Help Me

[Dobber]

okay so I am relatively new to the business of marine aquariums, well ive had my 90 gallon for two years and just recently upgraded to a 220 gallon corner overflow tank running two #3 megaflow sumps underneath. I have two 1800 gph magdrives for main system pumps and I have two koralia 2 for some circulation ($). I am in the process of trying to get a wavebox and some proper circulation. I have an aqualight pro 250w 72" with 10,000K bulbs. The temperature in my tank is fluctuating slightly between 74 and 79 not usually that big however. Okay so finally to my problem. I CAN'T KEEP CORALS AT ALL the only thing i have been able to keep is a small xenia frag that has only been in the tank for two days or soo lol. I feed live phyto once a week. I also feed frozen brine, cyclop eeze, marine plankton frozen cubes, frozen rotifers and marine algae flakes everynight. My fish however are gorgeous I have a Powder Blue Tang, Yellow Tang, Convict Tang, Juvenile Vlamingi Tang, and a Desjardini Sailfin, Regal Angelfish 7". Some other fish include a helmut gurnard prawn goby, purple firefish, 6 green chromis, six line wrasse 5", two true percula clowns, and I have a purple reef lobster that is well fed, I also have 2 purple queen anthias and am hoping to get more females. Also have a breeding pair of mandarinefish eahc about 4" long. I have a decent skimmer rated for 200 gallons, a 40 watt UV sterilizer and a reefugium that fills the second megaflow. My Parameters are as Follows.

Salinity: 1.023
PH: 8.4
Calcium: 400
Carbonate Hardness: 90
Phosphates: Barely Detectable
Nitrates: Very Little
Nitrites: 0
I have also ben adding strontium because when i put corals in its almost as if the flesh lifts right off within the next few days.

PLEASE HELP:sad:

[Pan]

What is your water source?
I do believe your salinty should be higher as well 1.025-1.026. Lower is okay for FOWLR., but corals require a bit more in general.

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Regal angels are notorious coral eaters. Almost everyone I know with one tells me that it eats corals.

Anthony

[Joe Reefer]

I would not dose strontium unless you have confirmed your tank is strontium deficent. Was the tank purchased used? If so want was it previouly used for?

[bassman]

How old are your bulbs? How high off the water are your lights?

[Joe Reefer]

How old are your bulbs? How high off the water are your lights?

I don't think old bulbs are going to cause the problems he is having.

[digital-audiophile]

Flow would be my first concern. Are your return pumps throttled back or are they really running 1800GPH, are they directed with locline?

The Hydor 2's really do not give enough flow for a 220G.

Im my 90G I have ~400GPH return from my sump, a Vortech wavemaker, 2xKoralia 2 and 2xKoralia 4 and I still don't think I have enough flow.

[mseepman]

Hey Tom, glad you came on board Canreef. I'm sure some of the experts here will be able to help you out.

To better understand your setup, maybe give some details about your water filter system as well.

okay so I am relatively new to the business of marine aquariums, well ive had my 90 gallon for two years and just recently upgraded to a 220 gallon corner overflow tank running two #3 megaflow sumps underneath. I have two 1800 gph magdrives for main system pumps and I have two koralia 2 for some circulation ($). I am in the process of trying to get a wavebox and some proper circulation. I have an aqualight pro 250w 72" with 10,000K bulbs. The temperature in my tank is fluctuating slightly between 74 and 79 not usually that big however. Okay so finally to my problem. I CAN'T KEEP CORALS AT ALL the only thing i have been able to keep is a small xenia frag that has only been in the tank for two days or soo lol. I feed live phyto once a week. I also feed frozen brine, cyclop eeze, marine plankton frozen cubes, frozen rotifers and marine algae flakes everynight. My fish however are gorgeous I have a Powder Blue Tang, Yellow Tang, Convict Tang, Juvenile Vlamingi Tang, and a Desjardini Sailfin, Regal Angelfish 7". Some other fish include a helmut gurnard prawn goby, purple firefish, 6 green chromis, six line wrasse 5", two true percula clowns, and I have a purple reef lobster that is well fed, I also have 2 purple queen anthias and am hoping to get more females. Also have a breeding pair of mandarinefish eahc about 4" long. I have a decent skimmer rated for 200 gallons, a 40 watt UV sterilizer and a reefugium that fills the second megaflow. My Parameters are as Follows.

