Coral woes.. Help a newbie.. You once were one!

[jagermaier]

I am thinking that your tank is still very young since it has only been 3 months since you started it. Many reefers wait until 9-12 months before adding coral. Even after your first cycle there may be mini cycles that occur that could affect sensitive corals. That might be why your hardier corals like frogspawn are doing fine.

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by jagermaier

Many reefers wait until 9-12 months before adding coral

Unfortunately, many of us don't but can get away with it

I was originally planning on a long-term addition of coral to my new tank, but a couple locals got me started within the first month or so, and away I went

I haven't added anything sensitive yet such as 'nems, but I got away with lots of easy SPS and LPS right away

Lots of absorbing of knowledge goes a long way

Hope the rest of the members get you going in the right direction

[carriej]

Hopefully.. lol

I read lots.. But nothing really prepared me for what I was in for I guess!

I find it hard to know what it needs by looking at it... I am used to keeping freshwater plants. I know what they need by looking at them.

I feel a bit helpless. I can see that they are "not happy" but I keep my levels in check, keep up with waterchanges and try to put them in the right flow areas. What gives.. lol

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by carriej

WHOOPS. Knew I was forgetting something.

Tank is a 125 gal 6 foot with approx 30 gals in sump. Bubble magus skimmer, lighting is an ATI sunpower 6 bulb 60" t5ho.

I do about 15 gals water change weekly, livestock is a pair of clowns, and a chromis. Some snails and two hermits. A cleaner shrimp named Francois (lol).

Tank has been running since Oct. Just added corals not quite two weeks ago. Have a few other things that are doing well (frogspawn, Duncan, etc)

My levels are as follows:
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
Phosphate - 0
Calc - 400
Alk - 8
Temp - 78
Ph - 8.2
Salinity - 1.025

I am using two 1400gph powerheads and a 900gph return pump.

Thanks in advance!

not saying this is your issue but a bit of extra flow couldnt hurt in a six ft tank , two koralias 1400's arent all that much.

live rock or dry rock?

[carriej]

I also have the return. I was thinking of getting some smaller powerheads... But I don't know where to put them. Eventually I'd like to get power powerful powerheads that oscillate but... Budget only so much initially LOL.

Combination of live and dry rock, mostly dry however.

[Spyd]

I would tone down your lighting period. The Dawn / Dusk for 12 hrs is fine and dandy. Your full power lights though are too much. 9 hrs is a LONG time. I have a SPS tank and I only run my full lights for 5 hrs.

For softies and LPS, you really don't need to run any longer than 4 hrs. Those ATI fixtures pump out some serious par levels.

[Proteus]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

Unfortunately, many of us don't but can get away with it

I was originally planning on a long-term addition of coral to my new tank, but a couple locals got me started within the first month or so, and away I went

My tank was stocked with sps within the first week. Although water and rock came from my other tank. I had color but little growth for a couple months. My little tank is 10 months old now and has great growth and color. I think it took 6-8 months to mature enough for the coral to be truly happy
My purple poison shortcake took 4 months before it stared growing but know I can count new coralites every couple days

[kien]

Originally Posted by carriej

Any advice would be appreciated.

To me your rocks look very white and clean with very little algae or coraline. Maybe there's more stuff growing elsewhere? How about throwing up a full tank shot? Anyway, this suggest to me that your tank is in fact still quite new (but we know that now based on your other post). Did you use all dead rock to start your tank? Your parameters are good and the tank is clearly cycled but as others have suggested, there is a period of "settling in" or "settling down" that the tank (sometimes) also needs to go through. A lot of people can get away with this period if they've done a tank transfer and are using live rock from a previous tank. If you are using all dead rock it can take longer. It's hard to tell how long it will take. It could be that your nutrient levels are way TOO low. Because the tank is so new you may not have enough nutrients for your LPS corals. They could be hungry.

I would also agree that flow could be improved. As Denny suggested, on a 6' tank two of those korellias will hardly make a dent.

The last pic does look like a candycane to me. There are LOTS of different types of candycane corals.

[carriej]

I have about 30lbs of "live" rock to 100lbs of dry rock, which was soaked and sorta kinda seeded.

When I put the live rock in... It was all really purple and it turned white in my tank. However it seems to be getting some of the purple back now. I don't know what caused this or it's if normal but it's almost as if I bleached the coraline, if that can happen.

Should I turn my skimmer off to improve nutrient levels?

Here is a full tank shot.. just dusk/dawn lights


Here is some nice algae.. lol..gross

[kien]

Well, it does look like you are getting some growth on your rocks :-). Although the majority of it still appears pristine. I don't think you necessarily need to take your skimmer off line. Since your nutrient levels are reading zero across the board you could look into feeding your tank more. A pair of clowns and a Chromis is a very very light bio load for a 125g tank. Is your skimmer even pulling anything out?? LOL. Maybe start adding more fish or feed your corals more through other methods.