Can't keep SPS alive

1fishkeeper

Premium Member
I'm starting to get really frustrated or mad with my tank. I got my calcium reactor all set up and nice and stable but I just cannot keep any SPS alive. They look good for about a week then slowly RTN. Here are my test results from tonight. I have been testing Alk almost every other just to make sure it's not going up or down with my CA reactor.
NO3 25 salifert
PO4 0.00 Hanna
Alk 9.1 Red Sea
CA 370 Red Sea
Mag 1120 Red Sea
PH 8.3 apex

I do carbon dose with vodka. I just don't have a clue what else I can do to save what I do have.
 
I guess I should add total water volume is 275 gallons. I'm running a MH and T5 combo for lighting. Then tank has been up and running for almost a year and a half.
 
1 drop of vodka per 30 gallons and i wouldn't dose every day.

also calc at 450ppm is ideal keep alk around 9-10 dkh, get your mag up to 1300ppm i think you'll have better results.

if you aren't feeding phytoplankton or oyster eggs id start doing both
 
I have never had this problem with any of my tanks in the past it's just this one that's giving me the problems.
 
another thing look into dosing elos aminos and phols xtra but dose these on the day you don't dose the vodka
 
i was doing 1 drop of skyy vodka daily to my 29g biocube but daily dosing dropped nutrients too low so i went to every other day and things stabilized it was only at that point that i started doing the phols xtra and aminos but i only dosed these 2 times a week and not on the days i dosed the vodka
 
We'll I just added more Mag so I will have to see where my levels are in a few. I will also dose some CA and try and bring it up
 
Your calcium, alk, and magensium are mostly likely the reason. Which red sea do you use? If your using the pro version then you probably got a bad batch, check into returning to store. The regular version is not good at keeping corals because of the low levels above.
 
It's the Red Sea tests. I was using Red Sea pro both my tank looked like crap and I nothing wouldn't live with it. I have now switched to reef crystals
 
Are you using any calculators for your dosing? how much are you dosing at a time?

Have you tested your pH right before the lights come on/ middle of the night?

What reactor are you running? whats your pH in the reactor? Bubble count? effluent drip rate? Have you tested your effluents Dkh?
 
Are you using any calculators for your dosing? how much are you dosing at a time?

Have you tested your pH right before the lights come on/ middle of the night?

What reactor are you running? whats your pH in the reactor? Bubble count? effluent drip rate? Have you tested your effluents Dkh?

I'm using the calculator off of BRS.
I'm running a korallin C-1502 this model does not have a port for a PH probe. Right now it's running at 1 bubble every 2 seconds. My effluent is 2 drops per second. I will have to find my notebook to see what my Dkh was the last time I tested.
 
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