Help with Corals

scoobydoo

scoobydoo

Active Member
:help: I bought corals a month ago. Frogspawn, bubble, zoos, cup coral, yellow polyps, ricordea, kenya tree, green finger leather.
My calcium is at 450. Temp is 82. Alk is normal.
I had a powerhead fall last week, three days in a row, which created a sandstorm all three days until I got home and fixed it. It is now permanently fixed.
I dose with B-Ionic after water changes. I was using tap water until this weekend when I did a 25 gallon water change with distilled water from Walmart. I feed Cyclop-eeze and Phytoplankton as well as a mixure of shrimp, krill, scallops, squid twice a week.
My frogspawn and bubble have shrunk, my zoos don't open up anymore, my cup coral doesn't come out anymore and my yellow polyps also don't open anymore.
I have 3 250 hqi de mh and 2 140W vhos. Lights run 1 to 11 with VHOs on 2 hours before and after the mhs.
I moved the cup coral from middle of tank to higher and the bubble from high to middle.
What am I doing wrong?
:help:
 
ctgretzky9

ctgretzky9

Member
Originally Posted by scoobydoo
:help: I bought corals a month ago. Frogspawn, bubble, zoos, cup coral, yellow polyps, ricordea, kenya tree, green finger leather.
My calcium is at 450. Temp is 82. Alk is normal.
I had a powerhead fall last week, three days in a row, which created a sandstorm all three days until I got home and fixed it. It is now permanently fixed.
I dose with B-Ionic after water changes. I was using tap water until this weekend when I did a 25 gallon water change with distilled water from Walmart. I feed Cyclop-eeze and Phytoplankton as well as a mixure of shrimp, krill, scallops, squid twice a week.
My frogspawn and bubble have shrunk, my zoos don't open up anymore, my cup coral doesn't come out anymore and my yellow polyps also don't open anymore.
I have 3 250 hqi de mh and 2 140W vhos. Lights run 1 to 11 with VHOs on 2 hours before and after the mhs.
I moved the cup coral from middle of tank to higher and the bubble from high to middle.
What am I doing wrong?
:help:
First off, test for ammonia, trites and trates. A sandstorm usually=a release of crap from the sandbed. Could have definately spikes your parameters.
Second, I dont think you are supposed to dose anything after a water change. Although I have heard yes and no depending on who you talk to. I Usually now wait 24 hrs, test, then dose. Seems to work better.
third, i dont think ditilled water is what you are supposed to use. Im no water expert, but there was something about phosphates or something about it that doesnt make it a good choice...someone else wil answer that and your other q's, this has been the best I can do for ya right now lol
 
scoobydoo

scoobydoo

Active Member
Ok, I'll test tonight but I did the water change Sat. night so I would suspect that any spike would have been taken care of.
I got the distilled water from Walmart which I'm told I can use instead of RO/DI. Is that not correct?
 
jjlittle

jjlittle

Member
Distilled I have heard is ok to use I would not use tap at all. I to would say dont dose right after a water change wait 24 hours or so then test then dose as needed.Are you testing all your nessasary elements ?
 
ctgretzky9

ctgretzky9

Member
I had thought it was the opposite...
from worst to best water is tap, distilled, ro/di.
The water change will definately help a spike, but it wont totally get rid of it. You did a 25 gal change, out of how many gallons?
I would say you may need to run some carbon to help with any crap that got stirred up as well.
Others can answer more definitively Im sure as well.
 
scoobydoo

scoobydoo

Active Member
I test for calcium, alkilinity and iodine. Did 25g water change on a 125g tank with 100 lbs LR and 100 LS. I also can't run carbon as my filtation is LR, LS, 3 1200 Maxijet PHs and a protein skimmer. Tank been up and running since October with no problems. I have a blue hippo, sailfin tank, red firefish, purple firefish, 2 clowns, bar goby, six-line, 2 green chromis, plus my cleanup crew. Haven't added anything in a couple of months except for the six-line two weeks ago that had been in a main display tank at the LFS for over a year.
 
druluv

druluv

Member
Originally Posted by scoobydoo
:help: I bought corals a month ago. Frogspawn, bubble, zoos, cup coral, yellow polyps, ricordea, kenya tree, green finger leather.
:help:
The sand storm may have irritated your livestock.
 
scoobydoo

scoobydoo

Active Member
Sand storm was 3 days in a row (the ph kept falling while I was at work) :mad: I now have them wired in with no possible way of falling now. Will my stuff recover? Its been a week and half since the last sandstorm but the PH did fall on top of the cup coral and yellow polyps. The yellow polyps and zoos are still there just now opened. Not sure about the cup coral. none of the "feelers" have been out since.
 
jjlittle

jjlittle

Member
You need to be testing Ph , Nitrite / Nitrate, Ammonia. These are they are very important to test Iodine I dont know anyone testing it .ALso salinity testing I hope.
 
scoobydoo

scoobydoo

Active Member
Originally Posted by jjlittle
You need to be testing Ph , Nitrite / Nitrate, Ammonia. These are they are very important to test Iodine I dont know anyone testing it .ALso salinity testing I hope.

Oh, yes, I test for them too. Ph is at 8.2, nitrite, nitrate and ammo at 0. Salinity at 1.024-.025.
 
ctgretzky9

ctgretzky9

Member
I test for iodine, though iodine tests are known to be pretty inaccurate.
I wish I had it here at work so I can be sure, but it is a seatest i think.
Your iodine is usually replaced well with water changes. In any event, I do test for it, and i dose it occasionally when I see in my tests that it is low.
I also test magnesium. This is a fun test
:rolleyes: it takes longer to do this one than almost all other tests combined, but i beleive it is very accurate.
 
scoobydoo

scoobydoo

Active Member
I haven't tested for magnesium yet. Should I be? My GOD, I have a whole chemistry lab going and I hated science in school! :eek:
 
ctgretzky9

ctgretzky9

Member
I dont think most people test magnesium, and with water changes, it usually isnt nessecary. I beleive most salt mixes are pretty good about magnesium levels.
I do it, because i actually enjoy all of it!
I ordered a stronium (spelling?) test kit as well now. My closet looks like a chemistry lab with all of the tests...i also have copper and ones i cant even remeber anymore becuase i didint have to test for them anymore.
I figure, the more I know about the chemistry, and keep in mind I am just past being a newbie at it, the better I can keep tanks when I start going for the bigger ones.
I only have a 60 hex, but when we move in a year or so, I am having a dedicated fish room built with all of the gizmos and stuff, and at least a 300 gallon.So with that much I'll be investing, I want to make sure I got it down to a science.
 
scoobydoo

scoobydoo

Active Member
I know how you feel...I started with a 29g eclipse and upgraded six months later to a 125g and then added mh and vho's 6 months later. It's addicting.
 
scoobydoo

scoobydoo

Active Member
Just checked all my levels. Everything is "perfect"
temp 80
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
ammo 0
ph 8.2
salinity 1.024
calcium 440
Didn't check iodine. What's going on? My corals should have recovered since the sand storms which were almost 2 weeks ago. :notsure:
 
ctgretzky9

ctgretzky9

Member
sorry scooby, i really wish i knew the definitive answer for you. I dont know if anyone will know 100% since on the surface everything looks good now.
If they are stil alive, but just dont look right, maybe they just need a bit more time to recover.
Hoping the best for ya.
 
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