Frustrated with sps.

[Cyberdude]

Been at this for 2.5 years and very distracted with sps. Always get Stn on tips. Eventually it bleaches and dies except for one.

This I can drag and frag and it grow.


This is what the rest look like.


Alk 8.4 stable dose 12 ml day
Ca 420 stable dose 18 ml a day
Temp stable 78.8
Ph low 7.8
Mg 1350
Skimmer 24/7 thick dry skim
Nitrates low but detectable
Po4 low but detectable


Lights hydra 52


Gfo / carbon 6 hours a day (recently turned it down from 24 hours, seeing some improvement.

Dt 55, sump 5 gallon with cheato.

7 fish, feed twice a day.

I just don't know where to look anymore. All my Lps are doing fabulous helllllpppp!

 

[Cyberdude]

Frustrated with sps.

This may also help. Zoas are great, fish are happy and well fed, algae gone since I moved my turbos back to the dt. Have cleaner shrimp and hermits.

All colors of coralline growing like mad including my sump with crappy compact fluorescent lighting.

 

[Peter Eichler]

Are you dipping everything for pests? Would you know how to spot red bugs if you had them?

What is your salinity, and are you using a properly calibrated refractometer to test it?

I suggest switching to running GAC for a couple days every month or two. I'd also suggest getting a good handle on what your PO4 and NO3 actually are and making sure you're not driving them too low and running GFO too often. What tests are you using for these currently?

 

[Cyberdude]

I test salerit for everything. Sg is super stable with a refractometer calibrated monthly at 1.026. Phosphate is 0.03 and nitrate now ranges between 2-3

 

[Cyberdude]

Gac every month or two? Wow. I would typically run gfo and carbon 24/hrs a day. About two weeks ago I lowered that to 6 hours a day. Guess I must still be over doing it.

 

[swk]

What salt mix are you using? Just curious

 

[msaba]

Curious ALK/CA dosing--I usually thought dosing should be equal measure, wonder how "stable" those parameters are? Will be interested in others input on this

Mark

 

[Cyberdude]

I don't think they are consumed at the same rate there fore makes sense that they are dosed at their own consumed rates. They both don't move week after week of testing. I'll get the salt mix name in the morning I forget lol.

 

[Peter Eichler]

Gac every month or two? Wow. I would typically run gfo and carbon 24/hrs a day. About two weeks ago I lowered that to 6 hours a day. Guess I must still be over doing it.

And the questions about dipping and pests?

 

[Cyberdude]

I need to learn to dip this is true. As for pests nothing visible. And i do have one sps as in my fist pic that never experienced stn and I and able to frag it and have it grow.

 

[Peter Eichler]

I need to learn to dip this is true. As for pests nothing visible. And i do have one sps as in my fist pic that never experienced stn and I and able to frag it and have it grow.

Yes, one that is know to not be bothered by red bugs... I'm guessing possibly a combination of red bugs and overly aggressive GFO/GAC use may be your problem.

 

[nashorn]

Take a few of the sps out and dip in some a revive and see if anything drop off. I had aefw before and some of my sps looks like that. But the aefw I had didn't like the Pocillopora type.
If you have them they will drop off within 30sec in the dip

 

[Peter Eichler]

Take a few of the sps out and dip in some a revive and see if anything drop off. I had aefw before and some of my sps looks like that. But the aefw I had didn't like the Pocillopora type.
If you have them they will drop off within 30sec in the dip

Using a white contained for the dip will make it easier to spot pests.

 

[Cyberdude]

Red Sea coral pro salt.

 

[Yam]

Not to start a debate, but IMO its the LED lighting. I had what looks to be the same issue, but with different LED's. Burnt tips and a different/thin look to skin. Hard to describe the tissue difference, but its there. I switched to ATI Sunpower T5's and everything is recovering and doing much better.

I know led's can grow SPS just fine. IMO, T5's or halides are just easier (and one less variable to worry about) at the expense of power and tuneability.

 

[Setragni]

Cyberdude, I would crosscheck all your tests with different tests.
I had a refractometer calibrated with solution every time I used. only after getting a Milwaukee I realized my refractometer was .003 off. When calibrated with RO they do not work great and the calibration fluid always go bad within a couple months due to evaporation.

 

[Cyberdude]

I don't calibrate with ro big Nono. I have a feeling it's the lighting. Still dialing it in only 6 weeks old. I went with something lots of people have been having success with (hydra52) as to try and eliminate it as a variable.

Would one factor be the amount of softies in the tank? All I have right now are a few sps frags. But I must be around number 15 or so that have browned then bleached then died.

I'll recheck my parameters but I'm not sure it's he colpurat.

I do a 10% wc every 2-3 weeks. I just find that the wc stresses everything more than it helps.

 

[Cyberdude]

Update. Took out the gfo and carobon.. Two 10% watcher changes in two days and color is coming back! I think I may ditch the reactors for additional wc