How Do My Corals Look

ReeferTang44 · Sep 20, 2023

Most of them look really good in my opinion and I’ve had them ranging from 5 to 4 weeks the only ones that are acting up at the moment are the flower pot, Birdsnest, and Duncan they have only been acting up for about a day or two, but not sure why here are some pictures along with my levels, and my phosphates and nitrates are a little high but they have been stable and the Corals have been doing great for the most part I forgot to mention that my hammer has had some flesh recession. Do any of you guys think a refugeium what help with phosphate and nitrates and if so, can you explain the whole workaround of how I should set it up ( lighting, flow, how much and what type)

Do you have any advice and any comments I’ll be willing to know and learned.

Lavey29 · Sep 20, 2023

Your magnesium is low. Should be 1350 to 1400. Nitrates slightly elevated. 10 to 20 for LPS. Alk has had some swings. Should be around 8 to 8.5 if you bring nitrates down. 9 is ok for higher nutrients levels though. Refugium is good tool to use

ReeferTang44 · Sep 20, 2023

Lavey29 said:
Your magnesium is low. Should be 1350 to 1400. Nitrates slightly elevated. 10 to 20 for LPS. Alk has had some swings. Should be around 8 to 8.5 if you bring nitrates down. 9 is ok for higher nutrients levels though. Refugium is good tool to use

Early today it slowly came up some how now is reading 1380 I used Hanna for all my test just to let you know.

ReeferTang44 · Sep 20, 2023

Lavey29 said:
Your magnesium is low. Should be 1350 to 1400. Nitrates slightly elevated. 10 to 20 for LPS. Alk has had some swings. Should be around 8 to 8.5 if you bring nitrates down. 9 is ok for higher nutrients levels though. Refugium is good tool to use

My main concern is the Duncan Birdsnest and the Flowerpot what do you think could have caused it and will they be ok

Kasrift · Sep 20, 2023

ReeferTang44 said:
Most of them look really good in my opinion and I’ve had them ranging from 5 to 4 weeks the only ones that are acting up at the moment are the flower pot, Birdsnest, and Duncan they have only been acting up for about a day or two, but not sure why here are some pictures along with my levels, and my phosphates and nitrates are a little high but they have been stable and the Corals have been doing great for the most part I forgot to mention that my hammer has had some flesh recession. Do any of you guys think a refugeium what help with phosphate and nitrates and if so, can you explain the whole workaround of how I should set it up ( lighting, flow, how much and what type)

Do you have any advice and any comments I’ll be willing to know and learned.

They look good. The blastos might be getting too much light, they umbrella like they when they do. I was just watching a brs video that came out last week about how they come from real deep on slopes and don’t need much light.

Advice on the zoas, leave them on the plug until you figure out their lighting needs. Zoas have different lighting requirements and will stretch for more light or umbrella if they are getting too much, when you stick them on one rock together, if one stretches for light it will block out the others. Once you figure out which zoas have the same light needs, then place them on a rock permanently.

ReeferTang44 · Sep 20, 2023

Kasrift said:
They look good. The blastos might be getting too much light, they umbrella like they when they do. I was just watching a brs video that came out last week about how they come from real deep on slopes and don’t need much light.

Advice on the zoas, leave them on the plug until you figure out their lighting needs. Zoas have different lighting requirements and will stretch for more light or umbrella if they are getting too much, when you stick them on one rock together, if one stretches for light it will block out the others. Once you figure out which zoas have the same light needs, then place them on a rock permanently.

What is your thought on the ones I’m cornered about if you need pics of how they normally are let me know

Kasrift · Sep 20, 2023

What are you using for testing. Your phosphate is really high, I suspect you are using Hanna and it caps at .9

If you are using Hanna checkers, always wipe down the finger print smudges on the side before testing and hold the cap while spinning, smudges will throw off the results.

ReeferTang44 · Sep 20, 2023

Yep hanna, but what is a way to lower phos and nitrates safely.

Kasrift · Sep 20, 2023

Duncan looks fine. Flowerpot not so much. Goni can be fickle. Birdsnest looks ok, but you need more stability in your parameters to support SPS.

Lavey29 · Sep 20, 2023

ReeferTang44 said:
My main concern is the Duncan Birdsnest and the Flowerpot what do you think could have caused it and will they be ok

How old is your tank? What par are they in and flow level?

Lavey29 · Sep 20, 2023

ReeferTang44 said:
Yep hanna, but what is a way to lower phos and nitrates safely.

Your phosphate is fine. Water changes lower nitrates and feed a little less or skim more.

Lavey29 · Sep 20, 2023

Also hammers don't like sandbeds. Low rock mount better or put the frag on a piece of rock rubble which can sit on the sand.

Propane · Sep 20, 2023

Are you dosing anything?

ReeferTang44 · Sep 20, 2023

Lavey29 said:
How old is your tank? What par are they in and flow level?

3-4 years not sure what par but all of them have thrived in the past so I’m sure it was the water change and the parameter swing will they be ok if it stay stable

ReeferTang44 · Sep 20, 2023

Propane said:
Are you dosing anything?

If needed yes but not consistently because it hasn’t been needing anything I just want it to be stable.

ReeferTang44 · Sep 20, 2023

Here’s what they look like about a few days ago and the Goni doesn’t look great but in this picture it looks better than it did

Propane · Sep 20, 2023

As stated above your parameters are unstable. If it were me I would stabilize salinity and your Alk first and feed less. I would also only dose mag and keep an eye on calcium and dose very little.