Coral growth issues...

S

Scubapro13

New member
First post to reef central so bare with me...I have had a 90 gallon tank w/55 gallon sump for 2 years years and I have still yet to do well with corals. They either hardly grow or wHite out.

Parameters
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0
Calcium 425
Alkalinity 10dkh
Magnesium 1300
Salinity 1.026
Ph 7.9
Temp 78

Lighting

Acan lighting 600PA-18b 70w leds
Run at max of 45% white 75% BLUE for 4 hours. Ramps up starting at 7 am. Noon to 4 is max then ramps down rest of night.

Salt mix

Aqua vitro Salinity


Skimmer

Super reef octopus 5000 ext

Maitenence

Water change 5 gallons every 1 to 2 weeks

Change carbon every 2 weeks

Change Gfo every 4 weeks

Need help I really don't know what I'm missing all I want is to maintain and grow some sps. I'm tired of wasting money on trial and error
 
Scubapro13 said:
First post to reef central so bare with me...I have had a 90 gallon tank w/55 gallon sump for 2 years years and I have still yet to do well with corals. They either hardly grow or wHite out.

Parameters
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0
Calcium 425
Alkalinity 10dkh
Magnesium 1300
Salinity 1.026
Ph 7.9
Temp 78

Lighting

Acan lighting 600PA-18b 70w leds
Run at max of 45% white 75% BLUE for 4 hours. Ramps up starting at 7 am. Noon to 4 is max then ramps down rest of night.

Salt mix

Aqua vitro Salinity


Skimmer

Super reef octopus 5000 ext

Maitenence

Water change 5 gallons every 1 to 2 weeks

Change carbon every 2 weeks

Change Gfo every 4 weeks

Need help I really don't know what I'm missing all I want is to maintain and grow some sps. I'm tired of wasting money on trial and error
Click to expand...
72d41e80bd9ff795ac098c385050e122.jpg
 
Please post some pictures of your current SPS, it will help us figure out why you have little growth.

Whiskey
 
Does the white start at the base, or the tips of the SPS? Are you light acclimating them, or just throwing them at the top of your tank?
 
Cosmojo said:
Does the white start at the base, or the tips of the SPS? Are you light acclimating them, or just throwing them at the top of your tank?
Click to expand...
It usually starts at base and yes I light acclimate for a couple weeks. I have a magnetic rack that I slowly move up from bottom
 
With 0 Phosphate and 0 Nitrate your Alk is too high. I have the same values and keep my Alk between 6,5 -7 Dkh when I measured every other day at around 9 pm. If goes a little down the 6.5 dkh I adjust my dosing pumps.

Look for Low Nutrient Tanks and Alk level. Full of threads on this forum.

To avoid corals starving y have a slightly high number of fish that I feed well every day, but NOT in excess.

Your tank has to be OK with just a 10% WC every week. You do not have a big bio load there to justify GFO, etc. instead I will add Macro in the sump and I will do, for now, just WC every week and let the tank achieve his own equilibrium.
 
Last edited:
nemodan said:
With 0 Phosphate and 0 Nitrate your Alk is too high. I have the same values and keep my Alk between 6,5 -7 Dkh when I measured every other day at around 9 pm. If goes a little down the 6.5 dkh I adjust my dosing pumps.

Look for Low Nutrient Tanks and Alk level. Full of threads on this forum.

To avoid corals starving y have a slightly high number of fish that I feed well every day, but NOT in excess.

Your tank has to be OK with just a 10% WC every week. You do not have a big bio load there to justify GFO, etc. instead I will add Macro in the sump and I will do, for now, just WC every week and let the tank achieve his own equilibrium.
Click to expand...
Will my ph drop to low if I lower my dkh that much
 
Scubapro13 said:
Will my ph drop to low if I lower my dkh that much
Click to expand...

Try not to chase ph numbers. When the tank is in equilibrium the pH fluctuates between 7.9 - 8.4 more or less. Remember each tank is a diferentes world.

My tank does that. I have a fuge that has the lights at the same time as the tank. Ph fluctutes,with photosynthesis and is related with the Co2 levels in the tank. I have my skimmer air intake connected with an air-pump tubing getting air from outside the house.

Bottom line: Read what are all the factors that affect ph, but do not chase it. The tank with the proper conditions will have the correct ph.

Others....real experts on SPS will chime in. I am not an expert. Just learning as you. I try to explain my situation and experience to help others.

Just listen to all the diferentes opinions and use what could work better for you.

I posted this today. Some parameters and pictures of my tank:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=23911328&postcount=4
 
Last edited:
2 screenshots of my pH graph for you to see how fluctuates.




You can see a small "Jump/change " nearby the peak over the legend August 3. Well that was my Water Change.
 
Last edited:
nemodan said:
Try not to chase ph numbers. When the tank is in equilibrium the pH fluctuates between 7.9 - 8.4 more or less. Remember each tank is a diferentes world.

My tank does that. I have a fuge that has the lights at the same time as the tank. Ph fluctutes,with photosynthesis and is related with the Co2 levels in the tank. I have my skimmer air intake connected with an air-pump tubing getting air from outside the house.

Bottom line: Read what are all the factors that affect ph, but do not chase it. The tank with the proper conditions will have the correct ph.

Others....real experts on SPS will chime in. I am not an expert. Just learning as you. I try to explain my situation and experience to help others.

Just listen to all the diferentes opinions and use what could work better for you.

I posted this today. Some parameters and pictures of my tank:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=23911328&postcount=4
Click to expand...
Alright kool I'll try slowly lowering Alkalinity and I turned off gfo reactor. Thanks I will see what happens
 
Scubapro13 said:
Alright kool I'll try slowly lowering Alkalinity and I turned off gfo reactor. Thanks I will see what happens
Click to expand...

Also take into account to do WC, at least 10% of your total volume each week.

If I see your picture correctly you have mostly softie. I will suggest you continue with the easy corals (softies and some LPS) , until your tank is equilibrated again.

Do not over feed !!

Now that you take the GFO feed every other day for a couple of months. Your bacterias will need time to achieve an equilibrion too.

Go slowly. Alk, Ca, Mag etc with that bio load and good/constant WCs will equlibrate alone. You will have a beautiful tank. Just be patient.

Remember to add some Cheato in your refugium space of your sump with a light. You need some way of exporting phosphate in the long term.

I hope others agree with me !

Cheers
 
nemodan said:
Also take into account to do WC, at least 10% of your total volume each week.

If I see your picture correctly you have mostly softie. I will suggest you continue with the easy corals (softies and some LPS) , until your tank is equilibrated again.

Do not over feed !!

Now that you take the GFO feed every other day for a couple of months. Your bacterias will need time to achieve an equilibrion too.

Go slowly. Alk, Ca, Mag etc with that bio load and good/constant WCs will equlibrate alone. You will have a beautiful tank. Just be patient.

Remember to add some Cheato in your refugium space of your sump with a light. You need some way of exporting phosphate in the long term.

I hope others agree with me !

Cheers
Click to expand...
Cool thanks for all the advice. I already have some cheato so time will only tell.
 
Just might throw this out there - where are you getting your water? Have you checked your RODI with a TDS?
 
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