Is this bad?

[ParaFish]

So in fairly new still. I have been having my tank for some time now but really just started with corals. So at first this coral did look more fluffy, I guess is the word. Now it just started looking like this. I did move it down out the middle of the tank to the sand bed. 2 hydra prime 16 running at max 75%. 10 inches off the top of tank. Tank dim 48.5x18.5x25. Parameters are: Alk 11.7. Cal 458. Mag 1369


Ps also.
Like I said I'm new. Idk what this sps is. But it was more pink but looks like it got bleached?

 

[Timfish]

Pictures are needed. Have you tried searching for pics of your coral to see how it looks in other tanks?

 

[GlassMunky]

So in fairly new still. I have been having my tank for some time now but really just started with corals. So at first this coral did look more fluffy, I guess is the word. Now it just started looking like this. I did move it down out the middle of the tank to the sand bed. 2 hydra prime 16 running at max 75%. 10 inches off the top of tank. Tank dim 48.5x18.5x25. Parameters are: Alk 11.7. Cal 458. Mag 1369

no pic

 

[crazyfishmom]

So in fairly new still. I have been having my tank for some time now but really just started with corals. So at first this coral did look more fluffy, I guess is the word. Now it just started looking like this. I did move it down out the middle of the tank to the sand bed. 2 hydra prime 16 running at max 75%. 10 inches off the top of tank. Tank dim 48.5x18.5x25. Parameters are: Alk 11.7. Cal 458. Mag 1369

That’s a really high alkalinity for a newer tank. Can you also provide information on nutrient levels and salinity? If you would also please attach the picture I think you meant to send that would help.

 

[ParaFish]

That’s a really high alkalinity for a newer tank. Can you also provide information on nutrient levels and salinity? If you would also please attach the picture I think you meant to send that would help.

Hey I'm sorry. I'm still new to this site also lol. I've had the tank probably for a year now. And have had that coral in there maybe 5 of those months.

 

[ParaFish]

Pictures are needed. Have you tried searching for pics of your coral to see how it looks in other tanks?

Sorry I added them. I'm new to this app also lol

 

[crazyfishmom]

Hey I'm sorry. I'm still new to this site also lol. I've had the tank probably for a year now. And have had that coral in there maybe 5 of those months.

We are all learning.

So to me that looks like a hammer and a monti (the SPS) and they both look to not be doing so well.

I think more likely than not you’ve been having alkalinity swings which will mess with most corals if not all. So you know what your nitrates and phosphates look like?

I would consider maybe trying to dial back your alkalinity to a lower level. Which’s alt mix are you using? Maintaining high alkalinity like that should only be for people who’ve been at this a long time and understand which knobs to pull if need be. For less experienced reefers, 8-8.5 is a sweet spot where a little fluctuation is unlikely to have major effects.

Give us a little more info so we can hopefully help a bit more!

 

[ParaFish]

We are all learning.

So to me that looks like a hammer and a monti (the SPS) and they both look to not be doing so well.

I think more likely than not you’ve been having alkalinity swings which will mess with most corals if not all. So you know what your nitrates and phosphates look like?

I would consider maybe trying to dial back your alkalinity to a lower level. Which’s alt mix are you using? Maintaining high alkalinity like that should only be for people who’ve been at this a long time and understand which knobs to pull if need be. For less experienced reefers, 8-8.5 is a sweet spot where a little fluctuation is unlikely to have major effects.

Give us a little more info so we can hopefully help a bit more!

I use redsea coral pro salt. My nitrates are 5.7 I don't have a phosphate tester yet.

 

[crazyfishmom]

I use redsea coral pro salt. My nitrates are 5.7 I don't have a phosphate tester yet.

That salt mix is one of the best but it mixes to about a dKh of 12 which is really high. With an alkalinity that high, understanding how to balance nutrients is super important because you’re pushing the corals hard. Lights and flow also play a bigger role. I would highly recommend considering switching salt mixes to something that comes in at around 8-9 for a while until you get a bit more experience and know exactly what to do when there’s a swing.

Many people run very successful tanks with that alkalinity. They tend to be very experienced reefers though.

I will also say that maybe trying softies first would be helpful. Hammers and montis are not the easiest of Coral customers for a newish tank.

 

[Timfish]

I would strongly urge you to find someone in your area who would mentor you. Look for someone who has been reefing for a long time (5+ years) and has well established corals. Besides your apparent lack of knowledge about the corals as well as basic parameters what I see in the pictures you've posted looks like a very "stunted" ecosystem for being a year old. (Pics look more like what I'd expect to see in a system just a month or two old, not a year.) This article below might provide some insight on setting up healthy microbiomes as well as some pics of how biomes might differ based on initial setups. As far as selecting animals, your best success will be matching the parameters they grew in. Lacking that researching the conditions others are keeping the same species/genotype/variant is your next best option. While there is the unfortunate practice of renaming corals so the same coral may have multiple names this only demonstrates how important it is to collect as much information as possible before buying.

Establishing a Healthy Microbiome in a New Aquarium Using Live Rock

Studying the effects of live rock in a newly established aquarium shows that high-quality live rock promotes the rapid establishment of an effective biological filter and a microbial community similar to those found in mature reef tanks.

www.reef2reef.com