First coral; I wasn't ready!

[>:(]

Ok, long story. I recently set up a 10 gallon saltwater setup, was planning to do FOWLR. It was running great for about four weeks after cycling initially, so I added new live rock that had a hermit in it, then a yellowtail damsel and two snails two weeks later.

For about three weeks later, parameters were consistantly coming up a nitrate 0, nitrite 0, alkalinity in the 280-300 range, ph at 8. I have a bottle of Seachem Reef Plus which I dose the tank with at a half-cap with water changes (on Sundays and Wednesdays) just because I thought it would be nice for my live rock and the feather dusters. I have two Coralife Mnicompact Flourescent 50/50 bulbs on the tank, a whisper 30, and a bubble stone for circulation.

My mom really likes the tank, so Saturday she got me some yellow polyps as a surprise from a nice LFS we recently discovered. She also picked up some cubes that are supposed to create food in the water for the corals. They looked like they were doing well, many of the polyps look like they're budding, and I see little coral bubbles rolling around the rock the others are attached to and then they attach themselves. Good or bad?

Anyway, what has me most worried is that some individual polyps have skinny stems and fat "heads." I see most of the others eating bits of food when I feed the damsel, but not these ones. One or two looks withered up. I positioned the colony higher up in the tank incase it was a lighting or flow issue, I've also noticed that I cannot get a handle on params since adding these guys. Cycling again? Food cubes related?

Nitrate 10
Nitrite around .5ish
alkalinity 280ish?
ph 8

I intend to pick up an easier to read test kit later today. Frustrating reading this one, the cards are not very good.

 

[Reefscape]

Ok, long story. I recently set up a 10 gallon saltwater setup, was planning to do FOWLR. It was running great for about four weeks after cycling initially, so I added new live rock that had a hermit in it, then a yellowtail damsel and two snails two weeks later.

For about three weeks later, parameters were consistantly coming up a nitrate 0, nitrite 0, alkalinity in the 280-300 range, ph at 8. I have a bottle of Seachem Reef Plus which I dose the tank with at a half-cap with water changes (on Sundays and Wednesdays) just because I thought it would be nice for my live rock and the feather dusters. I have two Coralife Mnicompact Flourescent 50/50 bulbs on the tank, a whisper 30, and a bubble stone for circulation.

<<Stop dosing the tank with the additives, there is no need for them and replace the bubble stone for a powerhead to achieve proper circulation>>

My mom really likes the tank, so Saturday she got me some yellow polyps as a surprise from a nice LFS we recently discovered. She also picked up some cubes that are supposed to create food in the water for the corals. They looked like they were doing well, many of the polyps look like they're budding, and I see little coral bubbles rolling around the rock the others are attached to and then they attach themselves. Good or bad?

<<Sounds fine. What is the "cube" food exactly? Yellow polpys are a photosynthetic feeding coral, so, the cubes will be no real use to the coral itself>>

Anyway, what has me most worried is that some individual polyps have skinny stems and fat "heads." I see most of the others eating bits of food when I feed the damsel, but not these ones. One or two looks withered up. I positioned the colony higher up in the tank incase it was a lighting or flow issue, I've also noticed that I cannot get a handle on params since adding these guys. Cycling again? Food cubes related?

<<Highly likely to due to the food your adding to the tank. See above regarding the coral and feeding. These are a very hardy coral polyp indeed and can take a bashing. It sounds like a combination of the feed and lighting. Moving them higher will probably help out here.>>

Nitrate 10
Nitrite around .5ish
alkalinity 280ish?
ph 8

I intend to pick up an easier to read test kit later today. Frustrating reading this one, the cards are not very good.

Added some comments above..

 

[sweeTang21]

polyps indeed are very hardy coral. Good choice mom, but im interested in what kind of lighting you have. Spectrum really. Moving higher will help like reefscape said but might be worth looking at the lighting.

 

[>:(]

Thanks, guys. I'll tackle both posts.

Added some comments above..

I haven't been using the cubes or the additives since I thought they could have been contributing. I've been reading around and some sources say to dose the tank with additives and others say not to. What's your opinion on this? And what type(s) of supplement(s) should I be using? The seachem was recommended by the LFS, but I'm sure they probably just want to boost sales. And, I have a sneaking suspicion the "food" cubes are really mineral supplements. That would probably explain at least part of the problem with my water levels, yeah?

The only reason I don't have a powerhead on the tank is that it's right by my bed, plus I'm still planning an upgrade at the moment. I don't want equipment that won't be efficient later. The airstone seems to be doing a nice job, but if you can recommend a nice, quiet powerhead I'm all ears.

polyps indeed are very hardy coral. Good choice mom, but im interested in what kind of lighting you have. Spectrum really. Moving higher will help like reefscape said but might be worth looking at the lighting.

Let me see if I can find the package for the bulbs, they're in my room somewhere. I'll tell you what it says. But let me give you this link just for now:
http://www.oceanicsystems.com/products/5050-mini-compact-fluorescent-lamps.php
Hope that is what you needed.
I have two 10 watt bulbs, so that would make me short on wattage, right? At like half of what I need?

Ok, the back of the package just has some lame little graphic that shows a bar graph with wavelength on the x axis and realtive energy on the y axis. Internet searches say it's "full spectrum" so, I guess it offers all colors of light.