Corals not opening

[Regan_tyler]

So it's been awhile now my corals really haven't been opening mainly my pulsating Xenia my zoanthids and my finger leather my perimeters are
Temp 83 ph 8.2 calcium 460ppm
Carbonate hardness 240ppm general hardness 180ppm phosphate 0ppm ammonia 0 nitrate 0 nitrite 0. Also discovered some aiptasia in my tank what all fish eat it except copperbands I haven't had good luck with them.

 

[Macscale]

I believe peppermint shrimp eat aipstasia. I've never had it, but a lot of people say that Joes Juice and Aipstasia X work really well.

 

[Sniperhank]

Have there been any recent changes to the tank? When was your last water change?

 

[Regan_tyler]

I rarely do any water changes at all but I found out the other day that one of my heaters died and dropped down to 60 but I didn't lose anybody. I've tried peppermint shrimp before but my cleaner shrimp tears them up.

 

[Sniperhank]

The heater issue may have compounded into it, but you should be doing water changes biweekly or weekly at best to remove unwanted nitrates/phosphates and bring back trace elements and other necessities for corals.

 

[JJ-MIK]

I'd say lower your temp to 78 degrees.

 

[mrvincent]

True peppermint shrimps do the job. Aiptasia X for bigger aiptasia that peppermints don't eat.

I can withness it work, I have a peppermint shrimp and Aiptasia X. My peppermint love new frags, as they're often covered by mini aiptasias.

 

[Regan_tyler]

Yea I'll throw some in my frag tank for sure I just don't know what to do about my main display sense there's some in there plus my cleaner shrimp and my baby snowflake eel would probably demolish the peppermint shrimp.

 

[mrvincent]

Yea I'll throw some in my frag tank for sure I just don't know what to do about my main display sense there's some in there plus my cleaner shrimp and my baby snowflake eel would probably demolish the peppermint shrimp.

Aiptasia X for the bigger aiptasia in the main tank. You turn all equipement that make flow off, wait a minute, spot dose aiptasia X on aiptasia. It will work on some smalls, but less effective. Wait a 15 min before turning flow equipement ON.

This chemical is harmless except for aiptasia (and you), try to avoid spraying in on coral heads. My zoas survived well this product. But zoas are strongs corals IMO.

 

[54seaweed]

83* is a little high
try to stay in 78*to 80* range
heater busted now your at 60* replace heater asap
no water changes you should always do water changes its a part of a healthy tank
as for Aiptasia you can do a few things
remove rock and burn it out
Aiptasia X
Joe's juice
white vinegar
lemon juice
as for inverts the only one I found to actually eat Aiptasia is the electric blue hermits but they can tear up a reef if not removed after they do the job they claim reef safe don't be fooled

 

[tomtom14]

Aiptasia eating file fish are monsters at eating it. I know someone that had a serious aiptasia problem and put the aiptasia eating file fish in and within 2 days it was all gone. How big is your tank? As if it where to be a permanent fish it would need a medium/large tank. But my lfs let me hire the fish and bring him back when he had eaten all the aiptasia.

 

[Regan_tyler]

Also my corals have lost a lot of there color mainly my zoanthids here's what they use to look like and now

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Are they all browning out? What lighting are you using?

 

[Regan_tyler]

There not browning out they're just loosing there colors like still red just not as pretty I'm gonna a 8 bulb fixture on my 90 and a 2 bulbs t5 on my 30

 

[Regan_tyler]

Was thinking it could be bulbs cause I'm not running any fancy bulbs

 

[Sniperhank]

I'd say it has to do with lighting. The first picture is obviously from the tank those coral came from. The second picture is an unhappy zoa to be sure, almost hard to believe it is the same coral pictured before it. Tie that in with the dead coral skeleton behind it, there is most def a major culprit at hand in your tank.
You said your lighting is an 8 bulb unit? If so, what kind? It might even just be not being acclimated to the new lighting or the fact that your tank has more white bulbs compared to the other who went more actinic/blue wave length.

 

[Regan_tyler]

The dead coral skeleton is lust a peice of rumble my mom got from Hawaii along time ago I just used it to hold down the egg crate. But just and 8 bulbs t5 fixture with 4 atinics and 4 super daylighting and my frag tank is just a 30 gal long wth a dual t5 system just all my bulbs are from petco so I was thinking my bulbs could be the problem possibly

 

[Sniperhank]

It is quite possible. Corals can change color when they are under different lighting. Is your lighting t5 or t5ho?

 

[Regan_tyler]

I'm not really sure I literally just started studying up on lighting the other day cause i mostly keep low light softies how do i tell.

 

[Sniperhank]

It should say on the light somewhere. There should also be a place on the bulb near the end that will say of it is high output or not when it talks about the bulb.