Salinity: 1.023
PH: 8.4
Calcium: 400
Carbonate Hardness: 90
Phosphates: Barely Detectable
Nitrates: Very Little
Nitrites: 0
I have also ben adding strontium because when i put corals in its almost as if the flesh lifts right off within the next few days.

PLEASE HELP:sad:

[Lance]

Is it possible that the tank has had copper in it at one time? Is the tank new or used? Aside from the reef lobster, you don't mention inverts. Inverts and corals can be affected by very little copper. Live rock?

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Yeah, I was wondering also if the tank had ever been medicated (especially with Copper).

Anthony

[Dobber]

The tank is completely new I unwrapped it myself. The pumps are rated for 1800 gph but they dont push that much out of the return they push about 1000.
The flow in my tank sucks because i dont have the cash right now to purchase a lot. About the angel it has only been in the tank for a night so hes not the problem.

[Dobber]

the lights are six inches above the water im wondering if it gets too cold at night and thats what it is happening to the corals cause it sits at 78 in the day im just wondering about at night hmm?

[mseepman]

You should have a heater in the tank (preferably 2 in case one fails) that stops the tank from sliding below 76 or so. I think that a lot of the people on here have been moving towards the titanium heaters because they don't have the breakage issue. It could sit in one of your sumps and keep the temp reasonable.

[Dobber]

I use two EBO jager 250 watt heaters i have never heard of the titanium heatersi dont have any glass tops either

[Pescador]

These titanium heaters will not break if dropped but have to be used with a controller.
http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/693/Titanium-Heaters/titanium%20heaters/0

[Whatigot]

Titanium heaters will not break if dropped but have to be used with a controller.
http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/693/Titanium-Heaters/titanium%20heaters/0

What?
you can definitely use them without a controller.
I have 2 and one stays on day and night and the other clicks on when my lights click off, no controller and my temp is 80-81 degrees steady as a rock since inception.

To say you need a controller is misinformation and incorrect.
FYI.

[Joe Reefer]

:rolleyes: To say you don't need a contoller is misinformation IMO. Let me get this straight, you have 1 heater that is on 24/7?

On a side note: Dobber, I think your on the right track by adding more flow.

[danny zubot]

If you have Manderine's in your tank that bread then you must be doing something right.:lol:

I'm going to second the flow thing. Stoney corals will die if they don't have enough water flow to help them shead their slime. If you want to test your tank, the Xenia is a good tester. Give it some time to see if it starts to grow.

One thing I noticed, and it might be a typo, but your Carbonate hardness tested at 90? Also, what is your Magnesium levels at?

[Dobber]

yes carbonate hardness is at 90 and also the frekin xenias are dying but i think it is because my temp is fluctuating too much i woke up this morning and checked the temp and it was 70 a big jump from 80 last night i also definetly need more flow and also my xenias aren't even opening up they shrunk and closed right up but yes i had one pair of mandarines breed and it was sooo cool

[Pan]

Xenia like a high PH, and Iodide seems to make them pulse.

[Dobber]

my ph is about 8.4 what do you think high enough i mean they really look terrible they look like hairs compared to wat they were when i got them

[Pescador]

What?
you can definitely use them without a controller.
I have 2 and one stays on day and night and the other clicks on when my lights click off, no controller and my temp is 80-81 degrees steady as a rock since inception.

To say you need a controller is misinformation and incorrect.
FYI.

If you look at the grade of heaters in the link and the wattage you'll see they require a controller. You have 2 300-800 watt heaters in your tank that stay on with no temperature control?
You must live in a freezer.

[Joe Reefer]

What units are the 90 carbonate hardness in? If its in "american degrees of hardness" or mg/L then your alk is at about 1.8 meq/L or 5 dKH which is low and could be a problem.

[mseepman]

Tom,

If your temp dropped to 70, then your heaters are either not working or not set right. A big temp change like that has got to be hard on your fish too.

[Dobber]

figured out the heating problem the socket that the one heater was plugged into burnt out so that is now fixed and my temp is no longer a problem and yes the alkalinity is sitting at 90 mg/L let me remind you all that i am running

!!!HAGEN TEST KITS!!!