Corals will not open at all. Looking for suggestions

[NStephenson]

All my parameters test within a reasonable range, but my coral will not open at all. I'm looking for suggestions into what the issue might be. Tank has been running for a year FOWLR. Tank moved recently but I did not go through a cycle. All coral drip acclimated for 1-2 hours and placed in tank with dim lighting. If you have any suggestions at all, please chime in. All parameters and live stock listed below.

Results from 6/12/14: API test kits
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
PH: 8.2-8.4 (measured in the evening during the lights Ramp down cycle)
Calcium: 400-420ppm (daily dosed with ESV two part solution)
PO: undectable (carbon dosing 1ml at night with 80 proof vodka)
KH: 12dKH
Salinity: 1.026 (measured with refractometer)
Temp: 82

Livestock: Two clown fish and one blue hippo tang
Coral Livestock: Two Plate Montipora, Two torch corals, Two Zoa frags, one Branching Bubble Coral, and one Ricordea mushroom coral

CUC: Peppermint shrimp, blue hermit crabs, green emerald crabs, porcelain crab, nassarius snails, red hermit crabs, trochus snails.

Filtration and equipment:
60 Gallon DB cube
45lbs Live rock
60lbs of live sand (between display and refugium DSB)
AI Hydra led lights: 11am-8pm running time with 4hr ramp time (on coral acclimation setting
Mag-12 return pump
Filter sock
Reef Octopus NWB-110
Phosban reactor 150 (running bioplasctics)
Refugium with 4 inch sand bed and chaeto macro algae
Two cups of carbon in overflow box

My next steps that I've decided on:
1: Install a chiller to keep the tank at 79 degrees.
2: Double check refractometer with calibration fluid. I have been using RoDi water to calibrate.
3: Install ATO unit after salinity level is verified.

 

[NStephenson]

I don't see any copepod or amphipod populations in my tank. Would the absence of this affect the coral at all?

 

[Widdy]

Carbon dosing, bioplastics, DSB and macro algae. That's a lot of forms of nutrient reduction.

Got a picture of the tank?

 

[Dk638]

High alk for biopellets and carbon dosing

 

[Alexm8856]

Dip again and try iodine

 

[NStephenson]

No pics on me, but I'll post one when I get home @widdy.

I will turn off my reactor for a few days and cut the carbon dosing and see what happens.

 

[NStephenson]

I'll also try to dip them tonight. I hear so many mixed opinions on Iodine, but none the less I do have Lugui's Iodine in my arsenal of chemicals :tank: so I will give it a try. Any suggestions on the coral dip method I should use?


Keep the ideas coming everyone. My corals need ALL the :help: they can get

 

[KathyC]

I strongly suggest that before doing all of the following at one time you post a pic!!




"I will turn off my reactor for a few days and cut the carbon dosing and see what happens. "

"I'll also try to dip them tonight. I hear so many mixed opinions on Iodine, but none the less I do have Lugui's Iodine in my arsenal of chemicals :tank: so I will give it a try."




This is WAY too many changes to do at once - you will have zero clue on what your issue is and could very possibly make your situation worse.


Why are you using a coral acclimation setting on your lighting? I would assume these corals came from someplace where they were under decent lighting..no?
Are these corals new to your tank?
None of them are showing signs of life?..or what specifically is the issue with each of them (pics are worth a thousand words )).


Pods won't affect the coral issue you are having.


As you now have corals in there - can we assume you added live rock? Was it actually live when you added it and how long ago?


You also don't mention any circulation pumps in the tank..are you strictly using your return for circulation?


Is there a glass cover on this tank?


Pics first please

 

[NStephenson]

Why are you using a coral acclimation setting on your lighting? I would assume these corals came from someplace where they were under decent lighting..no?
Are these corals new to your tank?
None of them are showing signs of life?..or what specifically is the issue with each of them (pics are worth a thousand words )).

As you now have corals in there - can we assume you added live rock? Was it actually live when you added it and how long ago?

You also don't mention any circulation pumps in the tank..are you strictly using your return for circulation?

Is there a glass cover on this tank?

Pics first please

I will post pics at 7pm tonight.

I will answer your questions in order here:
The coral were all under decent lighting but as a habit I always set the coral acclimation setting on my light when acclimating new coral. It is set to turn off by next friday. The coral pieces were added in within the last two weeks (some of each type i'm interested in so that I could take this time to get my settings right).

The branching bubble shows no signs of life (extending) but does not look bleached. The mushroom and other LPS in the tank will not extend.

Live rock has been in my tank for about a year.

Jabeo WP-25 and Hydor Koralia Evo 600gph are used for circulation (missed those in my original post). Tanks is covered with a clear mess top from BRS.

 

[NStephenson]

Sorry for the sideways images. Please let me know if any more detail is required.

 

[rambler67]

you said it was a fowlr did you ever use copper in the tank?

 

[NStephenson]

you said it was a fowlr did you ever use copper in the tank?

Nope... Never used copper. Such a no no for the lovely inverts.

 

[NStephenson]

Update 06/13: JBJ chiller installed to keep temp stable at 79 degrees. I've also dipped the lps coral in Coral RX. Three drops of Lugols iodine added as well. No Carbon dosing since 06/12

Update:06/14: Phosban reactor running bioplastics turned off.

Update:06/15: One torch coral and one zoa moved to a biocube i've had running the past month to assist with the move. Torch seems slightly improved. No improvement with any other coral in DT. Phosphates at .25 on API test (probably the result of the eliminated carbon dosing).

Future plans: If coral in biocube continues to see improvement I will move all coral there until I can find out what is amiss with my main DT.

 

[rambler67]

Nope... Never used copper. Such a no no for the lovely inverts.

didnt think so but just throwing it out there.

could be a temp swing or its just to clean most lps require some nutrients
i would suggest running gfo or phospan in that reactor to keep the phosphates down with the cheato and regular wc will keep you nitrates low dont worry about like 3 or 4 ppm of nitrates. and take it slow dont want to shock every thing with a bunch of changes at once.

 

[Lee]

Make sure that your Emerald Crabs have not gone carnivorous. With such low nutrients you probably don't have that much macro algae for them to eat. When they get hungry they start going after anything "fleshy". I had 2 Emeralds that started eating a large Fungia plate coral, a Duncan, Devils Hand & Tyree leather corals. It happened quickly. All of those corals closed up and it took me about 3 days to figure it out. First I noticed a chunk missing out of the Tyree then I caught the crabs sitting on my Fungia tearing off tentacles. Once I pulled out the crabs, everything opened back up in about a day.