severum mama
Aquarium Advice Addict
They do, but I've kept several smaller (and more coral-heavy) tanks and have never had this issue. Not saying you're wrong, just throwing it out there.
I am Slowly Murdering my Coral
- Thread starter fort384
- Start date
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Ingy
Aquarium Advice Addict
Have you raised your Alk from 7.7. That is low for a reef. Aim for closer to 12. There is no "too high" really for Alk. Even over 12 is ok for corals and fish, but your pumps will start to build up calc deposits faster.
nikki_kaiser
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Hmmm...are you sure you don't have anything eating on them? What about flatworms, or even a bacterial infection?
nikki_kaiser
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Fort- I may have overstepped here but I'm one of those people that need a definitive answer to issues so I emailed your coral dilemma to a group that aquacultures corals. They are associated with a University so I figure if they can't help then who can right? They had a few questions. Could you post the answers so I can let him know? The following is what he has asked:
This is a tough one as there could be 101 different things to check but I've got a few questions to start.
- How long has the tank been running?
- What is the flow in the tank?
- How often are water changes done?
- Is he using RO/DI (if so, has he checked that or tried using water from a different source?)
- Running Carbon and if so how often is it getting changed?
- Was the tank previous used with Fresh Water and/or have any fish medications been used (copper is often a main ingredient in many medications and can leach into slicone).
There are many people that use that lighting successfully, so I would think the issue is related to water quality and can probably be fixed with time.
Cheers,
If you will let me know I will hit him back. Thx!
This is a tough one as there could be 101 different things to check but I've got a few questions to start.
- How long has the tank been running?
- What is the flow in the tank?
- How often are water changes done?
- Is he using RO/DI (if so, has he checked that or tried using water from a different source?)
- Running Carbon and if so how often is it getting changed?
- Was the tank previous used with Fresh Water and/or have any fish medications been used (copper is often a main ingredient in many medications and can leach into slicone).
There are many people that use that lighting successfully, so I would think the issue is related to water quality and can probably be fixed with time.
Cheers,
If you will let me know I will hit him back. Thx!
Cool.
Tank has been running about 6 months.
Flow is 2 mp10s at around 50-70%
No meds ever used.
Tank is new, never used previously.
I do not run carbon.
I do a 10-15% water change weekly.
I am using RODI water. I check it every week and it has never been higher than 0 TDS.
Tank has been running about 6 months.
Flow is 2 mp10s at around 50-70%
No meds ever used.
Tank is new, never used previously.
I do not run carbon.
I do a 10-15% water change weekly.
I am using RODI water. I check it every week and it has never been higher than 0 TDS.
Keithhjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
IMHO I would run carbon.
Sniperhank
Giant Clam Addict
I understand you here Fort. I'm way late to this party, but I had a similar problem. I started out by murdering atleast 500 bucks worth of coral once the tank was cycled and I switched tanks over. Issues continued from there. I am just now starting to get ahold of things.
My issue was lighting from my Radions. The AI Sols are as top of the line as Radions are IMO. My problem was they were just to strong. I've been spending the last 2 months continuing to adjust my lighting, in my case lowering their intensity. I'll try to get you some more specifics about how I'm running things, but I'm at work currently and it is my turnover day.
I've thought about all of the information provided and the only question that I don't see as being answered is this, how high are the lights off the tank? If they are 10 inch off the water, then it still might be that the Sols are putting off too much light and you are literally burning your corals. I have my Radions 20 inches off the water and have them set on a bell curve of intensity, peeking at 65% power at noon. Believe it or not, this is still too much for some of the corals! I had moved my maxima clam to the top of my scape 2 weeks ago. I woke up today and it couldn't take it anymore, this is after it was displaying what I thought was its mantle receding, and pulled up its foot and threw itself back onto the sandbed. I put it back on its rock, just on the sandbed where I had it originally, and it instantly opened back up like it was supposed to. I'm only hoping it isn't too late for it.
My issue was lighting from my Radions. The AI Sols are as top of the line as Radions are IMO. My problem was they were just to strong. I've been spending the last 2 months continuing to adjust my lighting, in my case lowering their intensity. I'll try to get you some more specifics about how I'm running things, but I'm at work currently and it is my turnover day.
I've thought about all of the information provided and the only question that I don't see as being answered is this, how high are the lights off the tank? If they are 10 inch off the water, then it still might be that the Sols are putting off too much light and you are literally burning your corals. I have my Radions 20 inches off the water and have them set on a bell curve of intensity, peeking at 65% power at noon. Believe it or not, this is still too much for some of the corals! I had moved my maxima clam to the top of my scape 2 weeks ago. I woke up today and it couldn't take it anymore, this is after it was displaying what I thought was its mantle receding, and pulled up its foot and threw itself back onto the sandbed. I put it back on its rock, just on the sandbed where I had it originally, and it instantly opened back up like it was supposed to. I'm only hoping it isn't too late for it.
I have them set at about 14" from the water. They peak at less than 50% intensity. Maybe I should try raising them some. I haven't adjusted the height at all since installation. I am right there with you. I hate to actually tally it but I am probably close to the $500 mark.
There is nothing more frustrating than lights that are too strong. One of the things that is more frustrating is changing a bunch of variables at once until you get to the point where you feel like you're doing too much at once.
Why not just half the lights for a few weeks and see if there's a response? Try 25% intensity peak.
Why not just half the lights for a few weeks and see if there's a response? Try 25% intensity peak.
needmorecowbell
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm dealing with too much light as well. You would be surprised how little light your corals actually need, especially with led because they penetrate water so well. Mine are at 25% blue and 20% white but they are still bleaching a bit. Usually it's a combination of lighting and something else though, flow could be a problem.
Sniperhank
Giant Clam Addict
I say don't mess with the intensity. Raise the lights up to about 20 inches above the water and see where we are in a week. Don't want to hit a level where we aren't providing enough light and don't realize, thinking that it is still the same issue we are diagnosing as too much light.
Sniperhank
Giant Clam Addict
None. It is lowering the intensity, but by raising it rather than lowering the intensity you also create more surface area of light and blah blah. After 3 hours of sleep I'm not really putting together how exactly I want to say this...but how I have my Radions hanging and messing with them, they are not hanging above my tank straight. The corals that are doing best in my tank? Those that aren't directly under the lights and in the large zone that should be under them if they were hanging correctly...I'm not even sure if this is making sense at this point, but it is an attempt to see if the light is too direct/strong and if there is an improvement around the edges of the radius as well.
Sniperhank
Giant Clam Addict
I'd still like to see how them being higher does. Maybe raise them and increase intensity? IDK, in reality I'd love to stand infront of the tank and ponder the issue.
Keithhjs
Aquarium Advice Addict
Have you switched salts yet?
Ingy
Aquarium Advice Addict
I still haven't heard if you've raised your alkalanity. Last I heard you had 7.7dKh. Very low IMO. If the light started the corals on a growth spurt, they may have consumed the little amount of carbonates you had available and now their suffering. Fiddling with the lights won't help if there are no carbonates available. Of course, maybe it has nothing to do with Alkalanity, but at 7.7 it is a definite possibility
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