id please- are my corals sickly??

[solow11]

i bought at a lfs 1 month ago and has looked the same. i dont know what the first one is but the second looks sickly even though thats the way i bought a month ago. but i see all yours and mines pitiful. what do you feed? do you trace? mines a 125 6 months old 80 lbs rock, awlays perfect water conditions and 65x 4 pc's and 2 x 45 floricents.thanks for your help!

 

[speg]

Ok first of all what kinda water are you using... tap water right?
Your algae growth is ungodly.. may wanna consider using RO water at this point Looks like your phosphates are out of control..
Secondly what kinda current do you have in that tank? What are your powerheads and how many you using?
That light isnt a whole lot for your size tank.. you need higher watt bulbs...
Your leather looks pitiful for sure.. I would guess its mostly something to do with current though and probably algae too. :thinking:

 

[essop3]

Wow, thats alot of cyno algae. You need to look into ways to get your water clean. Protien skimmer, refugium, changing to sand bottom, R/O water, maybe adding flow would help. I wouldn't feed any corals for now.
The first pic I can see some Zoos on the right. They look ok. The second pic is a Colt. It is ok too. They get dark purple and slime when they aren't happy.
Is the leather in the first pic?

 

[solow11]

thanks for the replys. ive asked my lfs at least 10 times to check water and tank and they said the algea was good cause it gave the blennies and tang and stars something to eat. i do use tap water and am planning a home made refuge/sump in the real near future. my current firtration is a fluval canister and 3 480 power heads. 1 at each end and 1 in the middle. i was under the impression that the salt when mixed with tap water takes all the bad stukk out??? is the not true. thanks again for the replys, youve helped more in 30 minutes than the lfs has in 6 months.

 

[essop3]

Nope, salt mix doesn't take anything out. You should use R/O water. You will be amazed. Your LFS is wrong about anything eating that type of algae, nothing will eat it.

 

[tthemadd1]

I agree, that type of algae can only kill off good bacteria and coraline. It covers everything over and creates a seal over your rock. I would suggest using r/o or distilled water. If you go with the distilled water make sure you only use the upper 1/2 of your container. The idea is that the particulate will sink to the bottom portion. I would say that this technique works but is not very practical. Get a test from Home Depot or whereever to test your house water. Then get a test for Phosphate, if you have any which I imagine you do it is time for good old water changes. Corals dont do very well in the type of environment you are maintaining right now and will blossom with the better water conditions. Good Luck
Themadd1

 

[dogstar]

The salt mix puts good stuff in but you need RO/DI water to take the bad stuff out of the tap water befor you use it for topping off or mixing with salt for water changes. You can buy RO water at the grocery store or Wallmart.
The first pic looks like a flowerpot and they are hard corals to keep, not for beginers.
Get some snails too.
Get a phoshate test kit.
Nice wrasse. Whats the fish in the first pic.

 

[solow11]

im totally getting an r/o tomarrow. ive lost too much money on corals. could this also be why i cany keep anemones?? ive tried 5 times over 6 months and anemones are awlays dead in 1 week. almost like clockwork. the first fish is a pixie hawkfish and along with the lawnmower he rules the tank. the wrasse is new about 3 days and we love him. last question. i was told i could house a angles and a long horned box fish in a reef setting?? any imput? thanks again

 

[solow11]

i messed up on the last question- can i house an ANGLER or long horned box fish in a reef setting?? thanks again

 

[sharkbyte1023]

Like some have said it looks like you have a problem with phosphates due to all the algae. The coral next to the zoos is a type of goniopora a bit hardier than the standard green rent a coral. The corals will suffer greatly due to phosphates. I would recommend removing the dragon wrasse.First...they are not a reef fish. Their main diet is small fish, snails, hermits small stars and such and with that algea you are going to want those as a clean up crew. Second...you are using crush coral...that wrasse buries itself in fine sand to hide and to sleep...he will not be happy in crushed coral. Best of luck to you.

 

[solow11]

thanks for the info on my dragon wrasse. is there a way to lower the phosphates by adding some kind of carbon? thanks again

 

[sharkbyte1023]

I have had success using a product called Phosbuster which is a liquid and another called Phosban which gets placed in a bag and must have water flow through it. Test and make sure your replacement and top off water are not a source of phosphate as well. Good Luck!

 

[birdy]

Do not get an angler or a long horned boxfish (cowfish), The angler will eat anything it can fit in its mouth and those suckers have BIG mouths, the Cowfish get large and are very delicate, they always loose in a competition for food. They almost require a huge species only tank IMO.

 

[shnabbles]

First things first.. i wouldnt add any more live stock to the tank untill you get the algae problem cured... unless you like pissing away money...
Get an RO machine ASAP and start doing 10% water changes every other day or so. The algae will start to clear.
2nd What kind of lighting do you have? As mentioned earlier it doesnt look like you have enough lighting to grow a house plant let alone anenomes and corals (which is why they die like clock work)
3rd... Forget everything your LFS told you... If you have any questions this is the best place to ask... Your LFS basically wants your fish to die, thats how they stay in business..
What are your tanks test readings?

 

[solow11]

ok- this morning i did a 15 gal change using r.o from a store. also bought phosguard by seachem and put 2 cups in my canister filter. the lighting is p.c's 65x4 and floricents 45x2 thats over 300 watts for 100 gallons? i was told thats enough for anything. is there something i should do for my colt. i feel bad he was big and beautiful for 2 weeks then day by day, darker and slouches down.??? thanks again, you guys are saving me!! i'll put more pics in a few minutes for more suggestions

 

[shnabbles]

What is your water temp and your salinity?
You said perfect water conditions but i dont think they can be perfect conditions with that kind of growth.

 

[shnabbles]

Also make sure your purified RO water flows slower then your "WASTE" water the RO puts out.. You may want to pick up a TDS meter.. .they are about 20 bucks you can find them on the worlds largest auction site... They measure the Total Disolved Solids in your water..
You may also want to invest in a refractometer.. They are almost a must have if you want to keep corals and anemoes.. i remember when i got mine i found out my hydrometer was way off!

 

[solow11]

ok- as of 10 minutes ago. salt at 1.022, no2-0, nh3=nh4-0, ph 7.7 approx, phosphate .02, tempawlays at 79f. what do you think. my lfs doesnt have test kits for copper or calicum and i am using a hydrometer. are my lights good? i have on a timerabuot 10 hrs a day feed every morn flake and sinking shrimp pellets for the stars and goodies for everyone else. dose with coralexcel and live phytoplancton once a week. is this right??? thanks again for all your imput.

 

[shnabbles]

What kind of wrasse do you have?
Your salinity should definently be alittle higher i keep mine at 1.025, 1.022 is low for corals and anenomes.
Your PH should also be at 8.2
I would honestly stop dosing anything untill you have a better handle on the algae.
What kind of Star fish is that? I dont THINK its reef safe.

 

[solow11]

stars are 2 brittles and a chocolate chip. 1 gragon wrasse 1 naso tang 1 yellow tang 1 chalk bass. had 1 nemo. added 2 more early this week and all three were dead by morning. i guess your not supposed to add if not born togeather? 2 urchins, 4 dasmels,lawnmower and engineer goby, pixie hawkfish, probably 50 hermits a few emeralds. had a spider crab was the coolest thing but couldnt find any info and he died in 3 weeks. ive tried snails but awlays die within an hour or two. same with cbs. ive tired 4 times to watck them die in one hour. is any of this death caused by water conditions? i drip accilimate at least an hour. thanks again