Is my tank too clean?

[chrisstankevitz]

My 24 gallon nanocube has been running for 7 months. I love reading wetwebmedia, the forums, etc etc. I'm concerned that my tank may be "too clean" because:

1. I have basically no coraline growth. My rocks have pretty purple and green areas, but it's not like the coraline I see in other tanks.

2. I have no growth on my back wall, except for some serpulids like pictured. I have these all over my rocks. I put some purple up in the tank once and the next day surpulids were all over my tank. I wonder if they are sucking the calcium out of the water. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WormPIX/PolychaeteWormPIX/Tiny_Serpulids_KBR.jpg

3. My pulsing xenia are not propogating all over the place (although they are healthy).

4. Sponge is not doing well. Anemone lasted two months. Tongue coral lasted about 4 months.


Now the good:

1. Two clowns, open brain, frogspawn, trumpet are great. Feather duster seems happy. Xenia seem happy, but not propogating.

2. I change a gallon of water every 2-3 days

3. I use filter floss to remove crap, plus I vacuum rocks when I siphon. Water is crystal clear. I love sucking crap out of the water/tank.

4. Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates are zero. Water sample at LFS had undetectable phosphates a month ago.

5. I use a chiller and heater to keep water at 77-78

6. Keep salinity at 1.022

7. I use RO water for top off (although I have never tested the RO water).


Is my water "too clean"?

Thank you!

Chris

[Bebo77]

what are your ca, mg alk ph levels at

[zoomfish1]

I don't think it is too clean, but your sg is too low. Needs to be at 1.025 or 1.026. Also, LPS corals like you have do prefer dirtier water than it sound like you have. Maybe that's why the xenia is not flourishing.

[Joshua1023]

I know I've had my 90 set up for about the same amount of time as yours w/ the same results. I got some advise to raise my alk to like 13 to "jump start" the coraline growth. I was running between 7 and 8. Once I got it up to about 10 the coraline took off. Now I have a whole new issue. Razor blades anyone?

[blackheart]

get rid of filter floss it will build up nitrates. Slow down on wter changes once a week is find in a tank your size. One gallon per week. Raise your temp to 78-80 up your salinity to 1.025. Make sure you have high ca levels. you can try grinding up some coraline in your tank to get the spores around.
Also if you really want it to grow buy a metal halide then you will see some nice growth.

[dippin61]

I agree as well, the salinity needs to be brought up slowly. It would be fine for a fish only tank, but is a bit low once you start having corals and the like.

Check your Ca levels, they should be around 400 or more for good coralline growth.