can't seem to make corals happy

[ErinCahir]

I guess you could say that...the only coral that seems pissed off all the time is the torch, I have moved it to about every position in the tank and it still won't open

The reason I ask is that aggression is corals is measured by not only physical aggression, but chemical aggression as well. If you have an chemically aggressive coral (like a leather, for instance) sitting right in front of your powerhead, it just carries the chemical around your tank.

How long are you leaving your corals in the same place before you try them in a different spot?

 

[Marinne13]

I understand that there is aggression between corals and that is why I have spaced them accordingly

I always see these tanks packed with SPS and LPS of all sorts with a toadstool and everything looks great

I have random flow with no particular pattern...this is pretty discouraging

 

[Marinne13]

Also I just bought a ph probe and at first it was 8.28 whch was at noon and nkw its 8.46...is this normal

I do have a fuge light

 

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

I had the same problem with my torch and hammer. It was the flow that was bothering them. I tucked them at the other side of the tank and had the powerhead bouncing straight off the glass to cut the amount of flow down and they are all happy as can be now. Try pointing it straight at the glass or behind a rock. Hope everything gets better for you!

 

[Marinne13]

I have tried that lol

 

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

Is there a rock you can stick them in that has like enclosed area that still gets light but not much water flow at all?

 

[Marinne13]

yeah I might try that...the torch is pretty big at the base so it might be tough

 

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

Maybe get another small piece of rock and epoxy it next too where the torch is so that the flow doesn't get it, but it still has light

 

[jamespias]

I would encourage you to put the torch in a LOW flow zone, and give it TIME. I grow orchids, and I will tell you that orchids and corals are a lot alike in that they seem to take a week or two to show you what your husbandry changes have done to them. The effects of what you do to them today will be shown in a week to two weeks time.

Also, what Erin was talking about isn't just a physical "sweeper tentacle" problem, but rather a lot of softies put out chemical weapons that will adversely affect LPS and SPS. They could be on the complete other side of your tank, but if their chemicals are being blown around by powerheads, they could still hurt your LPS.

Lastly, it is important to remember that those pictures you see of coral packed aquariums are packing together generally non-aggressive species. Most Acropora and many Montipora species for example are very peaceful corals. If you look closely in those photos their torches and hammers have ample room to spread.