Coral help - DeMartini or anyone?

[mrsgoose]

Hi - I've been following most of your threads and am in awe of your tanks! Am wondering if you - or anyone else out there - has some advice for me on my brain coral? I got this maze a few weeks ago and don't think it's doing very well. t's been pale like this since I got it - was this color in the lfs, too, and now has this area of damage that's getting overed in a reddish film. I have a 29g with dual satellite 2x65w PC lights. It's low in the tank now, should I move it up? Any thoughts?
Thanks so much!

 

[bang guy]

How much waterflow? What's the Phosphate level? What are the other parameter levels (Ca, ALK, etc.)?

 

[mrsgoose]

The brain is in moderate flow, the powerheads are now pointed across at each other in an x, tilted downward. The calcium is aorund 380 - I'm trying to bring it up with kent turbo calcium pellets, but it's not getting any higher. I use Instant Ocean salt - could that be the problem?
My kH is around 9-10,
pH is 8.4 (is that too high?)
ammonia, nitrite both 0
SG 1.024
I actually haven't gotten a test kit for phosphates.
Any thoughts?

 

[bang guy]

Ca of 380 is fine, that's not the problem. Everything else looks good.
Take a sample of water to the LFS for a Phosphate test. The higher the Phosphate the more difficult it is for corals to lay down skeleton. Corals that can't grow typically start to die. Phosphate also encourages excess Cyanobacter.
What's the GPH on the powerheads?

 

[aztec reef]

is there signs of algea or cyanobacteria, if yes then you may have high phosphates. do you have at least a 15x turnover rate per hour on your tank?

 

[mrsgoose]

Hi - thanks for the help. I have 2 powerheads, each rated at 175 g/hr and it's a 29g tank... so if my math is correct, that's about 12x. I also have a hang on back filter for surface agitation and some more flow. I will def. get a test for phosphate done. I do have a bit of red algae in a few spots on top of the sandbed, and itlooks like the same stuff on that damaged area of the brain. The tank is in our office, so I'm not able to observe it much at night/in the dark.
Should the coral be actin diff at night? Is there any way I can tell if it's even alive? It's growing on a piece of maze brain skeleton, but now I'm wondering if it's just what's still alive of the original piece. I'm getting a bit of algae film on my glass - the tank gets some direct daylight from windows. I'm going to be moving it home soon so I can take care of it properly.
Again, thank you so much for your responses.

 

[xcdennisx]

looks like it starting to grow some algae on it. just my guess

 

[xcdennisx]

how long are your lights on for?

 

[aztec reef]

i can definetly see some green algea, it will help if you decrease the light period for a couple hours and feed a little less... hows your skimmer doing? it looks like you may have some phosphates..