lights????

[candy3369]

hi all-i have a 55 gallon w/6 55w power compact-one is blue, maybe 2 are 50/50. my question is-exactly what kind of coral can i keep? i have a ricordia mushroom-and some other kind of mushroom that are doing great-a zenia that in the past 6 months has tripled its size, and a green star polyp that does ok-opens about half way each day-but i think his problem is algae growing on him that i am CONSTANTLY picking off. i tried a green brain-and he pretty much died within 3 days-the lfs thinks its b/c i have some phosphates in my tank-which i admit are pretty high-but my other coral are doing wonderful. i actually ordered the ricordia f/here last week-and every day he opens up bigger and bigger. the xenia is growing so big-he tips over his rock!! i just dont know what else i can add-and why the brain did so bad while others were doing great. thanks for your help!:help:

 

[humuhumu]

Looking at your picture, right off I would guess that you have a nutrient problem. Until you get that under control I wouldn't try any type of hard corals. Until then leathers, mushrooms and zoos are always cool.

 

[candy3369]

ya-the lfs said i have phosphate and gave me some kind of stuff to put in it-but my nitrates and nitrites were at 0-so how do you suggest i get rid of the nutrient problem-i hardly ever feed the fish-im actually surprised theyre still swimming. the tank is set up using the plenum and it has an overflow to a 20 gallon tank-but its growing more algae up top, than in the bottom tank

 

[candy3369]

forgot to mention-i took in some of that green alge stuff-b.c i actually never had that until i bought a live rock f/them, and they said its macroalgae, b/c its coarse feeling, not brown stringy stuff

 

[humuhumu]

Get your calcium up to 400-450ppm. High levels of calcium help with coral growth and will percipitate (sp) phosphate out ot the water.
Also frequent water changes with RO/DI water will help.
Some water utilities use phophates to control iron and manganese in the water as part of their treatment process.

 

[candy3369]

i have some bionic two part stuff they said to use to regulate parameters-but i also have a well-and we checked that for phospate-so i dont know!!! but after i get that under control-are my lights enough do you think?
oh, and i have a cpr bakpak skimmer-is that not supposed to take care of the problem?

 

[humuhumu]

I think your lights are good enough as long as you change them yearly, for most LPS and soft corals, zoanthids...
I wouldn't recommend SPS corals or clams although people have had success under PC lighting.
I dose with the 2 part B-Ionic in my 20g using 10ml of A&B daily, well almost every day. And I top off with Kent Marine Kalkwasser mix using 1.5 tsp in RO/DI mixing water. In my 240g I just use the kalkwasser because I'm replacing about 2-3 gallons per day due to evaporation. The kalkwasser is nothing more than calcium hydroxide and is very easy to use.
As far as the CPR goes, I would rate them at the top of the low end of protein skimmers. The're great for a small tank, But if you want to get serious about corals I would recommend a better skimmer. Also skimmers are not a subsitute for water changes. Probably the best piece of equipment that you can invest in at the moment to get you algae under control would be a RO/DI unit.

 

[bkbkid]

Use R/O water and start turning off your lights!