How to Refresh the tank and the corals?!

Well I had a quite floreshing tank for the past few months. But recently Corals doesn't seem as active and as floreshing. The overall tank is looking kind of pale and stressed. I tried succesive water changes!! Reef Booseter as well. All I got was limited results for a couple of days and after it went back to normal. How can I resolve this?
Just to note, fish seem quite well in there. Coloration is fine, except sometime when they turn somehow black, but this happenes rarely. Corals are not as open as they used to be.
I know ligthing is not as it is supposed to be. I have 2 Florescent and 6 Blue ones. But they used to be fine in the past months. Any advise?

J,

What are your test results at the moment? Ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, phosphate, Ph etc?

Sounds like you are using NO flourescents. They are not powerful enough for most corals.

Florescent tubes need to be replaced every 8-12 months (6 if you overdrive IMO)

NO lighting can be fine for certain corals, zoas/palys, shrooms, leathers, etc IME all do fine under NO lighting given the tank isnt really deep. I agree we need some test results before helping much. Add ALK and salinity to Toms list of tests to do. Why are you using reef booster? Remember to only use additives if you are testing your water first.

Also how are you doing the W/C's? What salt, what kind of fresh water, how long are you letting it sit and mix before using it?

Ben":2qgizx1u said:

NO lighting can be fine for certain corals, zoas/palys, shrooms, leathers, etc IME all do fine under NO lighting given the tank isnt really deep. I agree we need some test results before helping much. Add ALK and salinity to Toms list of tests to do. Why are you using reef booster? Remember to only use additives if you are testing your water first.

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From my understanding is that he has a 350 gallon tank, 8 NO tubes over a tank that size is almost nothing, no matter how high corals are placed.

ANEMONEBUFF":1wtn12wo said:

Ben":1wtn12wo said:

NO lighting can be fine for certain corals, zoas/palys, shrooms, leathers, etc IME all do fine under NO lighting given the tank isnt really deep. I agree we need some test results before helping much. Add ALK and salinity to Toms list of tests to do. Why are you using reef booster? Remember to only use additives if you are testing your water first.

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From my understanding is that he has a 350 gallon tank, 8 NO tubes over a tank that size is almost nothing, no matter how high corals are placed.

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8O yeah, that would make a huge difference.

he has a 350 gallon tank, 8 NO tubes over a tank that size is almost nothing, no matter how high corals are placed.

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I still don't see a reason certain corals (zoas, discosomas) would not do well, if placed correctly under the NO lighting. Even in a 1000gal tank if the corals are placed correctly for the situation they should do fine. His spread may not be great, and near the bottom things probably wouldnt work well. I am not saying this is the ideal situation by far just that it can work on a stretched budget if you keep your expectations reasonable. JMO

Ben":2jes0j7y said:

he has a 350 gallon tank, 8 NO tubes over a tank that size is almost nothing, no matter how high corals are placed.

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I still don't see a reason certain corals (zoas, discosomas) would not do well, if placed correctly under the NO lighting. Even in a 1000gal tank if the corals are placed correctly for the situation they should do fine. His spread may not be great, and near the bottom things probably wouldnt work well. I am not saying this is the ideal situation by far just that it can work on a stretched budget if you keep your expectations reasonable. JMO

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All true Ben, but it could explain why things have gone downhill. Coral take time to decline if the lighting isn't enough. They can look nice for a while then begin to decline. I think I read in another thread the OP is going to upgrade his lighting.

But, I'd still like him to answer the other questions people posted about water changes, values etc before I make any recommendations

Yep good lighting does go a long way to making a nicer reef tank!

Guys, you have some missunderstanding here. I currently have a 75G tank and the NO is placed for that tank. The 350G is being built and should be done in the next couple of weeks and maybe will start it after that.

NO ligthing is in my current tank of 75G.

I am using Tap water mixed with Aqua Safe for now. I let it rest overnight and mix it the next day with Tetra Salt. Then I added Trace Element, Ca, Marine Snow,Iodine, Strontium, Magnesium, Manganese, Iron... And I add it to the tank.

Salinity is 1.025.
I tried to read the PH level but couldn't really tell, the colors are really close. It is between 8.2 and 8.4.
I measured Nitrate, the water had no coloring, which I assumed 0 Nitrate.
Same for Nitrite & Amonia.

I do not have any Ca measuring kit yet, I am adding Ca once every week, after performing water change.

I know current lighting is not enough, but is there any way I can do just to let those corals make it untill the new tank is finished!!! Or anything I can add to make the tank keep running in a good way for the next few weeks at least?!

J,

Your pH is fine, I would tend to think that it is happening due to the use of tap water. The nutrients in the tap water feed the zoo in the corals causing them to brown. I did not even know that Tetra made Sea Salt.

You could add a T5 retro fit that you could use later on your new tank.

