Whats wrong with my Montipora?

[darren neil]

I bought a Tyree LE Aquituberculata Montipora and a Paletta Blue Montipora from W.W.Corals 2 1/2 months ago. The paletta is growing a little not much. The Tyree LE is not growing at all. I have eight Montiporas not counting the two I listed in my tank that are doing great could not ask for them to do any better. I was hopeing someone can help me. Heres the run down on my tank.
120 gallon RR
55 gallon sump
10 T5,s
SG 1.023
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Phosphate 0
pH 8.4
Cal 500
mag 1280
DKH 12
Temp 80

 

[jaustin]

IMO, increase your sg to 1.025-1.026, lower your DKH to 8-9, increase your Mg to 1320, and decrease your cal to 420. Your other montes may be able to deal with the non NSW conditions. Try adjusting your params to NSW and see if that helps.

Good luck with it, that is a nice monte.

 

[darren24]

What Jaustin said.....

 

[ralph atl]

your parems are fine and in range. personally, I would slowly increase my salinity to 1.026 or 35, decrease alk to 10 or so.

My concern is that your alk is high for that salinity, however, is your refractor calibrated? to what?

My other concern is that you are not measuring phosphates in the lower range as 0 is impossible.

what fish do you have? how much food and what and how often? skimmer?

have you checked for flatworms & nudi's on underside on monti's?

 

[jaustin]

what mysterybox said, only i'm a fan of close to NSW conditions, but he is right, your animals should be fine with the params minus the Alklinity.

 

[darren neil]

mysterybox;433658 wrote: your parems are fine and in range. personally, I would slowly increase my salinity to 1.026 or 35, decrease alk to 10 or so.

My concern is that your alk is high for that salinity, however, is your refractor calibrated? to what? Its a Hydrometer. Alk is high because of the calcium reactor being set at 500. As long as its on 500 it want come down but theres were I get the best growth out of my other Monti's and Acro's.

My other concern is that you are not measuring phosphates in the lower range as 0 is impossible. API test kit. Is there a better way to check for Phosphates

what fish do you have? how much food and what and how often? skimmer? Fish Sailfin tang, two fire fish,two mandarins, six line wrasse,red spot gobie and clown fish. feed once to twice a day 1/2 tsp each time.

have you checked for flatworms & nudi's on underside on monti's? Yes the ones that are not doing to good are still encrusting on the plug so theres nothing that can get under them. I have not seen any pest. well I say that but Im the pest in the tank lol.

Thanks Darren.

 

[jaustin]

Hach or Hanna for measuring P04 IMO.

 

[darren neil]

Skimmer Is nothing really bought it at the LFS before I knew better. It's a Impact made by Sealife up to a 300 gallon. It works good. I did'nt now there were ones alot better then this when I got started in the hobbie.

 

[darren neil]

JAustin;433702 wrote: Hach or Hanna for measuring P04 IMO.

I have no idea what that is are where to get one.

 

[smoothie]

Darren neil;433706 wrote: I have no idea what that is are where to get one.

Phosphate test kit. Look online or make the albany guys do work and get you one.

 

[smoothie]

I would love to see the skimmer in person. Bet it can be modded into a beast for the 120

 

[jaustin]

google hach phosphate and then google hanna phosphate. Hach is around $70 and the hanna digital meter is something like $200. Or you can find someone that has one and willing to test your water for free....or frags. If you were closer i would test your water with the Hach kit I've got.

I run GFO in a TLF reactor and I still have phosphates, a low # but still not 0.

 

[derek_s]

How old is the tank? Sometimes a young tank will just simply have quirks until it is established. Especially given the delicacy of many LE corals, you might hold off adding any more until you get this thing running for 6-8 months.

THis of course is only if it is young, otherwise, what they said...

 

[darren neil]

Derek_S;433767 wrote: How old is the tank? Sometimes a young tank will just simply have quirks until it is established. Especially given the delicacy of many LE corals, you might hold off adding any more until you get this thing running for 6-8 months.

THis of course is only if it is young, otherwise, what they said...

I had everthing in a 55 gallon for a year. Then I got the 120 gallon and its been up and running for a little over a year. Could it because I have put so many corals in the tank the past few months.

 

[darren neil]

In the past six months I have put 40 to 50 Acro's in the tank all but six are frags. They are doing great other then two of them they started bleaching because of my light but they are growing so I left them along and the color is coming back.

 

[ralph atl]

this is a great kit at a great buy:

 

[darren neil]

dawgdude;433781 wrote: What dip are you using when adding frags?

I dont dip should I. I have use a fresh water dip a few times. Thats because the tank that the frags came out of had flat worms.

 

[darren neil]

mysterybox;433783 wrote: this is a great kit at a great buy:

http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=251_252">http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=251_252</a>[/QUOTE]

Is this kit easy to use it's not like my Mag kit I hope were you need nasa.