Reef Newbie...

[cruzan277]

Hey guys I am new to this board, have been reading it for a few months and decided to ask a few questions. I have a 125 gallon tank, been up for about 3 months now, it has a UV Sterilizer, 220watts of light (2 110 watt compact flouresants), 90 pounds of fiji live rock, 20 pounds of Garf Grung(cool stuff tank cycled is 3 days).
Tank inhabitants include:
2 Tomata Clowns
50 Snails
100 Hermit Crabs
1 Mushroom, 1 stone polyps, 1 star polyps, 1 pulsing xenia, 2 sinular dura, 1 yellow leather, 1 pin cushion leather, 1 capanella, 1 yellow nepthea, 1 zoanthid, 1 green sinularia, 1 anthellia and last but not least 1 polythoa.
Just added them this friday. Everybody is doing fine except for the Green Sinularia and pulsing xenia which I put as close to the lights as posible. One minute there looking great the next minute they close up and retract. Everything else is open.. All my test come back great
PH 8.0, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0, CA 450, salinity 1.023. Should I be worried or is this how these corals usually react. These are farmed corals so they should be hardier than ocean gathered ones. Any advice would help this newbie out...
Thanks in advance..

 

[salisbury a d]

First off your pH is a little low try to bring it up to at least 8.2.
You also need more lighing you barely have 2 watts per gallon try and get it up to 4 watts per gallon.
I have never had luck with xenia and have read that they do best in nutrient poor water.
As for the other coral I have never heard of it so can not help you there.
Any way.
WELCOME to the board.
Adam

 

[adrian]

Welcome to the board! Have the Xenia and the Sinularia closed up altogether or are they just doing this every now and then. What is your alkalinity? Xenia and most leathers will do poorly in tanks with a low alk. pH is a little low, what test kit are you using? I have never heard of 110watt PCs, are these lights VHO? The corals may be acting normal, or your alk may be low, or there may not be enough light as mentioned above. I would give them time, if you just got them Friday thats not really enough time to know if they are happy or not, keep an eye on them though. Whats the strerilizer for? HTH

 

[cruzan277]

There just doing this every now and then. Have not tested alk, maybe I should get a test for that as well. My lights are 2 55 watt compact flouresants. I will diff keep an eye on them.. The sterilizer is for the fish I plan to add. Looking to add a Purple tang and a sailfin tang. Want to make sure everything bad is gone before I put such an expensive (in my eyes) fish in my tank.

 

[andymi]

The alk would have to be pretty low to kill these things. I up until recently have had my alk at around 1.2 - 1.7. My pulsing xenia is growing like mad and my green sinularia is not doing bad either. I have noticed that in my tank both of these do not like to be blasted with current, but they do like to move. I placed mine just left of the powerhead to where it got some current , but not enough to push it over. It has tripled in size in the last 2 months. This is while the alk was low. My pH is usually around 8.0 - 8.2 (usually 8.0), this too could have been because of my alk. I would say the issue here is probably the lighting, I do have 380 watts of vho on a 70 gallon and the xenia is right near the top.
--andy

 

[salisbury a d]

Looks like you need a couple of good books.First you say you have 220 watts.
Now you are saying you only have 110 watts.
Don't just make up your mind but get
A lot more lights.
You have less lighting on your 125 gallon tank than I have on my 46 gallon.
Get more lights.
Adam

 

[burnnspy]

I recommend that you double your lighting.
Alkalinity is a very underated analysis, test and correct as soon as you can. I recommend using Seachem Reef builder to boost Alk. to 3.0-4.0me/l.
BurnNSpy

 

[adrian]

The alk dosnt have to be that low to affect Xenia, IME they will close up and shrink and eventually die if the alk gets lower than 7-8dKH. I also dont think they mind current, I have a half a dozen stalks growing on my return pipe, a few in full blast, and they are still growing. My green Sin also gets plenty of current and its doing fine. I would say its your lighting, and possibly your alk which is a very inportant test, just as important as Ca so I suggest you invest in a test. As burn said reef builder works great for boosting bi carbonates. HTH

 

[cruzan277]

Thanks guys for all the info. Sorry if I was misunderstood before about my lighting. I have 2 110watt compact flouresants fixtures. Each has 2 55watt bulbs. I thought I could get away with this amount of light since I was only planning on keeping softies in my tank (newbie error). I use Seachem reef plus,reef complete,reef calcium twice a week and I alternate Reef Builder and Reef Advantage with my make up water.

 

[fat_ed]

If stony corals are in your near future (and that is my impression) I would seriously consider supplementing your lighting w/ 2 250 W MH and using the PC fixtures for actinic lighting. As it is, you have some light-loving softies in the xenia and anthelia who would definitely appreciate an upgrade.
With a tank dominated by soft corals, alkalinity is quite possibly the most important test/supplementation for your tank.

 

[burnnspy]

Fat-Ed after my heart, I agree with you all da way.
110watt of PC in that is not much better than moonlight.
BurnNSpy