Corals not opening up

r22wink

r22wink

Member
Tank Specs
120 IFS reef tank
100 lbs live rock
2.0 years old
3 wrasses
2 percula clowns
2 cardinals
2 dwarf angels
1 midas blennie
1 coral banded shrimp
3 emerald crabs
mutiple snails/hermits
lighting: 48" VHO
1 super actinic
1 actinic white
1 454
1 75.25
1 48" Reef Bright lunar LED strip
Salinity - .021
PH - 8.1
Couldn't test for alk or phos
Dosage:
3 drops of lugols every other day
2 caps of liquid reef weekly
I run 1 bag of chemi pure and a sock of activated carbon constantly.
Feeding:
Frozen mysis - daily
My plate corals will not open, meaning their small fingers will not project out. Also, I have a toad stool that will not project fingers out either. The used to open up quite well, the only thing that I can think of that changed was a I put in new bulbs, and since then they haven't opened up. My LFS suggested that I replace 1 of my super actinics with a 454, that is what I did a week ago. Still no luck. Any thoughts? I think maybe my PH is maybe a little low, but I am scratching my head on this. I don't see any of the inhabitants picking at them, so I have pretty much ruled that out. All the above corals are about mid level on the tank. Thanks for the help!!
 
mr llimpid

mr llimpid

Member
Need to test your nitrates, and what is your calcium. Carbon shouldn't be run constantly in a reef tank, it will remove trace elements. You shouldn't add iodine unless you test for it. Liquid reef does have a tone of trace elements but again unless you are testing for all those elements you shouldn't be adding them. You may be very high on some elements which is effecting the coral. I would stop adding all supplements do a couple of water changes with a good reef salt mix and buy a reef master test kit. Also a tip you have a 4 bulb fixture which the bulbs probably need to be changed out every 8 months. I would change them at different times then all at once this will be less stressful on the coral. I hope this helps.
 
goldrush

goldrush

Member
My 2 cents- You need to test for alk and phos. Why 3 drops of lugols so often. Do you test for it ? what are your levels? If the problem began when you changed lighting it just my be that they are in a period of adjustment. I never believed in dosing without testing.
 
r22wink

r22wink

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by goldrush http:///t/395922/corals-not-opening-up#post_3526244
My 2 cents- You need to test for alk and phos. Why 3 drops of lugols so often. Do you test for it ? what are your levels? If the problem began when you changed lighting it just my be that they are in a period of adjustment. I never believed in dosing without testing.
I do the lugols drops more from a maintenance standpoint, I was told that that was proper procedure. I am currently doing 4 week water changes @ 50 gallons w/ RO water. So from reading both above responses, I should stop all supplements at least for the time being??
 
mr llimpid

mr llimpid

Member
For reef it would be better at 8.2 - 8.3 but with not knowing your calcium and mag. levels it hard to say what to add. PH, calcium and magnesium all work hand in hand.
 
goldrush

goldrush

Member
Each of those test kits are in the $30-35 range, but as I said, if you are not going to test don't dose.
 
r22wink

r22wink

Member
Update:
Just tested Magnesium, Iodine/Iodide
Mg = 1500 mg/L
Iodide = .01-.02
Iodine = not sure how to read the test.
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by r22wink http:///t/395922/corals-not-opening-up#post_3526873
How do you raise ALK?
I personally use BRS 2-part solution for dosing Alk and Calcium. They have a calculator on their website that you can put in what your value is and your desired value you want, and it tells you how much of the solution to dose (careful dosing, you don't want to raise it all in one shot, there are instructions on their website as well).
There are other ways as well. I think Snake uses soda ash???? Google 2-part solution dosing.
 
r22wink

r22wink

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweatervest13 http:///t/395922/corals-not-opening-up#post_3526874
I personally use BRS 2-part solution for dosing Alk and Calcium. They have a calculator on their website that you can put in what your value is and your desired value you want, and it tells you how much of the solution to dose (careful dosing, you don't want to raise it all in one shot, there are instructions on their website as well).
There are other ways as well. I think Snake uses soda ash???? Google 2-part solution dosing.
Does my other parameters seem to be in check? Calc, Mg, iodide, ect?
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Calcium looks fine (no action needed)
Magnesium looks just a touch high, but it will come down in time (no action needed)
Iodide/iodine... No clue. I have never considered dosing these. (after a quick google search the value of Iodide/Iodine in natural seawater is .05) Just curious, why are you dosing Iodine?? Do you see any benefits doing this??
 
r22wink

r22wink

Member
Was told that a drop or two per week of Lugols Solution was beneficial?? Come to think of it, it was the guy selling me the Lugol's that told me that :)
Plate/Toad Stool corals still will not open up like they should. I have a long tentacled anemone and it's doing great!.
 
mr llimpid

mr llimpid

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by r22wink http:///t/395922/corals-not-opening-up#post_3526895
Was told that a drop or two per week of Lugols Solution was beneficial?? Come to think of it, it was the guy selling me the Lugol's that told me that :) Yep you got it now.
Plate/Toad Stool corals still will not open up like they should. I have a long tentacled anemone and it's doing great!. corals will need time do more water changes this will remove minerals and balance them out (10% weekly till they open). Anemone's are fish so most thing that effect coral doesn't effect them.
Your low alk, you are using RO/DI water in your water change?
 
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