a water change and having alk spike . it looks like ur tank is under 15 gallons which is tough for beginners . good luck

I just ordered a sicce .5 just now I saw a bunch of people with the same tank say they had good luck with it and I think I’m gonna get a random flow generator aswell. Would you recommend that I do water changes now to lower the alk and get it more stable?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Have you used your kit to measure the alk in a batch of new salt mix?

I would not assume a water change will reduce it unless you find it is lower in the new salt water.

 

[Rockedash]

Have you used your kit to measure the alk in a batch of new salt mix?

I would not assume a water change will reduce it unless you find it is lower in the new salt water.

It tested at 10dkh in that water

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It tested at 10dkh in that water

Then a water change will help, but getting it making an even lower alk mix will take a lot less water changes.