Are my Metal Halides burning my SPS??

[Mako Shark II]

Help!!

Here's a question for my Local buddies:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1518287

 

[schigara]

so the Mh is running just 5.5 hours per day?

 

[joeycadre]

have you looked for any bugs like red bugs or flat worms?

 

[mempho reefer]

What is the flow around the SPS? Are you hooked up to a wave maker or is the flow steady and constant? Are the corals bleaching from the top or bottom? Could be RTN or STN.

 

[Rendos]

For flow there is an Ocean's Motions alternating the current, and a straight flow from the return pump. He needs to install the sea swirl on the return, but it is a very busy time of year so I will let it slide...this time.

 

[Mako Shark II]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13820006#post13820006 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by schigara
so the Mh is running just 5.5 hours per day?

Are you answering a question with a Question?

 

[Mako Shark II]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13820843#post13820843 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by joeycadre
have you looked for any bugs like red bugs or flat worms?

We're Negative Bug-age Ghostrider. The pattern is clear.

 

[mempho reefer]

How big is the colony and how long have you had it. The reason I ask is because more mature colonies can have trouble acclimating to a new environment. A younger small colony or frag is more likely to adapt to its new environment and grow into a healthy colony. You may also want to consider cutting away the bleached branches to limit the loss.

 

[Mako Shark II]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13820979#post13820979 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mempho reefer
What is the flow around the SPS? Are you hooked up to a wave maker or is the flow steady and constant? Are the corals bleaching from the top or bottom? Could be RTN or STN.

Morning Ron. The pink seriatopora hystrix, purple digitata, and green fuzzy Millepora, get direct full-presure blasts from a 1,090 GPH Closed loop pump, cycling 1 RPM through a two-way Oceans Motions selector valve. Not so the green Slimer, and smaller monti caps frags, who get ambient (albeit) decent flow.

I now have a Large (6"!) green Monti cap from Glitzyone which I do not want to lose. It's high in the tank and gets direct flow.

The Acro's (Mille, birds nest & bali) have largely been lost, Bottom Up from their base.
:sad1:

(Confession: at one point my Alk did bottom out.........and was pretty low, like 5, but the condition has actually worsened recently.)

 

[Mako Shark II]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13821225#post13821225 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rendos
For flow there is an Ocean's Motions alternating the current, and a straight flow from the return pump. He needs to install the sea swirl on the return, but it is a very busy time of year so I will let it slide...this time.

Thanks man...

I'm sure it had something to do with having 45 WTMRAC people over last Saturday that kept Joey's 1" Sea-Swirl off the 3/4" return line from the main 960 GPH pump.

I'll have time this weekend. (I need to chew on the Canopy, in order to let-in the Swirl to make it fit.)

THEN, I'll have the Ocean's Motions Closed Loop AND the 1" Sea-Swirl. :rollface:

 

[mempho reefer]

Marty the Acro dying from the base sounds like RTN/STN. You should cut some frags near the top to possibly regenerate a new colony. Otherwise, the entire colony is like to die. Acros are also very susceptible to wide fluctuations in parameters. The Alk my have been stressfull enough to trigger the loss. The Monti is a bit more hardy. You may want to consider breaking away any bleached section and moving the colony down to a mid tank position. Also make sure all of your SPS are away from contact with any soft corals or mushrooms. Sorry to hear about this. Good luck.

 

[MrRyanT]

Hey Marty! I read through the answers on the other forum and tend to agree with most of them. I don't think it has anything to do with the lighting. Most likely something amiss in the water chemistry. My guess would be allelopathy. Do you use GAC?

 

[Mako Shark II]

Yeah, I agree Ryan. The lights were the first target, but it's not them.

I had a very long talk today with Dave at Kermit's Reef. (That's one smart dude!)

I'm going back after teh water chemistry, but it's nothing "abby"- normal in the parameters of the usual suspects, so eventhough the Nitrates say it's not warranted, I'm going to do another water change and start making incremental changes.

I took readings again tonight and Calc was 560-ish, Alk 9, pH 8.2, and trace Nitrates. I'm going to add a Carbon bag to the sump for starters and find a Phosphate test kit.

Keep the ideas coming.

 

[ihavtats29]

that sucks marty i lost a acroporia to rtn yesterday hope you get it straitened out.

 

[Rendos]

I took readings again tonight and Calc was 560-ish, Alk 9, pH 8.2, and trace Nitrates.

Those are the readings now, but how stable have those been? SPS will react poorly to changing water conditions. So if the alk was low, and is now normal - that could be the problem. Also, a calcium reading of over 500 is not good. You want that down around 400-450ppm, and again...stable.

 

[ChrisKirkland]

Did you lower the calcium and raise the dKH at all?

 

[Mako Shark II]

Next Chapter in the SPS/RTN/STN/SOL saga:

Richard, I agree. KH bottomed out a few weeks back, down to 5 on the API Test Kit.

Here are the latest readings as of 10AM:

Display tank / Sump:

SG 1.0240 to 1.0245
Calc 600 (API kit)
Alk (KH) 8 = 143. ppm
pH 8.1
Nitrites - Trace amounts to nil

In other words, not much of a change. Calc still reads high and the KH is back in line from when it dropped off several weeks ago.

And okay, maybe the salt mix is a little Stout, so I turned to the Salt Mix. I'm using Oceanic, which out of the bucket, is already has pretty high Calc levels to start with by design.

Here are the basic measurements of my Salt Vat, I mixed up a couple days ago following my recent water change two-days ago.

In the Salt Vat:

SG 1.025
Calc Solidly 600 (same)
Alk (KH) 8.0
pH - not sampled
Nitrites - not sampled

I'm going to get a pH Meter. Recommendations?
Plus I'm going to get a Phosphate test kit.

 

[just dave]

You need to stop using the Oceanic with the Ca and ALK readings you have. Use I.O which is lower Ca and Higher ALK. When things get level/balanced you can mix I.O. and Oceanic 50/50 to get the balance you need. Once Ca consumption is increases in the aquarium you can go back to to the straight Oceanic Keep an eye on ALK and Ca during all this in order to adjust any calcium and or buffer additions ( you should not be adding any calcium until the level comes down.) Oceanic wasn't formulated to be mixed at the higher specific gravities you are running. That's why the Ca is so high and the ALK is kinda low.

 

[Mako Shark II]

Thanks Dave!