[rgall]

I have a 75 Gallon tank, with 2 tangs, 2 damsils(need to get out), alot of live rock, rock with green ricordea(not opening up that great since I put it in 2 months ago), purple polyps(never opened since I put it in 2 months ago), and I just put in yesterday 5 stalks of xenia(which dont look at good as they did in the fish store), and a healthy feather duster which has been in there for 2 weeks now...

I recently got a prism pro protein skimmer, I have an undergravel filter with a power head at each end of the tank, and also a canister filter. I have a 48" light with night leds, 4-24inch 65Watt bulbs, two are the blue and two are 12k on a timer. Blue comes on at 10 am, white at 11am, white off at 7pm, blue off at 8pm.

I am not having luck with correls. Nitrates at 20ish, amonia, nitrites, ph, salinity,copper are all in the acceptable range. The canister has carbon, bio balls, and amonia remover.

Should I get rid of the canister? Should I take out the closed up polyps? They have never opened but now and then I see little ones opening on the rock. Not sure why I am not having luck with corrals? Any recomendations.

I think the polyps were put in when the tank was not mature enough and before the skimmer was installed.

[glampka]

There are a number of things you need to do:
1. Get rid of the undergravel filter. I'm guessing you also have crushed coral - get rid of that too & go with sand.
2 Get rid of the canister. If at all possible, you should consider adding a sump.
3. Get rid of the Prizm skimmer. They aren't worth the money you spend on it.
4. You don't have enough light.
When it comes to keeping corals, the 2 most pieces of equipment are your lights & your skimmer.
Check out the "Guides Section" at the bottom of the home page & read what is there. Also read the 3 part sticky in the Reef Building section. Feel free to ask any questions once you have read through all that information.

[rgall]

I dont have the money for a sump right now. Lets go off of what I have at the moment..

[Jareth]

If you go off what you have you will continue to have a problem. You cant expect to fix anything if you dont change anything.

Cannisters/Undergravel filters/crushed corals are a nitrate dump, IIRC.

Sump/refugium = $20 20gal tank, $10 in cut glass, $10 in silicone, some LR & sand, & $10 in macroalgae.

Lights: You need a minimum of 4 watts/gal, tho I have heard 5w/gal is a better number. You might be able to put corals high up on your tank close to the lights but you will always have a problem as you have about 3.5w/gal.

[glampka]

In a nutshell, what you have is going to cause you problems.
Here's a plan of attack that you could consider:
1. Get rid of the ug filter, cc & canister. Replace with sand. Keep the powerheads for internal circulation. Cost - minimal.
2. Replace the skimmer - if you don't plan on putting in a sump, get yourself a quality HOB skimmer like the AquaC.
3. The only corals you'll be able to keep with the lighting you have are low light demanding corals like mushroom or leathers. Upgrade your lighting as money permits.
4. Add the sump if you can somewhere in the future.

[prototypep2p]

I have had a under gravel filter and a canister filter along with crushed coral running for about six years now in my 55 and all my parameters are perfect never had any high nitrates I have several types of mushrooms and leather, zoo's etc. never had any problems. I would say you need to change your lights and skimmer.

[prototypep2p]

OH but I do hate crushed coral though sand is better!

[prototypep2p]

Oh ya using a sump is better but you dont have to use one to be succesful with a reef

[prototypep2p]

sorry can't spell today