Don't know what am I doing wrong (pics)

[rlezama]

Hey Guys,

 

Need your help on this one. My zoas are always stretched and I having trouble with the pigmentation of other frags. My equipment and tanks stats are as follows:

 

Tank Specs:

- Tank: 40x18x10 33 gal

- Skimmer: Instant Ocean Sea Clone 100

- Circulation: Hydor Koralia 850

- Lighting: 2x Kessil A150w Sky Blue

 

Parameters:

- Salinity: 1.024

- Phosphate: 0.25 ppm

- Alkalinity: 7.0 dKH

- Temp: 77 F

- Calcium: 620 ppm

- PH: 8.0

- Nitrates: 5 ppm

 

Other relevant info:

- Regular top offs with purified water.

- Feeding 2-3 times per week.

- Photoperiod is 8 hours with both fixtures on.

- Skimmer is runs 24/7.

- Dosing Seachem Reef Fusion to raise alk but can't raise it over 7

- Test kits are all API.

- Established since Aug-14

- No fishes, use to have 2 Ocellaris Clowns (juveniles) and a Damsel. Damsell killed the clowns and when it started nibling my Anthelias, I got enough of little ba$&%rd.

 

I first though they were not receiving enough light because of the zoas stretching, but I've already placed them at the top of the tank with no results, then I thought about the Nitrates/Phosphates, but they're not that high.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[Formula462]

Test and more than likely raise your magnesium level; feed it more.

[tetraodon]

calc is too high, raise temp, how high are the lights, and why just sky blue lights?

[ktipp]

Phoshates, nitrates and calcium are high. Alk too low. Might consider using a 2 part like Bionic for Alk and Calcium. Like tetra mentioned temp is little low.

Nice chart to use.

http://www.marinedepot.com/reef-tank-parameters.html

API are okay test kits but might consider Salifert, red sea pro test kits or Hanna. Check out videos on YouTube of the various pro reef test kits to seee which one you like best. API does not get low levels that are needed.

[paulrw]

what's purified water?

[ktipp]

Good question. Need to use RD/DI water.

Good question. Need to use RD/DI water.

What salt are you using?

[LebaneseDlight]

Test and more than likely raise your magnesium level; feed it more.

 

This. i never really 'got it' with my first tank, but you must read and learn about the relationship between dkh + ph + ca + mg. The magnesium can throw off the entire balance, and no amount of 2 part will get your alk/ca to stabilize.

[Polarcollision]

those zoas need more light. You can see the shadows cast in image 3 of 6. Plus the fixtures aren't visible in the FTS, possibly too high above tank. Unless you have a PAR meter telling you the top of the tank is getting 400 PAR or more, then even the top is not bright enough.

[CronicReefer]

Your lights are not bright enough hence the stretching. Bring them closer to the water and increase the intensity of them as needed. Colors in coral come from pigmentation they use as a sunscreen so you should also see improved colors as they are exposed to higher intensity lighting. Also let your calcium fall down to the 400-450 range to be closer to natural ocean levels.

[nanolutionary]

what's purified water?

 

Purified water is tap water which has been completely stripped of anything other than pure H2O making it as pure as it can possibly be. To do this most aquarists will purchase their own equipment, the device we use is called an RO/DI unit which is short for Reverse Osmosis Deionisation, this complicated name refers to the several stages of the filter and should not be something which puts you off the idea of using your own filter in future they save a lot of time and money versus picking up RO/DI water from your local fish store because at the fish store you may not be 100% sure the water is 100% pure.

 

Having an RO/DI filter means that when you add your salt mix to it you know that you're not adding anything but a substance as close to natural seawater as possible, if you add tap water to the tank then you're inviting organisms which thrive on the substances in that tap water found at higher concentrations than in seawater, usually algae as well as potentially stunting coral growth and having chlorine in your system, a substance which is not going to do any favours for your corals in particular.

 

In this instance riezama is using purified water to 'top-off' the evaporation on the tank, because only freshwater evaporates from the ocean, in a reef tank this freshwater evaporation, if left unchecked, causes the salt strength (salinity) of the water to increase overtime.

