Coral Bleaching

[colin779]

The water from the grocery store could be run through an RO system, but there's no telling the quality of the water.

I tried the tap water and prime thing for a few months, didn't have any issues with it myself, but the water quality here is already excellent. In the end I purchased a RO system (no di) from bulk reef supply. Its a 75 gallon per day system, and the price was great (i think $130 range with the pressure gauge), I've been very happy with it since.

 

[eartaker]

Tap and prime is not the way to go. I did this for a few months and then bought a RO/DI. I run my salinity at 1.026 and my birds nest looks awesome (I think) but I also have it under MH. you can use GFO to remove phosphates with a reactor. a pH of 8.4 is pushing on the high side, but if you start running GFO it will drop.

 

[pandora32]

You definately need better lighting for your coral. Make sure your using a quality food low in phosphates. Wash your hands really good and rinse extremely good before and after putting your hands in the tank. If you cant afford leds, i would look into getting a pair of 150w metal halides along with your actinics. Will make a difference, but be prepared for the additional heat. Also, if you go with the mh, move the corals down to the bottom. Dont want to cook them! I wouldnt trust the water at the grocery store. You dont know the quality, when the filters were changed and dont know if theres copper tubing somewhere in there the water passes through. Where does your lfs get there water? Imo, you should look at getting atleast an ro.
So, imo, and only my personel opinion, 1-better lighting, and 2 -check into an ro(di) unit.

 

[colin779]

Also, welcome to Reef Frontiers! Feel free to ask away, you'll find answers to anything you can think of so ask away! =)

 

[blk822822]

I highley recomend getting a ro or ro/di filter. Best thing I ever did for my tank. Water is the base of your system, you can't build something quality on a crappy foundation and not expect to have issues. Also use a quality salt and I recomend once you get a good salt stay with it, changing brands can give you different paramiters from salt to salt mix. If you want to use store water buy a TDS meter ,they are fairly cheap and will tell you if the water you are getting is good or not. But you can find people on craigslist and on here always selling Ro/DI fitlers pretty cheap.

 

[Peppie]

phosphate is high, salinity low, lighting is low for acro's. tank is still very young. how about flow?

don't dose anything you can't measure some will say...so don't be overdosing!

advise several 20-25% waterchanges every 3-4 days x 4-5.( to bring your water back into balance if you have overdosed anything) increase light period and flow. stop dosing everything but calcium, mg, and alk but be sure to understand how to go about that and test for the them and their affects.

and finally just chill. ( while you read read read about your corals and their needs) it can sometimes take months for sps to adapt and color up in a new environment.

Yea. What he ^ said.
I run my tank at 1.025 salinity
Lights on for approx 11 hours
Stop dosing
Start with a bunch of WC

 

[1guydude]

Welcome
Everyones trying to help ya

Ill chime in too. Ive used and heard others using the ro water from safeway. Date is on it when they change filters and such. My tds meter read 2ppm which isnt 0 of course but itll do till u get an ro di. I got some tonight cuz i think i froze me membrane. Anyways imo ur tank is still young. Give it time and wc`s. Im not a doser either unless need be like cal, mag or alk. +1 about the monti.
So kinda already wats been said...
Welcome again and just chill u got some harder corals for a beginner man.
-d

 

[pandora32]

What everybody is pretty much saying, start right so you save money in the long run to get one of those beautiful $200+ sps corals. Ive been slowly redoing the equipment on my system I wasnt on here and didnt know about reef frontiers and was (am) one to rush things. This is not a hobby to rush.

 

[MAC2]

One other thing to try-I put some miracle mud in my refugium. I initially put it in as a place for bacteria and critters to live. I had a couple of SPS that had died off, or so I thought. I started noticing them coming back after the mud. It has been about five months and both SPS have regained their health and have grown out. I have many different SPS in my tank along with softies. I am guessing the corals in poor health needed something specific that happened to be in the mud.

 

[fulkerl]

I use to use the water at Fred Myers It has been a couple years now but they had great water and the best price
In town. I have a couple of the large water bottles that fit their machine you are welcome to.

 

[00Turbo00]

Thankyou so much for all the info, and the warm welcome from everyone. as a note i did a bigger water change and stopped dosing and i have got my phosphates down to 0, and nitrates completly down 0 with all your helpful hints.. My acro lost all its color almost over night but my birdnest seems to be holding if not getting some color back, everything else seems to be more active as well..next step buy a ro/di machine for the water before spending any more mxvoney on corals or fish.. again thank you so much..

 

[00Turbo00]

Hey Fulkerl, your profile says you live in wenatchee? i just found out about the guy in moses lake yesterday jjs saltwater. is he any good? and if you have used him have you had success with his products.

 

[fulkerl]

Hey Fulkerl, your profile says you live in wenatchee? i just found out about the guy in moses lake yesterday jjs saltwater. is he any good? and if you have used him have you had success with his products.[/QUOTE

I have been there a few times and the tanks are clean and the fish look great. The owner is very helpful and takes the time to answer your questions. I have gotten snails and hermit crabs and a gobie and all did great. I would recommend a visit to the store.