[nineball69]

I just bought some zoos and they seem to not be opening. I have a 55 gallon tank 48x12x20 and placed them halfway up running a 2bulb T5 (12000k and blue actinic). My nitrates-20, phosphates-0.25, calcium-360, carbonate hardness-9. I just set up a refugium where prior I was running a fluval. My refugium consists of rubble rock and chatoe macroalgae, I do use tap water for water changes and top offs. My temperature of tank is set at 80-82degrees. I have 3 chromis, yellow tang, mandrin goby, 2 blood shrimp, 2 cardinals, 2 perc clowns, hermit crabs and turbo snails. Plenty of coraline algae growing. By the way, this is my father in-laws tank but he does not want to listen to me so I wanted to show him this thread. Give him some advise on why his plate coral is dead (second by the way), frog spawn died and zoos are not opening.

 

[dputt88]

i do all the research for my dads tank as well. you cant really be using tap water for you water changes if you plan on keeping you water chemistry perfect. i would suggest an RO system as it will save you money in the long run by not having to continuously buy nitrate and phosphate binding medias. also your temp need to be lower, being that high will cause aglea blooms which can be harmful to sessile tank mates especially with where your phosphates are. you really want those phosphates to be as close to 0pmm as possible. your nitrates arent to bad yet but dont let them get higher.

also how long has your tank been established? how long have the zooanthids been closed? how much flow is on them? are they being trampled by inverts?

 

[dputt88]

also i forgot to give a suggested temp. they say 78 is best for coral growth, and anything over 80 will cause a lot of algea. for this reason i let my tank fluxuate between 76.5 and 78 as i dont have the means to keep it in any tighter of a pattern.

 

[krizo]

Nitrates are high for a reef tank, probably due to heavy fish load and inadequate filtration, should be as close to 0 as possible. Phospates are high, probably due to use of tap water. Are the T5 lights high output or standard? If they're standard, its not enough light to keep coral alive. Unless you add pods to the tank, more than likely the mandarin will not make it either.

 

[nineball69]

the tank is over a year old and the zoos were just placed in the tank a week ago. I advised him on getting an R/O and lowering his temperature in his tank. I convinced him in getting the refugium going and has been running now for a week. His flow is not bad, he has his power head pointing into one another to cause a disruptive and not consistent one way water flow. He had tremendous amount o f brown algae o the sand bed that has decreased to almost nothing. I am not sure If he does any water changes but he tells me he does. He uses reef crystals but the bag seems to not have decreased in the amount of salt it contains. Are supplements something he should be investing in since he may not do the required water changes?

 

[nineball69]

The mandrin has been in the tank since he set up the tank a year ago...I am suprised because Ive been unable to keep any in my tank. The Lights are Coralife t5 HO.

 

[dputt88]

make sure the zoos arent getting direct high flow, they are more of a low/moderate flow kinda coral. your lighting is fine. he should be using carbon and gfo, especially if your not using RO. if you start using RO you may still need these ( as i do because im ising well water for my RO system) but the quantity you need will be significantly less. also the refugium is a great idea, that will help with some nitrates and a good part of the phosphates.

i have a refugium and run biopellets, GFO and Carbon in reactors, as well as a skimmer. this keeps my 90 gal stable.

 

[nineball69]

I will have him read this and hopefully he makes some changes. Thank you for your input.

 

[iyachtuxivm]

Nitrates being at 20 will not harm the corals you are talking about. Plates are known to receed if not in that "perfect spot". Low flow good but low light. I would first and foremost look into the lighting 2 bulbs may not be good enough for what you want to keep. We have no idea what type of fixture it is and the quality of the fixture in T5 is very important if its a bad fixture the you might as well just put a typical incandesent screw in bulb over it. Also watch the fish as they could be picking at the corals causing them to close and die. Dont think your parameters are the issue here (except the heat drop that to 78) not with those corals anyway. My guesses with the info given are
1. lighting
2. flow
3. inhabitants
Hope this helps

 

[nineball69]

Thanks for the input. I agree, the lighting is not enough but he thinks its okay. He will be reading this.

 

[dputt88]

i mis read i thought you had a 4 bulb T5 fixture.

 

[nineball69]

Only two bulb, but I will convince him in getting another fixture. If not he will be on his own soon...