3 days, 3 water changes ??

On Wednesday I noticed my GSP wouldn't open and my Ricordea looked a little shriveled, on Thursday I tested and found my nitrates at almost 20ppm. So Thursday did a 20% water change, no effect. Friday, 20 % water change, down to maybe 15ppm. Today I am trying another 20% water change and hopefully that will do it. All my other fish, invert's and coral seem fine, it's only the GSP and Ricordea I am worried about. Any other suggestions?

 

20ppm is not terrible IME

If you change 20% of your water - then the most your nitrates can decrease is also 20%
so from 20 - 16
then even if you do another 20% straight after they go down by 20% once more
so down to 13 at best

whats causing your nitrates - thats the most important thing
describe your system, your filter, your stock and your feeding routine

those will help everyone find the root cause and then your nitrates can go down without the need for you to spend a fortune on new salt water twice per week

Steve

 

Within the past week and a half I added one new fish and 3 new coral, I think I over fed a few times, and I know I was a little lazy changing out filter floss pads, that may have all contributed.

 

Nitrates at 20 shouldn't be a problem for ricordia or gsp,I would look for other causes.Have you done anything to change the lighting or flow?Added any livestock that could be pestering them?

 

I did move the Ricordea to a lower flow area and took it off the plug and glued it to a rock, the gsp I just glued the plug it was on onto a rock and tried to adjust the flow agfter it closed

 

Just read the part about adding fish and corals.If you moved things in the tank when adding corals it could have changed flow a little,even small changes can cause soft corals to go through an adjustment period.I would give it a couple of days and see how they're doing.