Tank temp advice for LPS

[dcrowley3]

Just wondering, I have been having trouble with getting my torch and hammer corals to fully open and extend.

So I have been reading many threads trying figure this out and I read that someone advised that their tank temp was to high and this could cause torch and hammer to not fully open and extend.

The OP was advised to keep tank at 77 deg. I run my tank between 79.5 to 80.5

Has anyone found this to be true?

What temp do you run at?

Would this help if I lowered my temp?

Any advice would be great. Thanks

[Jrambo88]

I have 3 hammers, two frogspawn and two torch corals. I have no issue with them fully extended between 80-82. 77 seems cold to me. I like to keep my tank at ~80

[Ebone]

what are your current parameters? lighting?age of tank? I keep my tank at 78/79 no issues, 77 seems a little on the low side.

[organism]

I don't think it's your temperature, could be lighting, alkalinity or a few other things. What are your parameters?

[dcrowley3]

A little history first, 6 weeks ago I over reacted and had an Alk spike to 20 dKH while trying to correct my Ca. Corals seem to get a little stressed but I did not lose any. Anyways, that has been corrected. I recently bought another hammer 2 weeks ago and seems to be doing ok, but the torch and other hammer that I've had do open fully.

Now for the stats:

I have a 70 gal tank that is 8 months old with a 20 gal sump. I run a algae scrubber, use 2 - 165 watt LED lights, with blues on 12 hrs at 80%, whites on 8 hrs at 50%. I do daily 2 part dosing of Alk and Ca (manually but soon a dosing pump)

I have 5 fish (2 clowns, 3 Angels)

Params:

Salinity 1.025
Nitrate 0 (API test)
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Phosphate 0 (salifert test)
Ca 420
Alk 8.0
Mg 1300

When I test for Nitrate and Phospahte I get absolutely no color change, however I do have some HA growth (how it that possible)

I have recently ordered a reactor to run GFO, so that will be installing soon.

I have cut back feeding and only feed enough to be eaten. Feed flakes at 3 pm and then alternating between LRS, reef frenzy, mysis at 9 pm before lights out. I turn off overflow to help with food going into filtration to rot.

Thx

[dcrowley3]

Correction,

Last sentence first paragraph.......should say

"but the torch and other hammer that I've had do NOT open fully."

Sorry about that didn't want confuse you.

[m0nkie]

my chiller broke and my tank ran at 85 degrees for 3 weeks. not a single issue

you have hair algae because phosphate is being leaked out from the rocks. the algae is absorbing them so there isn't much free floating phos. in water. therefore you are testing 0. and API tests are terrible for lower numbers.

torch are usually my first corals to react when something is off.. but they are very hardy. keep your parameter stable and they will recover.

when did you add the angels. have you seen them picking on the corals? most are not reef safe. they will pick on inverts, lps and sps

[dcrowley3]

So is there anything I am able to do about the leaching or is just a process until it all leaks out?

Is the leaching phosphate harmful to the corals?

Should I continue brush off HA from the rocks when I do maintenance ?

Fish have been in the tank since the start (after cycling) just started adding corals 6 weeks ago. My lemon peel is the most curious and seems to just pick at algae on the skeleton branches of the torch and at bases, but I have not seen her eating the tentacles. She did nip at the ends of a red star until it finally died. However, I never see her bother my other hammer that is open and extended.

Thx for the advice

[m0nkie]

you can run gfo and in time the phosphate issue will be gone.

if HA bothers you, then do it.. it doesn't bother me so I leave some HA in the tank. it goes away when there's no phosphate/nutrients

[dcrowley3]

Thx very much for the advice, I have a GFO reactor coming tomorrow so it will be up and running soon.

Looks like I may need to get a smaller second tank for those little pesky Angels so they don't bother my corals.

[jml1149]

A little history first, 6 weeks ago I over reacted and had an Alk spike to 20 dKH while trying to correct my Ca. Corals seem to get a little stressed but I did not lose any. Anyways, that has been corrected. I recently bought another hammer 2 weeks ago and seems to be doing ok, but the torch and other hammer that I've had do open fully.

Now for the stats:

I have a 70 gal tank that is 8 months old with a 20 gal sump. I run a algae scrubber, use 2 - 165 watt LED lights, with blues on 12 hrs at 80%, whites on 8 hrs at 50%. I do daily 2 part dosing of Alk and Ca (manually but soon a dosing pump)

I have 5 fish (2 clowns, 3 Angels)

Params:

Salinity 1.025
Nitrate 0 (API test)
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Phosphate 0 (salifert test)
Ca 420
Alk 8.0
Mg 1300

When I test for Nitrate and Phospahte I get absolutely no color change, however I do have some HA growth (how it that possible)

I have recently ordered a reactor to run GFO, so that will be installing soon.

I have cut back feeding and only feed enough to be eaten. Feed flakes at 3 pm and then alternating between LRS, reef frenzy, mysis at 9 pm before lights out. I turn off overflow to help with food going into filtration to rot.

Thx

There are two things that cause my hammers and FS not to open fully: Ph swings and bacteria in the water.

What is your Ph and how do you measure it?

Any change in carbon sources to the tank? Air fresheners, vodka / vinegar dosing, new plumbing, etc.

Let us know!

[dcrowley3]

My PH is 8.0 and I use API test kit to measure it.

I do not use any kind of vodka / vinegar dosing. Air fresheners ?? You mean in the house near the tank? If so no. I the only change I really did was clean my sump of some excess algae and downsized my Chaeto by half because it was becoming very large.

I have tried not to make very many changes (to fast anyways) due to the fact that is what I think got me here (Alk spike as mentioned).

Thx again

[Cosmojo]

I run mine at 75, no issues with SPS, LPS, fish, or shrimp.

[jml1149]

What time did you take your Ph measurement?

In my experience, the API test kits always run high. I bought one of these before I got my Apex going:

http://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Accuracy-Pocket-Handheld-Tester/dp/B00FJFEB2O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439175768&sr=8-1&keywords=ph+meter

If you measured 8.0 during the day, or when the lights were on for a while, it means your pH is dropping much lower than that through the night. I would try and measure the pH just before the lights come on to see how low it really gets.

The solution to getting mine to fully extend was a. quitting the vodka and b. adding a fresh air intake to my skimmer and dosing Kalk instead of 2-part to keep my pH up. It's like night and day.

[bbowler1]

I too had a hair algae forest going but correct water changes, a little hand harvesting and 4 sea hares are getting it under control very nicely. another week or 2 and I will take back 2 of the sea hares and use the other 2 as a CUC, great little beasts and a natural way to get things cleaned up.