I am using Tap water mixed with Aqua Safe for now. I let it rest overnight and mix it the next day with Tetra Salt. Then I added Trace Element, Ca, Marine Snow,Iodine, Strontium, Magnesium, Manganese, Iron... And I add it to the tank.

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I have never heard of tetra salt, but would move to a brand such as Instant Ocean or reef crystals. I use D + D 's Mag pro plus salt, and love it. FWIW freshly mixed SW made with a high quality mix should not need all of these things added. If you are testing the fresh mix for Ca/ALk/Mg and then adjusting these levels up, that is fine. If you are not testing it then do not dose it. IMO the marine snow is a waste of time and money and added to a W/C defeats the purpose. If it was my tank I would not add all of those additives you mentioned, unless I did the test first with an accurate kit and new the mix needed the boost.

I may have missed it but what type of flow do you have in the tank? How old are the bulbs? Whats your ALK? I might have missed these things its early and I am a night time person :lol:

Good luck

ANEMONEBUFF":1frs03ax said:

Sounds like you are using NO flourescents. They are not powerful enough for most corals.

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That depends on the corals. Way back when I set up one of my first reef systems, it was comprised entirely of normal output fluoros and actinics. I grew mostly LPS, but also had some T. derasa in there. Did great until it crashed (divorce and family problems can bring about such results).

Ben":1frs03ax said:

NO lighting can be fine for certain corals, zoas/palys, shrooms, leathers, etc IME all do fine under NO lighting given the tank isnt really deep. I agree we need some test results before helping much. Add ALK and salinity to Toms list of tests to do. Why are you using reef booster? Remember to only use additives if you are testing your water first.

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Oops! Guess you already hit it.

Ben":1frs03ax said:

Also how are you doing the W/C's? What salt, what kind of fresh water, how long are you letting it sit and mix before using it?

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<sea gives a thumbs up>

John Kh":1frs03ax said:

Guys, you have some missunderstanding here. I currently have a 75G tank and the NO is placed for that tank. The 350G is being built and should be done in the next couple of weeks and maybe will start it after that.

NO ligthing is in my current tank of 75G.

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That helps to clear things up.

John Kh":1frs03ax said:

I am using Tap water mixed with Aqua Safe for now. I let it rest overnight and mix it the next day with Tetra Salt. Then I added Trace Element, Ca, Marine Snow,Iodine, Strontium, Magnesium, Manganese, Iron... And I add it to the tank.

Salinity is 1.025.
I tried to read the PH level but couldn't really tell, the colors are really close. It is between 8.2 and 8.4.
I measured Nitrate, the water had no coloring, which I assumed 0 Nitrate.
Same for Nitrite & Amonia.

Click to expand...

Is this before or after mixing the salt, and before or after it's been added to the tank? If you're not testing the water before the salt is mixed and before it goes into the tank, in my opinion you're not starting from a position of knowledge to really be informed or understand what's going on. Also, it seems as though you're sort of just adding stuff willy-nilly, which personally I prefer not to do. Not without testing, at least (I know you can't test for some of these additives, thusly the reason for prudence there).

John Kh":1frs03ax said:

I do not have any Ca measuring kit yet, I am adding Ca once every week, after performing water change.

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You should NOT be adding Ca to the tank unless you know what the levels are, and that includes knowing alkalinity as well (buffering capacity, as opposed to pH).

John Kh":1frs03ax said:

I know current lighting is not enough, but is there any way I can do just to let those corals make it untill the new tank is finished!!! Or anything I can add to make the tank keep running in a good way for the next few weeks at least?!

J,

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Yes, of course. Get some more light over the tank, and stop adding things without knowing the starting point.

What's the mix of fluoros you have over it?

seamaiden":9wd155ai said:

What's the mix of fluoros you have over it?

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Didn't get this!!!
Anyway I am building a ligthing system for the new tank. And hope it works. Concerning the power heads!! They are small ones. But taking into consideration the current tank dimensions, they look fine to me. I didn't see their rate of pumping honestly. I will check it later on.

Thank you all.

Tangs need surprising amounts of flow to be happy. Less might be tolerable, but more is always better. I'm sure they'll enjoy the big tank, but remember to invest in some powerful powerheads!

Got ya. I hope the big tank will be done soon. I hate when those guys tell you in a wekk, and they keep on postponing and postponing... I just want it running so i can install everything and enjoy it Anyway I will make sure to install at least 4 powerful powerheads in the main tank, at least.

Good to hear. Tunze Streams or Ecotech Marine's Vortechs are the bar to set yourself.

I do not know if such brands and stuff are available here. Marine Fish Market is not really famous here and in the whole Capital I could find one good store with good brands and 2 other medium level stores with no knowledge at all with Marine Reef thingy. I will see what is available and make sure to get the most powerful ones available