bavass
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well I said I was going to start another thread to find the cause of my problem well here it is! Here is a complete run down on my 55g Reef tank. I need help getting colors back in corals. I have included pictures below along with a list of equipment and test results. All tests were done today; all tests that could be calibrated were before tests were done so everything should be accurate. SPS were placed in tank July and some in August put them on bottom of tank in sand bed for 1 week then started moving them up every few days till I glued/epoxy them down. All SPS are growing most have covered frag and started growing on rock not really growing upwards. The Frogspawns were my indicator that light might be a problem because the branches under other branches have more color. I have notived polyp extension at night but not during the day. Light cycle is shown below with lights. Hydor’s run min-max on a 2sec interval. I do a 5g water change on Sun and one on Thurs. I make up my water once a week in a 20g Brute, with a heater, power head and air stone. I mix 10g at a time of Kalk 2tsp per gallon for top off water that’s added at night over a 7 hour period kicks on for 9min every hour and is added to chamber with skimmer. I also add 23mL of Vinegar runs for a few minutes a couple of times throughout the day. I change out GAC and GFO every 2 weeks. I feed a variety of foods every other day frozen Brine Shrimp, Mysis, Flake, Pellet, a frozen mix of several types of fish and Selcon. When I feed frozen I feed 1 cube. Every 3rd day I add one spoonful of BRS Reef Chili for corals. I vary that one day I do it in the evening and the next time I do it at night around 11pm. I change bulbs out every 12 months it’s time next week. I add 1 cap of Microbacter 7 every week. I think too much PAR might be a problem but could be something else as well. So I am looking for help trouble shooting the cause. Please feel free to ask any questions especially if I have forgotten anything. Sorry for the long write up but I really want to fix this and have the beautiful SPS some of you have.
Tests
Temp 78
Salinity is 35ppt ALC Refractometer
PH 8.1 Handheald Digital MW
Calcium 450 Red Sea Pro
Magnesium 1480 Red Sea Pro
Alk 9.56 dkh Hanna HC
Phosphate Hanna ULR HI 736 reads 14 which converts into .04
Strontium 2 (never can get it any higher) Salifert
Iodine .06 Red Sea Pro
Iron 0 Red Sea Pro
Potassium 410 Red Sea Pro
Equipment
55g Aquarium
20g Aquarium for sump
2 Hydor Koralia Controllable 4’s
Hydor Koralia Wavemaker 2 with Day/Night Sensor
Current USA HOT5 Nova Extreme Pro 48” 6x54w
1 ATI True Actinic
2 ATI AquaBlue Special
1 ATI Coral Plus
2 ATI Blue Plus
1st set of lights on at 9:30am till 7pm
2nd set comes at 11:30am till 8pm
Warner Marine MF181 Skimmer
1 Phosban Reactor 8tbs of BRS GAC ROX .08
1 Phosban Reactor ¾ cup BRS HC GFO
Mag Drive 3 Return Pump
Finnex 300w Digital Heater in Sump
Salt SeaChem Reef
1 50mL BRS pump adds 1g of Kalk over 7 hours at night
1 1.1mL BRS pump adding 23mL Vinegar a day (bring it down 2mL from 40mL per week since Nitrates are 0)
Various Macro’s in Sump along with 4” sand bed
4” sandbed in DST
65lbs of live rock
Fish Livestock
2 Green Chromis
1 Maroon Clown
1 Six Line Wrasse
1 Royal Gramma
1 Diamond Gobie
Tests
Temp 78
Salinity is 35ppt ALC Refractometer
PH 8.1 Handheald Digital MW
Calcium 450 Red Sea Pro
Magnesium 1480 Red Sea Pro
Alk 9.56 dkh Hanna HC
Phosphate Hanna ULR HI 736 reads 14 which converts into .04
Strontium 2 (never can get it any higher) Salifert
Iodine .06 Red Sea Pro
Iron 0 Red Sea Pro
Potassium 410 Red Sea Pro
Equipment
55g Aquarium
20g Aquarium for sump
2 Hydor Koralia Controllable 4’s
Hydor Koralia Wavemaker 2 with Day/Night Sensor
Current USA HOT5 Nova Extreme Pro 48” 6x54w
1 ATI True Actinic
2 ATI AquaBlue Special
1 ATI Coral Plus
2 ATI Blue Plus
1st set of lights on at 9:30am till 7pm
2nd set comes at 11:30am till 8pm
Warner Marine MF181 Skimmer
1 Phosban Reactor 8tbs of BRS GAC ROX .08
1 Phosban Reactor ¾ cup BRS HC GFO
Mag Drive 3 Return Pump
Finnex 300w Digital Heater in Sump
Salt SeaChem Reef
1 50mL BRS pump adds 1g of Kalk over 7 hours at night
1 1.1mL BRS pump adding 23mL Vinegar a day (bring it down 2mL from 40mL per week since Nitrates are 0)
Various Macro’s in Sump along with 4” sand bed
4” sandbed in DST
65lbs of live rock
Fish Livestock
2 Green Chromis
1 Maroon Clown
1 Six Line Wrasse
1 Royal Gramma
1 Diamond Gobie