What is Wrong with My Tank???

Discussion in 'Coral Health' started by Jonreefy, Apr 4, 2011.

to remove this notice and enjoy 3reef content with less ads. 3reef membership is free.

  1. Jonreefy

    Jonreefy Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2010
    Messages:
    34
    Ok, I'm glad you guy can help me. I have a 40 gal reef-in-progress with roughly 30-35lb. of live rock I'm am goin to add more rock with some corals eventually. I have the Coralife aqualight 1 96 watt 960nm antinic and 1 96 watt 50-50 (10k and 460nm) a bak pak skimmer and a emperor bio-wheel (w/out the wheel in it) I am just in the closing stages of a hair algae battle (it was BAD!!!!!) and and using carbon and phos-lock in my bio-wheel. I have
    0 nitrite
    0 nitate
    pH 8.0-8.3
    Alk 280-350ppm (usually over 300 on test dip strips)
    Sal SG 1.024-1.025
    Phosphate 0ppm
    Thats all i test.

    Ok, now to the problem I have mushroom corals, zoanthids, a green star polyp colony and a pink flower pot coral. (Which is doing well)
    The star polyp and the flowerpot look fine (flowerpot is fading a little) but all my other corals (mushroom and zoa's ) are shrunk up and losing their color. (Flowerpot not shrunk but fading) My zoa's and mushrooms looked great when I got them but now they look terrible all faded and shrunken. The zoa's still open, and spread a little (I think). I have added I small bottle of Purple Up and a 16oz bottle of Purple Tech and I only have one weak little patch of Coralline. I even added some coralline from a friends tank. No Coralline growth at all. I started dosing small amounts of (2 little fishies) iodine (looked like some zoas had a little more color) and some Reef Calcium last week. This week I am dosing 2 ml of iodine (recommended amount for 40gal) and 10 ml of Calcium (recommended amount). The tank is my first and it's been running for 2 years ( hair algae outbreak when I upgraded the lighting from 20watt strip to 192watt coralife) and I did alot of stuff wrong when I started (killed sand, but got live sand to put in it) and it was 6 months running before I added my first damsel. Fish and stuff are healthy
    Royal Gamma
    Yellow Tail damsel
    Brittle star
    Coral Banded Shrimp
    1 astreus snail
    Various blue leg hermits (5 I think)
    Can anybody help me?:confused::cry:
     
  2. Click Here!

  3. inwall75

    inwall75 Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2003
    Messages:
    7,172
    Location:
    America
    Do you have any friends who are electricians? I would check for stray voltage.
     
  4. Jonreefy

    Jonreefy Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2010
    Messages:
    34
    I stick my hand in it during water changes and I dont glow! ?????
     
  5. inwall75

    inwall75 Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2003
    Messages:
    7,172
    Location:
    America
    It needs to be measured with a voltmeter.

    BTW, give yourself a papercut, then stand in a little water on a concrete floor barefooted and then you stick your hand in there. (I had stray voltage once and I didn't know it until I did the above).
     
  6. bjc541

    bjc541 Fire Shrimp

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2011
    Messages:
    324
    How about testing your parameters before adding all the chemicals??
     
  7. Jonreefy

    Jonreefy Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2010
    Messages:
    34
    Could it be my salt?? All my coral shrinking, I believe, is due to lack of trace elements and stuff like that. I use Instant Ocean salt not the Reef Crystals. Could that make the difference? I read that water changes add all thoes Elements need for a reef. not just FO of FOWLR. If so can anybody recommend a good salt mix?
     
  8. Click Here!

  9. jspicer16

    jspicer16 Bristle Worm

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2011
    Messages:
    135
    I switched to Coral Pro a little over a month ago from IO and my corals have gotten bigger and more colorful with multiple new zoas growing, new mushrooms popping up even a new baby toadstool that's about the size of a dime now. I love the coral pro salt and I do not add any supplements or chemicals
     
  10. alpha_03

    alpha_03 Bubble Tip Anemone

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2010
    Messages:
    650
    Location:
    midwest
    Are you sure this is correct? I would like to know the calcium level if possible.
     
  11. Clonefarmer

    Clonefarmer Millepora

    Joined:
    Dec 9, 2010
    Messages:
    924
    Location:
    Springfield, MA
    Don't dose anything you can't test for.

    The Alkalinity is pretty high 280 - 350 ppm = 15.68 - 19.6 dkh.
     
  12. ontop27

    ontop27 Ritteri Anemone

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2009
    Messages:
    625
    also I would definitely check for ammonia, when my tank looks off I test ph then ammonia