Help me figurure out my issue (4/19 New Sump?)

Discussion in 'Water Chemistry' started by Kevin_E, Mar 31, 2013.

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  1. Kevin_E

    Kevin_E Giant Squid

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    I am convinced it's my lighting and I have tentative plans on trading in my LEDs for a 175 watt Hamilton halide fixture. My LEDs run 9 hours at roughly 30% output. I've played with them over th epast year running them anywhere from 70% to 30% with the same results.

    I can't seem to bring out great color or growth in my current setup. I've seen some growth, but having this light for almost a year now and seeing images of peoples growth in 3-6 months time, I am convinced something is off.

    Here are my latest test results:

    Calcium: 430
    Alkalinity: 3.7 Meq/L or 10.3 dKH
    Magnesium: 1600
    Salinity: 1.027 (1.025 after a water change)
    Temp: 78
    Nitrate: 0
    Phosphate: Unknown (don't test)
    pH: 8.15

    Is magnesium my problem?

    I feed every other day and only feed a pellet or two at a time (what my clown can eat at one sitting). It was brought to my attention that perhaps I am not feeding enough and that is a reason my colors and growth aren't maximized.

    This tank hasn't ever had a hint of algae since it cycled a year ago and that was only a diatom bloom. I don't run a skimmer by do have some carbon and GFO in a filter bag running through my HOB filter.

    I've posted before that my soft corals don't grow, at all and we've concluded that it is likely from a lack of nutrients. Should I dose amino acids and feed more?

    My birdsnest coral has been my most successful grower but in 7 months, the growth is pretty unsubstantial compared to what I have seen with others.

    In 7 months:

    This:
    [​IMG]

    to this:
    [​IMG]

    This:
    [​IMG]

    To this:
    [​IMG]

    In 3 months:

    This:
    [​IMG]

    To this:
    [​IMG]

    My Candy Cane has split from 2 heads to 4 in 10 months. My zoas and mushrooms have stayed the same for 10 months too.

    I fragged these 7 months ago:
    [​IMG]

    This is them now:
    [​IMG]

    3 months ago:
    [​IMG]

    Now:
    [​IMG]

    3 months ago:
    [​IMG]

    Now it looks almost identical. A little more green color and maybe another branch or two, but it hasn't even begun to encrust. Same with my monti digitata.
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2013
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  3. Corailline

    Corailline Super Moderator

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    It is a dry heat, yeah right !
    You're parameters look pretty spot on.

    Some of your corals are growing faster than others this is VERY typical of sps.

    I see good coloration to the birdnests, and montipora and digitata.

    Coloration is variable on the lighting type, coloration of the the diodes, perhaps you need to add different colors.

    Try some Amino acids, I used to use Brightwell. Kent seems to have some good products as well.

    We are always our worst critics of our own tanks, it's never good enough, and when it is we want it better.

    I would be careful not to drive up the big 3 values much further. Higher is not better than consistency.
     
  4. Daniel072

    Daniel072 Giant Squid

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    Could you please post a pic of your layout. See if you can get a pic with the lights on. let me compare it to what I have going on right now so we can see if we got anything there.
     
  5. Todd_Sails

    Todd_Sails Giant Squid

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    An LED at 30%?

    Maybe I'm glad mine don't have dimmers.

    There are people going to MH's from LED's however for the reasons you state.

    All my coral, including many types of sps, all seem to do well under my basement, 2 color LED's. When I started betting my Ca and Alk back up, they really took off again. The Ca and Alk are not your issue however.
    Actulaly, take that back, most of them. A blue staghorn I got turned much darker- almost deep greenish when it went from MH's to my basement LED's- right Norg?
     
  6. 2in10

    2in10 Super Moderator

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    My colors have improved since I stopped using GFO and GAC plus increased how much I feed my fish. I would try to get the Mg down as it is at the point that it starts creating issues with corals.
     
  7. Kevin_E

    Kevin_E Giant Squid

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    Yeah, in fact, I actual plan on bringing everything down. Alk- 2.7, mag- 1300, calc 410.
     
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  9. Kevin_E

    Kevin_E Giant Squid

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    [​IMG]

    not sure that will help.
     
  10. Kevin_E

    Kevin_E Giant Squid

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    Your growth and color put mine to shame even with the GAC and GFO. I am not sure how much mine would make a difference. I use very little of both. I'm going to bring my mag down to 1300 or so.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2013
  11. Kevin_E

    Kevin_E Giant Squid

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    None of my sps seem to encrust or grow vertically too much in the time I have had them. Only one of my monti frags shows any sort of white growth ring and it's in one small spot. The birdsnest had one growth spurt and hasn't done much since.
     
  12. Daniel072

    Daniel072 Giant Squid

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    Do you not have any UV or green in that layout?