struggling to keep my torch coral alive some please help

[stevediaz1]

i just lost 2 green/purple hammer-tip corals and my torch coral is stuggling wont open and i dont know what to do i have a small reef tank 8 gallon water changes once weekly 1gallon my parameters are pertty good i took a picture take a look at my tests and my tank as well my zoa's are not doing so well i currently have my 8 watts running from 9am to 11pm 78 degrees constant im at a lost and i wanna make this work i love the sway of torches ,hammers but they are dying on my what do i do

[organism]

How long have you had your tank up? You have ammonia present which is extremely toxic to corals, either your cycle hasn't finished yet and it's too early to add corals or there are other issues going on. Are you measuring your salinity with a refractometer calibrated with calibration fluid?

Also for future reference it's in better taste to physically list your parameters when asking for help instead of posting pictures that involve more work for other people.

[Frozenguy]

I don't know, that ammonia test looks like a 0.

I have used API a lot and have control ammonia test on fresh salt water and that is the color for 0, in my case.

Steve, if you haven't already, you should test for ammonia in some fresh salt water and compare to your tank water test.

Are you dosing anything?
What salt mix are you using?
Are you running GFO or skimmer?

[ericarenee]

I don't know, that ammonia test looks like a 0.

I have used API a lot and have control ammonia test on fresh salt water and that is the color for 0, in my case.

Steve, if you haven't already, you should test for ammonia in some fresh salt water and compare to your tank water test.

Are you dosing anything?
What salt mix are you using?
Are you running GFO or skimmer?

1+ Looks yellow on my screen as well...... :spin2:

[stevediaz1]

I don't know, that ammonia test looks like a 0.

I have used API a lot and have control ammonia test on fresh salt water and that is the color for 0, in my case.

Steve, if you haven't already, you should test for ammonia in some fresh salt water and compare to your tank water test.

Are you dosing anything?
What salt mix are you using?
Are you running GFO or skimmer?

[stevediaz1]

redsea pro salt from vivid aquarium
no dosing
no skimmer or gfo

[stevediaz1]

yes i agree amonia looks almost 0 but i play it safe and assume its in between 0 and 0.25

[stevediaz1]

tank is about 5 1/2 months old

[Corona007]

That ammonia is defiantly not 0.

[Frozenguy]

Yeah I would still put money on it being 0.

How does the fish look?
RODI?

[stevediaz1]

fish is perfectly fine clownfish that is and i top of with rodi water i did lose 2 baby hippo tangs though ive been told they are hard to keep

[organism]

You probably shouldn't be keeping any tangs in a tank that size...

[Johnseye]

1+ Looks yellow on my screen as well...... :spin2:

Nope, ammonia is between .25 and .50. Nitrate is a little high too.

Alk is high, but wouldn't think enough to upset the coral provided it doesn't fluctuate.

5 months is long enough to cycle the tank.

Very small tanks are extremely unforgiving. Hippo tangs in a tank that size, not a good idea.

[Frozenguy]

I have to respectfully disagree with those saying ammonia is above 0, or that API is indicating so.

It would benefit stevediaz1 to do an ammonia test on fresh salt water to compare colors as base line. You know the fresh salt water is 0 ammonia.

[Johnseye]

I have to respectfully disagree with those saying ammonia is above 0, or that API is indicating so.

It would benefit stevediaz1 to do an ammonia test on fresh salt water to compare colors as base line. You know the fresh salt water is 0 ammonia.

There can be traces of ammonia in fresh water. If he did a baseline after using Prime, maybe.

The color in his vial clearly had a green tint :shrug:

[organism]

ok, all of you guys looking at the vial and arguing about what color it is, look at the piece of paper and read the numbers on it.

[Johnseye]

ok, all of you guys looking at the vial and arguing about what color it is, look at the piece of paper and read the numbers on it.

How do you think he got those numbers?

[TangingOut]

Honest question, if ammonia was present wouldn't nitrite be as well?

[organism]

How do you think he got those numbers?

I'm guessing not from people debating what it looks like on their particular computer monitor.