Corals don't look right.

My corals never seem to look as good in my tank as they do in the tank I got them from. I'm using a MH 150 W with a 14k Phoenix bulb. 20 gallon tall tank. Amm, Nitrite and Nitrates are all zero. Calcium, Alk and Mag could be the problem. It's to high to measure with my Red Sea test kits. I use Red Sea coral pro salt. Here is a pic of the frag I got of bam bams and then a pic open in the guys tank I got them from. DIY Cree LEDs in his tank.

 

how long ago did you add them? I really don't see that big of a difference between the two. In your tank, they are open and colorful, perhaps not as full but may still be adjusting to your tank's parameters.

 

How long have they been in your tank? Did you acclimate them when you purchased them? Your calcium and alk being super high could be a big factor. You dkh should be 8-12 and calcium should be around 450.

 

They have been in there a week yesterday. I really don't know how high cal and alk are. The test kit won't go that high. I don't dose anything. Just weekly water change with Red Sea coral pro salt. 4 gallons a week. 1.026 SG

 

They just always look shriveled up to me. Candy Cane looks good though.

 

That's the same bam bam frag below the candy cane the next day after I put them in my tank. It was open more there. Doesn't open like that anymore. Still bright in color just doesn't seem to open as much.

 

LEDs will usually give a little more glow than metal halides, and 14k halides will be particularly yellow.

 

I got some LEDs coming next Friday. Got the ever grow D120 full spectrum for $126 shipped.

 

How high does the kit read up to? You might want to look into just a regular sea salt and not a salt with extra calcium mag and alk. I was using instant ocean reef crystals and it was making my calcium and alk way high. Like around 16dkh and 500 calcium. So I switched back to instant ocean regular sea salt and after a couple water changed with the reg salt it dropped back down to where it was suppose to be. And what kind of water are you using?

 

The calcium kit goes up to 500. It's higher than that. RODI water. If your familiar with the Red Sea test kits while checking the calcium yesterday the color was still pink after using the whole 10 ml of the solution. It has to go from pink to purple to blue. Never got off pink.