Problem with corals

[1bigstud]

Tank has been running for about 4 yrs. using pc lighting ( bulbs less than 2mnths old) which has been quite successful in my previous system. Last time I had the alk and calcium checked at ocean aquatics they said it was bang on.
I was originally running a 450 watt halide and thought that was the issue so I switched to 2 75 watt pc bulbs.

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by 1bigstud

Tank has been running for about 4 yrs. using pc lighting ( bulbs less than 2mnths old) which has been quite successful in my previous system. Last time I had the alk and calcium checked at ocean aquatics they said it was bang on.
I was originally running a 450 watt halide and thought that was the issue so I switched to 2 75 watt pc bulbs.

what other corals are you having trouble with?? are they all melting away??

[SteveConn]

GFO is Granular Ferric Oxide. I use PO4x4. It reduces your phosphates pretty fast and is rechageable (which is great because it isnt cheap). There are other types of GFO, but I find them messy...need a lot of rinsing. Biased because I used PO4x4 from the start.

Google GFO.

For a quick fix you can use a liquid phosphate reducer if you have a skimmer.

[SteveConn]

LOL.. Reefwars.. too fast for me. 1Big,, I'll leave you to the pros... I'm still a newbie.
Half of the fun of this hobby is the learning curve. You're in the right place coming here.

[reefwars]

if the tank is around 4yrs old i imagine the cyano is from you scrubbing the rocks of algae, stuff tends to build up after time in the rocks and that all would have been released and the algae itself then too.


if the flow is too strong in your tank then that too isnt good for softies and they will shrink up and die.

if light is to strong then they will shrivel up and melt.

[1bigstud]

pretty much everything has melted away within a week, toad stool, xenia, brain, colt. only thing that has survived is a mushroom.

[reefwars]

check your temp reguraly?? sounds almost like they cooked.....not surprised the mushroom survived lol

[1bigstud]

I keep my tank at 80, I'm leaning forwards phosphates as well. As the saying goes the solution to pollution is dilution. The system wih the skimmer and sump is probably between 90-100 gallons, I was think of doing water changes of 25-30 every couple days for a week.
Any objections, or better ideas?

Ps thanks to all of you for the info.

[SteveConn]

I'm all for water changes to some extent, but I think you'll have diminishing returns after a while.. and your system is fairly large.
If I were in your shoes, I would do the usual water changes (about 5-10% per week) and find a solution to the phosphates: GFO, biopellets...

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by 1bigstud

I keep my tank at 80, I'm leaning forwards phosphates as well. As the saying goes the solution to pollution is dilution. The system wih the skimmer and sump is probably between 90-100 gallons, I was think of doing water changes of 25-30 every couple days for a week.
Any objections, or better ideas?

Ps thanks to all of you for the info.

even just 2 x 20g water changes in one week will be fine. that ol saying never turns ya wrong. the large water changes of 20g wont hurt its what i do weekly on my 90g with 75g sump so if you do 2 say with a few days apart will be plenty.



to me phosphate is the one thing that i absolutely have to keep in check, i wouldnt dare run a tank without gfo although i have many many times but after doing it on the last few tanks it works and if you start it early it works very well.

still though i dont think high phosphates would melt all your softies in one week...... all of a sudden........ it would take something stronger, maybe from the scrubbing of the algae?? stuff tends to build up in the rocks that can get nasty over time, powerheads miss it and flow cant reach it so untill that day the brush hits it its sitting there rotting and waiting to be disturbed. softies and leathers absorb alot of whats in the water, nitrates they can handle in small amounts but larger amounts and not so much.