Trumpets

[muss60]

I've searched everywhere and can't seem to find the answer to this one simple question. What location is best for trumpets? I have 3 trumpets and have moved them from the top of the tank (closer to lights) to the bottom, to the middle (more air flow); nothing seems to work; they don't get better or worse, just haven't changed/blossomed or grown in months. Am I missing something? (Our tank is a 55g tank; nano set-up) etc. nothing fancy, but it's growing, slow but sure.

 

[tankrupt]

hey Muss60 , mine dont care for strong light and depth dosent seem to matter, what are your water #s when i started dosing alc/calk they just took off, i started with 2 pieces and have about 18 clumps now, anyway somebody with a technical answer will surely be along soon and help you out. Cheers, Steve

 

[muss60]

PH is 8.2 (was low, but we've been using Ph buffer and it's working well); nitrites are 0 and amonia 0 and Nitrate is at 8

 

[tankrupt]

what are your alc/calk levels??

 

[muss60]

alk is 2.2 and calk is 420

 

[tankrupt]

hey muss check out the reef chemistry forum,suggested alc levels are 2.5 to 4 meq/l or 7 to 11 dkh, i notice my macro algae puts out new growth by the next day, see ya

 

[steve-s]

With trumpet corals (Caulastrea sp.?), placement will have alot to do with flow and light intensity. The brighter the light the lower the coral should be placed. In fact, there are few "LPS" type species that will apprectiate overly intense lighting. Once the coral has a decent location, stop moving it. That will only slow things down as it does stress the coral. Be sure the placement is also far (6") from the nearest neighbouring coral.

What lighting do you have and is this a 48" long x 20" high tank?

420 ppm Ca is just fine I would not let that get any higher. Anywhere between 400-420 ppm is good. As for the alk, I would try to bring that up some. Closer to 3.0 mEq/l is usually healthier and may help with your pH issues. You should also look at how the tank "breathes". This can be very important in terms of healthy pH. The less gas exchange the tank has the more CO2 build up there will be and the lower pH will become. The solution is rarely if ever chemical, more commonly it's as simple as opening the lid of the tank or opening a window. If the tank does have a solid lid you may need to look into altering that.

Cheers
Steve

 

[muss60]

Yes, it is a 48 x 20 tank; thanks for all the help! We have the glass lids on it; opening the lid tank during the day is definitely an option - thankyou.

I"m not at home right now so can't confirm re: the lighting but I will let you know later on. thanks again everyone!!

 

[tankrupt]

there ya go Muss told ya somebody would help, cheers

 

[muss60]

lights are Ocean Sun; 10000k; actinic 420 (ballast type) (is this the info you wanted?)

 

[steve-s]

No, that only tells me the color temp of the bulbs.

What is the wattage of each bulb, how many bulbs?
Is this the stock light that came with the tank or purchased seperately?

Sounds like these are normal output (NO) fluorescent? If so, that will be a majority of the problem.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Llarian]

Mine are quite happy about 2/3 of the way up my 20H tank w/ PC lighting (2x65W) They didn't do as well lower than that.

-Dylan

 

[steve-s]

Dylan, 2x65 on a 20H is actually not much light. Especially when you consider half is probabley actinic. At a 20" height I wouldn't use less than 4x65w but as much as 4x96w depending on width or available length.

Cheers
Steve

 

[muss60]

I feel really stupid here; it's a new ballast with two long bulbs; one is blue in color (a coral sun); 48" actinic 420.
The other (the white one) is F32T8/10,000k Ocean Sun.

It's not the ones that came with the aquarium set-up; we bought them special for the salt water tank from a reputable dealer here in Sudbury (Peter's Reef Pond)

 

[muss60]

and they've been replaced (after 7 months usage)

 

[james734]

They're "NO" fluorescent.

 

[Llarian]

Oh, absolutely. I was just providing that as a datapoint. =)

-D

Dylan, 2x65 on a 20H is actually not much light. Especially when you consider half is probabley actinic. At a 20" height I wouldn't use less than 4x65w but as much as 4x96w depending on width or available length.

Cheers
Steve

 

[steve-s]

As James indicated, the lights are normal output fluorescent and not much help to the coral you have. There simpley isn't enough punch for the light to properly penetrate the water. That and you most likely have the light suspended off the water some (2-3")? and a plastic guard? This will reduce your light quality by another 30-50% for this type of light.

2x32w NO bulbs will not really be adequate to even keep coralline going for long. I would give your "reputable" dealer a serious earful if I was you. For this size/depth tank I would recommend no less than a 2x96w PC or 2x110W VHO minimum for lower light softies or easier LPS type corals. You will continue to experience problems as long as you keep the current lighting.

Cheers
Steve

 

[muss60]

Guess where I'm off to tomorrow......... to give my 'expert' an ear-full! and then some.

THANKS for your help folks....... my corals appreciate it.

 

[curro18]

muss60, definitely have to agree with Steve S on this one. I have a 100 gallon tank that is 18" tall. My lighting consists of 2 x 250 W metal halides and 4 x 110 W VHO's. When I started the tank, I had 4 x 65 W power compacts and quickly outgrew those. If I were you, I would try to get 4 x 110 W vho's, 2 super actinic and 2 actinic white bulbs. I got mine from premium aquatics for a pretty fair price. If you are planning on eventually keeping SPS or clams, I would go with metal halides. Oh yeah....get rid of your glass/plastic covers. Hope this helps.