coral growth blahh help please!!!!!

[georgeortiz]

Hey guys,
I have been in the hobby for a while now and have mixed results with my tank. I am determined to get my system going well this year. :bareteeth:

Here are my chemistry levels
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0
Phosphate 0.1
Alkalinity 5.14 meq/l
Carbonate Hardness 14.4 dkh
Calcium 1050 (too High)
PH 8.3

I have been trying to dial in a Ca Reactor and ended up making the ph plunge last night. The Co2 is off until I can get a handle on a strategy.

Tank is a 110 with a 20 gal fuge and 20 gal sump
Skimmer Natilus TE
Lighting 2x 250 Iwasaki's
2 x 110 VHO actinic
Inhabitants
Yellow Tang
3 green chromis
various snails and blue leg hermits
harlequin and bristle stars

corals
button polyps
some zoas
birds nest
Monti digitata
Open brain
Pineaple brain
a few mushrooms
devils hand leather
kenya tree
couple other leathers (name escapes me)
Monti capricornis

Last year I had a problem with hair algae that I have a good handle on right now.
There is also good purple coraline algae on most of the rocks and a few spots on the glass and other pvc

Pump
mag 9.5 return, internal Maxi 12 with mod and sei 600


Advise please!

[ballardjr2000]

a link with pretty good info i would browse

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=saltwater+aquarium+coral++care&page=1&qsrc=2417&ab=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fsaltaquarium.about.com%2Fod%2Fspslp scoralcare%2Findex_a.htm

good luck

[ErikH]

You need to bring that CA and DKH down. Start off more slowly. It's easier to dose and add than to have to make water to change!

[georgeortiz]

ScorpiNo

to bring them down should I just do a water change? What is your recommendation on how to bringing them down?

[LittleReef]

You gradually bring them down; not fast. I think doing a water change every couple of days to bring them down would be safe. Don't dose anything for KH or Ca. Test every couple of days. :)

[JeffCo]

Yep, water changes are best. Just keep testing after each water change. Then start out with your reactor at around 6.8 ph with a slow drip. Then keep testing and adjusting until it's right. But don't add the reactor until you have your dkh about 12 and calcium at 450-430