What's wrong with my long tentacle plate coral?

[SkySouza]

I've had a LT plate coral for 8 months now always been healthy until about two says ago. His Skeleton on the edges had started to show. I've also lost two heads from my torch...

The tank is a 240 with 100 gal sump. 2 new ecotech mp40 es, reef dynamics ins 150 skimmer (i know small for gallonage but I'm working getting another) not pulling a significant amount of skim but consistent. One four bulb t5 4' light setup with 80 watt ati bulbs.

The plate was off to the side about a for to the left if the light until i moved it directly under last week. The light sits directly on the tank which is 2' tall

Lastly my salinity if a little low at 1.19 but I'm slowly bringing it up. My temp is at 78 but it got pretty warm the other day with the weather and hit 83. Params are as follows:
ph 8
Phosphate 1
No3 10
No2 0
Ammonia Les than .25

Any ideas would be appreciated thanks fellas

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[Otherone]

It's sounds like a combo - Not enuff light 320 watts vs 260 gal thats less than 2 watts per gal + Ammonia is very very BAD - NO3 is fair/do able but try for 5ppm or less. PO4 is too high will hinder calcium uptake try for .02 or less. Salinity is VERY VERY low - should be 1.025-1.026 to keep alk calcium mag and PH levels high enuff - probably why your only @ 8 PH try for 8.4

6 units of Chem pure elite will control Nitrates to 5 ppm or lower - 2cups GFO will drop Po4 to .02 and like I said up the salinity. As for Lighting a 10 bulb T5HO , 3 x 250 Watt Halides or 2X LED Bullet lamps for 260 gal.

 

[SkySouza]

Well to be honest the tank is really going to be fowr because i don't have the 2 grand i need to get the led units i want so i figure I'll run it fish only till i can purchase the lighting.

The plate and torch were left from my 75 gal that leaked. I thought they would be f fine if placed directly below the light unit...If I'm not mistaken plates are low light corals right?

I've managed to get my salinity up but the no3 is the same after a 25 percent water change. The ammonia may be lower but my api test kit doesn't read accurately enough. The reading is definitely not 0 but the nxt reading is .25% so its somewhere in between...

I'm going to cut back on feedings a tad and I've been looking into vodka dosing for the phosphate.

Is it possible to keep the plate if i get my Params in order?

Or should i donate it?

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[Otherone]

Plates and brains are catch 22 corals - they like the bottom of the tank but good flow and moderate to strong lighting. They also enjoy baby mysis, baby krill, reef plankton, and cyclopseez.

Right now the big concern would be were is the ammonia coming from and why is it only ammonia showing up with no nitrite. If I had to guess my 1st inclination would be water source or bad testkit.

As for saving the coral - I can't answer that, anythings possible but the odds aren't good. Inorder to correct water param's your tanks gonna go from stable to unstable then eventually stable. That stuff can be hard on sensitive inverts esp. those on the decline.

Sorry to hear about the 75 - that was a sweet tank

Also I've tried Vodka - it leads to red slime if your not carful. There is really no need in an FOWLR as fish are uneffected by PO4 and can safely handle up to 20 ppm of Nitrate.

 

[jfritts91]

By adding two new Mp40's, you could have too much flow hitting the coral. That can cause tissue damage when the soft flesh hits the stony foundation. Other than that though, gotta agree with Otherone. Fix Water params, and GL