Quote:
Originally Posted by
patti w http:///t/391692/cant-seem-to-keep-any-corals#post_3475296
i have 55 gal tank..lots of live rock, 6 damsels, 2 clown,tang,blue tang,few crabs, 2 cleaner shrimp, 2 brittle star What two tangs?
water is :
nitrates 20 (changing again to day to lower) Try to get this number down to 5ppm if you can. Corals like a little dirt in the water, but not as much as you would think.
ammonia 0-0.2 If you are getting an ammonia reading at all - this might be the culprit. Add additional mechanical filtration to your system as well as some macroalgaes. the filters will help build up bacteria while the macroalgaes remove it by other natural processes.
ph 7.8-8.2 Try to get some macroalgae in your sump - or set up a refugium on an alternate lighting schedule from your display tank. This helps to stabilize pH. If you have glass tops on your tank, take them completely off to allow adequate gas exchange.
alk normal This tells me nothing. Normal could mean anywhere from 8dKH to 12dKH depending on the tank.
calcium 400 Most modern hobbyists recommend to keep calcium levels stable at 420 - 440ppm minimum. An adequate salt mix and regular water changes will keep these parameters in check while reducing nitrate and phosphate
temp 80 (turned down a cpl degrees,,after some reading) 76-80F is the norm in this hobby - as long as your temp is stable by +-1F you should be just fine.
lighting is 2 actinic and 2 HOT5 65000 i think. and i have a MH on the corner Need additional information ... brand, wattage, kelvin rating etc. etc.
also a HOB skimmer and running 2 fluval filters What brand HOB skimmer are you using? How often are you doing maintenance on your canister filters? Are you replacing the carbon media once every 30 days in each filter? If you aren't, those mushrooms are probably releasing toxins in the water which are killing the other corals that you put in there.
these values come from a red sea test kit.
only things that seem to thrive are mushrooms. i even have a red mushroom that is reproducing itself.
even xenia and clove die
whats am i doing wrong? i want to add color but not at this cost.
Do a few water changes with a quality salt mix. Test your newly mixed saltwater for calcium, alkalinity, pH. Try to keep the same temperature of water of your newly mixed saltwater as your display tank water. Replace your carbon media once every 30 days and keep up with regularly scheduled maintenance on your carbon filters.
A few more questions:
List all of your equipment and their brands as best you can. That includes powerheads, pumps, filters, chemical medias, etc. etc.
Describe your maintenance routine.
Tell us any additives that you have put into your tank.
