New addition to tank - First Coral : Polpy Green

I finally started with Corals...

I have my first coral - a Poplp (green). it has been in the tank for 2 days now and it looks like just a purple shade with small bulbs over it... I got it like that and am not sure it is supposed to look like this - is it doing well? please advice


I check my water parameters on the 20 G L that I have

specific gravity : 1.025
NO3: 20 ppm (liitle high - need to change water)
PH: 81.~8.2
phosphates: 0.25.

Tank is a year old -
Other aqauria - 2 clown, 2 atlantic condy anemone, 2 crabs, 1 dotty back

I also switched to Instant ocean reeef crytals almost a month back to accomodate my system to starting corals...

Others: Others: Tank: 20 Gal Long, 40 LBS live rock, Aquafuge Hangon back Refigum (has sand and nothing else), Runing - Aquarclear 30 filter (no media) Hydor Nano SlI'm skimmer, 2 powerheads (600 GPH & 1200 Gph)on a Hydor smart wave controller, Ocean sun (Zoo Med Ocean Sun T5HO 100000K) light on a Aqueon Fluorescent Strip.
Water use for Change is not RO/RI but from tap after filtered through a PUR tap filter..

 

HI there

You may well find that clearing the sand off it will help, plus moving it up off the sand bed.
What sort of flow is it in ?
If it is in a strong direct flow from one of the powerheads then that will impede it's opening but having sand blown over it will certainly do that.
The No3 is not disastrously bad at 20PPM but the Po4 at 0.25 is, get some phosphate remover and put that either in the HOB in good flow or in the fuge.
Another thing that works well in a fuge is to put a light over it and grow some Chaetomorpha in there, it grows fast and eats Po4 and No3 so helps compete against algae and diatom growth.

 

Thanks Malcolm.. the power heard are not directed towards it... they both push water along the long wall of the glass..
The coral is b/w 2 big pieces of live rock -- so I would say the flow is mild to max low medium over/around the coral...

The coral is aleady on a piece of flat live rock (came with the coral) .. do u suggest I put the coral on top of another live rock...?

I have media for a phospahte removal for the aquaclear filter which I will put in.. how much should the phosphate be ideally? the previous reading on the API test kit for phsphate is 0 ( the reading on the card is 0 and then 0.25 and 0.25 is the reading I have)


chaetomorpha is something I plan to get -- went to LFS (petco) a few time -- and could not find it there... need to probaly get it from liveaquarI I guess...

 

HI mangups,
Ideally in a reef environment (corals), Nitrate should be undetectable and phosphate <0.1ppm

IME so far, I've found that Nitrate and Phosphate upto 2ppm seems ok - any higher and my corals start retreating. Unfortunately the API kits aren't accurate enough to read these low values. For NO3 I use the Red Sea kit, for PO4 I use the Hanna checker.

I think you might find that with your new coral, if it has been in a very low nutrient environment, and is now in your high nutrient tank, it may not be too happy.

Also, I'm surprised to see such high nitrates in a tank with a skimmer on it. How much do you feed? How often are your water changes? How much are you changing?

I would think the nitrates are likely coming from your tap

 

HI mangups,
Ideally in a reef environment (corals), Nitrate should be undetectable and phosphate <0.1ppm

IME so far, I've found that Nitrate and Phosphate upto 2ppm seems ok - any higher and my corals start retreating. Unfortunately the API kits aren't accurate enough to read these low values. For NO3 I use the Red Sea kit, for PO4 I use the Hanna checker.

I think you might find that with your new coral, if it has been in a very low nutrient environment, and is now in your high nutrient tank, it may not be too happy.

Also, I'm surprised to see such high nitrates in a tank with a skimmer on it. How much do you feed? How often are your water changes? How much are you changing?

I would think the nitrates are likely coming from your tap

Ryanr... I always had a problem with nitrates .. I can never get it below 10 ppm ... I feed a pinch or less (depending on food type) every 3rd day.. flakes/frozen brine shrimp/pellets -- (i.e day 1 flakes/day 4 pellets/ day 7 brine shrimp) and I repeat the same every 3 days ..

I would say 100% of food gets consumed in like 2 mins of feeding...

also the skimmer does not pull a lot of gunk/black stuff... it is always light brown stuff -- (u can see the sand is white -- no brown stuff etc)

I change water every week - about 5 gallons -- i.e. 25%..I have never checked the N03 in the water I prepare for the water change.. maybe I should do that...

 

Probably a good idea to test your tap water for all 3, NH3/NH4, NO2 and NO3

If you have either NH3/NH4 or NO2, when it processes, it will come out as NO3

 

Probably a good idea to test your tap water for all 3, NH3/NH4, NO2 and NO3

If you have either NH3/NH4 or NO2, when it processes, it will come out as NO3

Rynar.. your suspect is correct-- the tap water comes with No3
The PUR filtered tap water has the following readings

PH3: 7.4
NH3: 0 ppm ( I think) the color chart did not have that color -- there was no color change for NH3
NO2: 0ppm
NO3: 10 PPm

I then added prime to sample of water and then checked : NO3 - and the result was 0 ppm

So it seems ...I need to do something about the water I put in.. and it seems the immediate solution is use prime on top offs and water changes...

Right now - I have done a 505 water change and used prime - so
NO3 is now at 10 ppm.
PO4 is still at b/w 0 and 0.25ppm.

Couple of questions:
How best to get the PO4? How do PO4 removal modules do in such cases..

