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trouble maintaining certain corals

R

reeferwanabe

can't seem to keep chalace or acans my lighting isn't overwhelming 3-150 halides and atinics keeping them down low. parameters look good.
any ideas? its established tank for almost 2 yrs now. changed the bulbs 4 months ago all 10k's
 
M

mott768

10k bulbs are not the best bulbs for color with chalices and acans but won't kill them, too much light will make them loose their color, indirect light is best. Where's your alk, cal and mag levels? How are they dieing? do they recede? flesh peal???
 
R

reeferwanabe

hi Tom calcium around 480 alk reads 8 dkh mag at 1000 cant seem to raise this much used a whole bottle of esv b-ionic over 1-1/2 weeks only raised it 100 ppm
 
M

mott768

Your mag could be the problem, what salt are you using? When I used IO salt it took about 3 weeks and a gallon of esv mag before I got it to hold at 1400 but after water changes I'd have to dose again. I'm now using Trop marin pro and very rarely have to dose mag.
 
M

mott768

How are they dieing? are they receding, flesh pealing, lost color (transparent)??? It will help to narrow it down knowing what they are doing.

First step is get that mag up to at least 1300 but shoot for 1400
 
R

reeferwanabe

according to manufacturers reading on seachem reef salt is actually higher mag levels than tropic Marin pro perhaps I should stop mixing the reef crystals and start using it straight. do you really think raising mag level will keep them from dying? going to do a water change to see if it raises the level at all PH has always been a little on the low side alk is higher than it used to be.
 
M

mott768

LPS need mag more than other corals, how much flow and light do you have it in? It could be a combination of factors, low mag and sounds like high flow. Is your alk swinging? cause that will cause it too.
 
R

reeferwanabe

alk is stable now. when I 1st started up tank and for about a year it was around 6 its been at 8 steady for over 8 months. lighting I have --150 halides and 4 96 watt actinics. I keep the acans and chalace on the sand bed. high flow? not compaired to the rest of the tank but there is flow. water change tomarrow and I started dosing brightwell magnesion I was using esv but like I said a whole bottle hardly changed the reading using salifert test. it is about a year old maybe I should get a new one.
 
M

mott768

They do best in low (very light flow) and low light. When mine get too much flow they start to recede on the side that's getting too much. That's why I said it could be a combination of things flow, mag and light. I had a micro acan that almost died till I moved it to the corner of the tank where there was no flow and very little light, now it's nice a fluffy and growing new eye's.
 
R

reeferwanabe

thanks Tom for all your help.
I put it in a corner under a rock with just a little light but I think it may be too late it is a micro one (red) or it was.
makes me wonder about the chalace pieces you know what I mean
 
M

mott768

No problem, glad to help, hopefully it will come back for you. Chalices are actually very hardy and as long as the flesh isn't pealing away it may survive, I had a couple come back from recession.
 
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