Hard corals

[afcbob]

I was wanting to check i have just started to keep hard corals with mixed results some good some bad.

I have had a
trumphet
Cup Coral, Turbinaria

all good looking nice.

Now the bad
Torch
Flower pot

Both dying back.

I have a 6 x 2 x 2ft with sump i have a 16X flow i know this is under could this be why.
Lights are twin 150wat MH blues may need changed.

All my levels are good.
I have a good few soft corals all looking good.

[steve@ cambridge coral tech]

what are good levels mate?

[afcbob]

Phosphate:1
Calcium:440
Nitrate:0
Ammonia:0
PH:8.2
KH:90
Nitrite:0

Salinity 1.25

[jobr]

A PO4 level of 1 is not good mate.

What test kits you using (salifert are best and a D&D one for PO4)?

You want to get below 0.03 anything above that will have an impact on your corals.

[afcbob]

Test kits are Nutrafin

Whats the best why to get the PO down under 1 as i have always had it at 1.

[jobr]

Get yourself a decent test kit first, I bet the true reading is higher.

have a look at the sponsors common brands of PO4 remover are Rowaphos, Fauna marin or UDA (sponsor) do Ultiphos which is a fair bit cheaper.

Some people run the remover in a reactor, a cheaper way is to get a micron filter bag (Coralculture and other sponsors sell these) and put some media in to the bag and place it in to an area in the sump with high flow.

read the instructions as you have to rinse the fines away before use.

[ChrisBFish]

Flowerpot - is that a goniopora/alveopora? (Sorry, not good on coral names unless they're ones we've got!) If so, they're notoriously difficult to keep...

[JAYJT]

Or check this thread out for the new rowapads:
http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/showthread.php?t=209544
Jay