Would a RO/DI unit get m water a NO3 at 0 ppm while keeping the other parameters in check for creating a safe environment

Is seems the best long term solution would be .e I grow chaetomorpha in the Refugium
Suggestion would be welcome

 

The best solution is RODI - it is pure water. Alternatively, if you can get distilled water, your tank will be much better for it.

Note: I don't think Prime removes NO3, but definitely you should treat all your water. RODI doesn't need treating

A refugium with chaeto is a good way to reduce NO3 and PO4 (it won't remove completely, but it'll help).

 

The best solution is RODI - it is pure water. Alternatively, if you can get distilled water, your tank will be much better for it.

Note: I don't think Prime removes NO3, but definitely you should treat all your water. RODI doesn't need treating

A refugium with chaeto is a good way to reduce NO3 and PO4 (it won't remove completely, but it'll help).

I was in luck and went to a new LFS (non -commerical) and was able to get help to get my water parameters better...1)

will be able to get RO/DI water - the trade between the RO/DI unit cost and the size of my aquarium and the aquaria I have did not justify spending like 220 USD on a unit... will be buying water from there...

2) was able to get a phosphate reducing insert - 'ChemI -pure elite" () - was recommended by LFS saltwater store I visit from the employee who has always provided good advice...

3) Was able to get Chaeto -- as bonus when I bought the Chemi-pure Elite .. so that is now all set in the refugium

So this seems a good progress for the day !! Will monitor water parameters to see how the NO3 and PO4 work out...

 

Sounds like a good day so far. You'll need to balance the phosphate removal while still leaving enough for the chaeto to grow. You probably want to get your PO4 down to about 0.1ppm

Don't be too impatient with the chaeto, and don't try and rush anything. It'll take a few weeks/months before your tank fully stabilises.

Then you'll have a good reading on how your system will run.

Oh, and do you have a light over the fuge? The chaeto needs light to grow. Many leave the light on the fuge 24 x 7. It doesn't need to be a fancy aquarium light, a standard household desk lamp would be enough. And then you just trim the chaeto weekly or as required.

 

Sounds like a good day so far. You'll need to balance the phosphate removal while still leaving enough for the chaeto to grow. You probably want to get your PO4 down to about 0.1ppm

Don't be too impatient with the chaeto, and don't try and rush anything. It'll take a few weeks/months before your tank fully stabilises.

Then you'll have a good reading on how your system will run.

Oh, and do you have a light over the fuge? The chaeto needs light to grow. Many leave the light on the fuge 24 x 7. It doesn't need to be a fancy aquarium light, a standard household desk lamp would be enough. And then you just trim the chaeto weekly or as required.

Rynar.. I added the suggested amount of the Chemi-Pure elite so will be checking the Water paramenter after 24 hrs...The API can reach 0 and .025 so I need to match it close to the color of 0 - since it cannot reach 0.1.

I have a Finxxe HOB RefiguI'm box setup with nano pump/ LED light etc (see here: )

Quick question... if the Cheato grows and fills up the limited space.. I guess when you say trim.. I can trim it back to size and throw the rest right? (feel stupid asking this )

 

For phosphate, see if you can get a Hanna checker, they measure down to 0.01ppm

And yes, just trim the chaeto and toss the waste. Just a word of warning, chaeto is considered an invasive/noxious weed in some parts of the world, and there may be local laws around disposal of it.

 

I used to just burn it or bury it

 

Rynar/Malcolm... I did go ahead and order a Hanna checker .. should arrive withing the week...

I also treated all my water with prime.. and changed water water (20%) treated with prime. Also the ChemI Pure elite in ..let it run for day ... check water parameters - PO4 is less but cannot get extract reading (test kit resolution is not that small) but color if test shows somewhere b/w 0 and 0.25.

Anyways I could not resist getting some more Zoanthids from the new LFS store...( got 2 for 7 bucks each)..which opened up within an hr when I put it in the tank..

And today the tank just looks gorgeous.... the green polyp is just blooming and so are the Zoanthids .... (see picture - picture does not do justice to how gorgeous they look)

Next step is slowly get the PO4 and NO3 to as negligible with water changes using R0/DI water which am going to buy (maybe I will just buy a RO/DI unit ..

Have 1 question though: I put the Zoanthids with those white stand they came on...I believe I should remove it and the put it on a rock.. I saw some youtube videos but was not sure if I would end up killing them... any suggestions ?

 

HI - I would leave the zoanthids on the frag plug and let them grow out/onto the rocks. I find it hard to resist the zoanthids too every time I go to the reef store I find myself buying a variety I don't have yet. Your tank looks nice! Just watch that the anemones aren't moving around stinging your corals.

 

Looking good!

I too would just leave the zoas and let them grow out as they wish.

 

HI there

I agree about the frag plugs, disturb them as little as possible and they will grow to cover the plug AND the adjacent rocks in no time at all, commonly growers will frag 2 or 3 polyps onto a plug and grow them out for a couple of months into the size you have there, in 6 months they should easily double in size.

A good friend of mine in the UK always wanted a wall of zoa's so he set about buying colonies and frags and growing them on before putting them in his display which incidentally was 8' x 4' x 30" deep with a 400g sump
All of the zoa's came from a max of 5 polyp frags in the space of 12 months, in the tank they don't look huge but in reality the colonies were mostly 6" across, some more.

 

Wow, nice looking tank! I spy some convict tangs and an awesome looking green montI cap in the back right.

 

If only I had corals like that.