bcollett
Member
I've been battling hair algae for a long time now. Since the start of my aquarium actually almost 1 year ago. I've tried several skimmers and finally found one that seems to be working very very well (Das ex-1). i clean my collection cup out every other day and its usually full of nasty, dark green, and horribly smelling skimmate. My nitrates have finally reached 0 for the first time EVER. I thought once the nitrates dropped to zero all my issues would be done and the tank would finally be what i always hoped it could be. One new problem has popped up now. I have many different corals in the tank, and some dont look so healthy anymore.
I have a torch coral (my very first coral addition to my tank) that was doing great at first. It split from 1 head to 4 heads in a matter of 6 months or so and it used to be HUGE, it took up an entire corner of my DT. The tenticles used to extend 6 inches or more. Now i'm only seeing maybe an inch.
I also have a corky sea finger that was doing great also. When i put it in the tank it was only about 2 inches tall. Now its about 5 inches tall and along the base its been spreading across the rock its attached to. Now i never see any of the arms coming out. They used to be really long too, 1/2 to 3/4 inch i would say.
I've also had some of my Ricordea shrink from 2-3 inch diameters to maybe an inch. Then there are my Paly's and many of my zoanthids, they never open anymore either. They keep their tenticles curled over around the edges. I've tried to spot feed them and they seem to react to the food, and when i sprinkle small pellets in the tank for the crabs to find, if one were to land on a paly it usually closes right up on it and does't open until the pellet is gone.
The only thing that has changed in my DT is the nitrate levels. They've gone from averaging 20 to being nearly 0. I've wonderd if the tank was full of disolved organics that the corals were thriving on before and now maybe they're being starved? I've dosed my tank with Phyto since the addition of the corals
Any ideas as to whats happening with my tank?
My fish are seemingly happy, and other corals are really happy and healthy looking as well. i have many other ricordea that are still very large and readily split, and i have some xenia that looks really healthy plus a second gorgonian that actually still looks fine as well.
My tank parameters as of today are
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
phosphate 0
calcium 450
dkh 9
pH 8.2
Salinity 1.025 (using a refractometer)
i dose with 1oz of phyto per week
(culture consists of ISOCHRYSIS GALBANA, TETRASELMIS SUECICA, NANNOCHLOROPSIS OCCULATA, DUNALIELLA SALINA, THALASSIOSIRA SP., AND SPIRULINA SP)
Also use Kent Zooplex from time to time also.
I have a torch coral (my very first coral addition to my tank) that was doing great at first. It split from 1 head to 4 heads in a matter of 6 months or so and it used to be HUGE, it took up an entire corner of my DT. The tenticles used to extend 6 inches or more. Now i'm only seeing maybe an inch.
I also have a corky sea finger that was doing great also. When i put it in the tank it was only about 2 inches tall. Now its about 5 inches tall and along the base its been spreading across the rock its attached to. Now i never see any of the arms coming out. They used to be really long too, 1/2 to 3/4 inch i would say.
I've also had some of my Ricordea shrink from 2-3 inch diameters to maybe an inch. Then there are my Paly's and many of my zoanthids, they never open anymore either. They keep their tenticles curled over around the edges. I've tried to spot feed them and they seem to react to the food, and when i sprinkle small pellets in the tank for the crabs to find, if one were to land on a paly it usually closes right up on it and does't open until the pellet is gone.
The only thing that has changed in my DT is the nitrate levels. They've gone from averaging 20 to being nearly 0. I've wonderd if the tank was full of disolved organics that the corals were thriving on before and now maybe they're being starved? I've dosed my tank with Phyto since the addition of the corals
Any ideas as to whats happening with my tank?
My fish are seemingly happy, and other corals are really happy and healthy looking as well. i have many other ricordea that are still very large and readily split, and i have some xenia that looks really healthy plus a second gorgonian that actually still looks fine as well.
My tank parameters as of today are
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
phosphate 0
calcium 450
dkh 9
pH 8.2
Salinity 1.025 (using a refractometer)
i dose with 1oz of phyto per week
(culture consists of ISOCHRYSIS GALBANA, TETRASELMIS SUECICA, NANNOCHLOROPSIS OCCULATA, DUNALIELLA SALINA, THALASSIOSIRA SP., AND SPIRULINA SP)
Also use Kent Zooplex from time to time also.
