Cant Keep Coral's

[richards]

Help if you can please.

I have a 250ltr Reef Tank. It has been going now for 18 Months but any coral that I have put in has lasted a few months then closed up and died.

Even my Leather has died now. My water is as follows and has a 10% change every 10 days.

SG - 1.025
Phosphate - less than 0.1
Nitrate - approx 40
Nitrite - 0
PH - 8.0
KH - 7.0
Amonia - 0
Calcium - 440
Magniesium - 1290

Lights are 2 x T5 White, 2 X T5 Blue.

I have tried placing some corals higher in the tank in case it is a light issue but that hasnt made any difference

If anyone has any ideas I will be really greatfull.

Many thanks

Richard

 

[Matty P]

You might just need to do some research to see what the corals prefer. Light or darker, stronger flow or weaker flow.

 

[steelhealr]

Wattage on the lights? What kind of water are you using? Tank treated with any previous chemicals? How often do you change the water? What salt mix? Specifically, what corals are you placing in the tank? What animals are in your tank?

SH

 

[sothoth]

I had a hydrometer that wasn't working right (read really low) and found my corals were dying because I thought my salt was OK when it was WAY TOO HIGH. Just fair warning to keep an eye on it. 1.025 is SLIGHTLY hign IMHO but that's probably not the issue here.

If corals are looking very healthy when you put them in (meaning they equilibrate nicely and look great but then start to die over the next month) its most likely the lighting (as another post already suggested). The tank you have is about 60 US gallons and needs roughly 3 WPG minimum (and more is better), so you'd need to be pumping 180 watts per gallon into your system (which is a lot!) and a little more or less depending on how deep your tank is. I'm not 100% familiar with T5 lamps but usually reef people use metal halides, compact fluoresents, or VHO T12 lamps. From your description, my best guess is that you're too low on the wattage and your corals aren't getting enough light to photosynthesize. My 30gallon tank has 130 watts and that seems about right for most corals. It obviously depends, too, on what you have. If you have demanding corals, 3WPG isn't adequate anymore.

Also, make sure you're feeding a decent filter feeder diet (like phytoplankton) so they don't starve.

Hope this helps... happy coral'ing

 

[Matty P]

Just make sure that your hydrometer/refroctometer is calibrated so that you are 100% sure that your S.G. is correct.

Matt

 

[SkiFletch]

I'll agree with all the above. Also like to add, with what/how do you provide flowrate in the tank?

 

[richards]

Wattage on the lights? What kind of water are you using? Tank treated with any previous chemicals? How often do you change the water? What salt mix? Specifically, what corals are you placing in the tank? What animals are in your tank?

SH

Hi

Thanks for your questions. Lights are 10000k X 2 T5 and 2 Anitic. I use RO from my suppliers no chemicals go in the tank other than buffers for KH and PH. I use Reefsalt from my supplier. The corals are mainly Hammers Leathers and Mushrooms, Nothing too complicated. I have other than fish, 1 Cleaner Shrimp, 1 Dancer shrimp, 1 Sand Sifter Starfish and various Hermit Crabs. Any suggestions would be great.

Many thanks

Richard

I had a hydrometer that wasn't working right (read really low) and found my corals were dying because I thought my salt was OK when it was WAY TOO HIGH. Just fair warning to keep an eye on it. 1.025 is SLIGHTLY hign IMHO but that's probably not the issue here.

If corals are looking very healthy when you put them in (meaning they equilibrate nicely and look great but then start to die over the next month) its most likely the lighting (as another post already suggested). The tank you have is about 60 US gallons and needs roughly 3 WPG minimum (and more is better), so you'd need to be pumping 180 watts per gallon into your system (which is a lot!) and a little more or less depending on how deep your tank is. I'm not 100% familiar with T5 lamps but usually reef people use metal halides, compact fluoresents, or VHO T12 lamps. From your description, my best guess is that you're too low on the wattage and your corals aren't getting enough light to photosynthesize. My 30gallon tank has 130 watts and that seems about right for most corals. It obviously depends, too, on what you have. If you have demanding corals, 3WPG isn't adequate anymore.

Also, make sure you're feeding a decent filter feeder diet (like phytoplankton) so they don't starve.

Hope this helps... happy coral'ing

 

[Eversurf]

What is your list of fish? Some fish will disturb/eat coral. They might be the cause of the coral death....

 

[richards]

What is your list of fish? Some fish will disturb/eat coral. They might be the cause of the coral death....

Hi.My fish are as follows

2 Blue Chromis
2 Iranian Clowns
2 Regal Tangs
1 Peacock Wrasse
1 Cleaner Wrasse
1 Lemon Peel Angel
1 Dart fish
1 Angel (Sorry I dont know what he is Silver with Blue and Yellow fin tips and a black nose)

I think doing some reasearch that it may be that I need a metal halide lamp as I think the T 5 lights are not strong enough to reach 24"

Many thanks to you all for your suggestions

 

[SkiFletch]

1 Lemon Peel Angel

Lemonpeel Angels are renowned for their coral nipping. Thats your biggest smoking gun if you ask me. Watch it CLOSELY, even after the lights go off.

 

[Matty P]

Peacock wrasses are awsome fish, great colours.

 

[callell]

I had a hydrometer that wasn't working right (read really low) and found my corals were dying because I thought my salt was OK when it was WAY TOO HIGH. Just fair warning to keep an eye on it. 1.025 is SLIGHTLY hign IMHO but that's probably not the issue here.

1.025 is not high tbh, most UK reefers Polled by UR kept there reefs at 1.026