Coral death issues:

[harryb18]

I have a 90 Gallon Reef tank which was set up approximately 2 years ago,
I have compact lighting, wet dry system, & protein skimmer. My water is RO/DI nitrate and nitrite levels are 0, ph 8.3-8.4, Calcium 450 Ammonia 0.
I try to change approx 25 gallons per week. My problem is that for some reason the only coral that seems to be able to live in the tank is my bubble coral, various mushrooms and cabbage coral. I've tried acopora, yellow stars, frogspawn and a variety of others but they only last a couple of weeks and die. I'm wondering if I need to change my lighting and go to MH can anyone out there help. I live on the Southshore of L.I.
and would even pay to have someone come and take a look at my tank to try and help. If you have any suggestions I anxiously await your replies.

Thanks,

harryb18

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

MH lighting is pretty much a must for sps corals especially with a tank of that depth.

 

[heuerfan]

Doesn't sound like a lighting problem, more like water problem or maybe you just purchased bad specimens. Do you have any live rock or is that wetdry your only source of bio filtration?

I'm not an SPS expert but i believe MH is not a must for SPS corals, it maybe a must to keep their color but they can thrive under PC lighting, they would just be brown, correct?

 

[loismustdie]

well, is browning considered thriving?
Although I don't like PC, I too am not sure that your lighting is the only problem. Test you phosphate and alkalinity as well. There may just be something to your system that needs to be upgraded/changed/removed other than just lighting. I think you would do ebtter with better lighting, but keep in mind that there may also be something wrong.
PM me with where you live. I may be in your area later today and maybe I can take a look.

 

[charile1]

How many watts is your pc lighting?

 

[heuerfan]

Frogspawn in my opinion is one of the easisest corals and hardiest i've ever own. Its the first coral i give to all my friends that have newly setup tanks with pc lighting. Double check your parameters, its not the lighting.

Chris288- why no likee pc?

 

[harryb18]

I have approximately 120lbs of live rock in the tank as well.

 

[harryb18]

Another issue that I should have stated earlier is that my coraline algae growth seems to have diminished.

 

[loismustdie]

Heuerfan-I'm an MH kind of guy. I've never been big on the colors put out by PC. I think VHO's can make a much moe astetically pleasant look. These are just my opinions and why I didn't chose PC lighting.
Now, other things that I've been told but I cannot back up with any experience is:
PC do not penetrate as deep as advertised.
Lowest level of PAR of all other bulbs out there (MH, T-5, VHO)

 

[harryb18]

Mycompact lighting consists of 2 65 watt 10K daylight bulbs and two 65 watt blue actinic bulbs.

 

[charile1]

Did you place the coral towards the top of the tank?

When was the last time you changed your lights?

What kind of flow do you have?

 

[Quang]

All basic questions but:

What's your water temperature?
What are your equipments? Stray electrical current maybe?
Do you have any non-reef safe fish?
How do your corals die off? melting? bitten? maybe you have a coral eating pest...
Do you have any metallic plumbing to your tank?...which may cause rust to leak into your tank...

Just give us as much info as you possibly can and we can narrow it down...if you were closer I would drop by and check it out.

 

[harryb18]

The last time I changed my lights was approximately 5 months ago,
I have an model 802 power head in the tank. Water Temperature 78-80 degrees. I have the following equipment: Red sea standard protein skimmer, 100 gal wet dry filter, rio 2500, 65 watt u.v. filter, Magdrive 9.5 pump. I have all reef safe fish, the corals slowly die off.

 

[heuerfan]

Heuerfan-I'm an MH kind of guy.

I am too, i just supplement with PC's

Harry- you should test your water again or have someone with a good test kit do it for you. The lighting you have is more than enough to support some of the corals you listed.

 

[harryb18]

I have tested my water as recently as last night and all seems within appropriate parameters. I have alwo recently replaced all of my test kits with new ones. I'm truly stumped!

 

[heuerfan]

I have tested my water as recently as last night and all seems within appropriate parameters. I have alwo recently replaced all of my test kits with new ones. I'm truly stumped!

What brand test kit?

Get a healthy frogspawn frag from a fellow reefer and try again.

You should look into getting rid of the wetdry also, how long have you had the live rock?

 

[MO~IDOL]

have you try different brand test kits?(get selifert).
also check the Mag pump see any rusty.

 

[harryb18]

I've had the live rock for 2 years. Why should I consider getting rid of my wet dry? and what should replace it?

 

[heuerfan]

I've had the live rock for 2 years. Why should I consider getting rid of my wet dry? and what should replace it?

wetdry is for biological filtration
live rock is for biological filtration

I've never own a wetdry from what i've read and heard a wetdry is not capable of breaking down nitrates to a safe level for corals, where as it is good enough for fish only. So you have two sources of bio filtration, one works better than the other. One might be the source of your problem as well. Good luck.

 

[nyumpa]

260watts total(pc) on a 90 is low
i running a 150 HQI on a 25g my lps and monti's love it
before that i had 130w(pc) they are like different corals