 

Hope this helps

[ndrobey]

No way is purified water anywhere near pure H2O. I find all kinds of things in it. Usually purified water has just been put through a carbon filter. Even distilled water has to be run through the distiller at least 3 times before it is reasonably pure. The RO/DI water used in tanks is good enough for the purpose, but you can't use it for scientific uses.

[paulrw]

 

Purified water is tap water which has been completely stripped of anything other than pure H2O making it as pure as it can possibly be. To do this most aquarists will purchase their own equipment, the device we use is called an RO/DI unit which is short for Reverse Osmosis Deionisation, this complicated name refers to the several stages of the filter and should not be something which puts you off the idea of using your own filter in future they save a lot of time and money versus picking up RO/DI water from your local fish store because at the fish store you may not be 100% sure the water is 100% pure.

 

Having an RO/DI filter means that when you add your salt mix to it you know that you're not adding anything but a substance as close to natural seawater as possible, if you add tap water to the tank then you're inviting organisms which thrive on the substances in that tap water found at higher concentrations than in seawater, usually algae as well as potentially stunting coral growth and having chlorine in your system, a substance which is not going to do any favours for your corals in particular.

 

In this instance riezama is using purified water to 'top-off' the evaporation on the tank, because only freshwater evaporates from the ocean, in a reef tank this freshwater evaporation, if left unchecked, causes the salt strength (salinity) of the water to increase overtime.

 

Hope this helps

 

lol i should have worded it better, i was asking the OP what they meant by "purified water" but thanks!

[nanolutionary]

No way is purified water anywhere near pure H2O. I find all kinds of things in it. Usually purified water has just been put through a carbon filter. Even distilled water has to be run through the distiller at least 3 times before it is reasonably pure. The RO/DI water used in tanks is good enough for the purpose, but you can't use it for scientific uses.

 

Duly noted.

 

 

lol i should have worded it better, i was asking the OP what they meant by "purified water" but thanks!

 

Ah ok lol

[markalot]

Get better test kits, I like Salifert.

 

Get an RO/DI filter as soon as you can, until then switch to using distilled water.

 

However the primary issue is light, you need more light. Can you rent a PAR meter from a nearby LFS? You will want at least 100 PAR on the sandbed.

 

Google Alkalinity and Calcium in a reef tank.

 

Short version: Alk and Calcum are related. Stable Alk is most important for the health of the corals, but you need to dose BOTH ALk and Calcium or else you will send your parameters out of whack. Dosing Alk will drive down calcium, dosing calcium will drive down Alk. This is why we have 2-part solutions, 1 part is Alk, 1 part is Calcium. Dose at least 10 minutes apart, dose the same amount of each part and use a good Alk test, testing before dosing, to determine how much.

 

Magnesium is the stability element that helps us keep Alk and Calcium at the proper levels. If Mag is too low Alk and Calcium will precipitate and you won;t be able to maintain natural or elevated levels of either. Mag should be kept at 1300+ and weekly water changes with a good high Mag salt mix is usually all you need.

 

Biggest mistake I made when new was testing both Alk and Calcium and trying to balance the two. Just test Alk, dose two part to maintain stable Alk, and test calcium occasionally just to make sure it's staying in a safe range (400-500).

 

MAKE SURE YOU NEED TO DOSE FIRST! If you have a low coral load and are doing decent weekly changes then you might not have too yet.

[rlezama]

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks for your responses, to clarify some questions that have been made:

 

@tetraodon: My lights are 10 in. above the water line and they are Sky blue because those were the only ones I could get a hold to (I'm not from the U.S.)

 

@paulrw: Sorry for the confusion, by purified water I mean a large container of Dasani/Evian.

 

@markalot: I'm currently using reef fusion to dose for alk per the bottle instructions, but haven't been successful to raise the alk, I also stopped dosing vinegar, as I read vinegar lessens the PH effect on kalk, figured out it would do the same to the reef fusion.

 

As per the lighting factor, I'm by no means an expert, but 2 Kessils are not overkill for a 48 in. wide, 18 in. tall tank??

 

Thanks a lot for your input, I really appreciate it.