Help me revive my tank and color up my SPS
- Thread starter MountainManReef
- Start date
MountainManReef
New member
Blue cloves are a major mistake of mine. When they first started to pop up I should have Kalk pasted or glued over them. Now they are everywhere.
I am curious though, why do you believe them to be a factor in SPS health?
PaleHorse
New member
Chris Lakies
Active member
#1 get your SG up to 1.025/1.026. you are raising this now.
#2 you have a lot of filtration going on that water volume (BK180mini+butt loads of Phos remover but you are slowly removing it. I wouldnt say you need to remove it completely however you can cut down on the amount of flow through it.
#3 feed more. Get your fish fat and sassy. They poop and feed the coral. Coral loves fish poop. There is no need to "feed" your corals if you have enough fish poop. Make that BK180 work, its what its there to do.
#4 PO4, i used to chase numbers of 0. my corals were pale and dying. Unless i have gob loads of algae growing all over i do not worry about it.
#2 you have a lot of filtration going on that water volume (BK180mini+butt loads of Phos remover but you are slowly removing it. I wouldnt say you need to remove it completely however you can cut down on the amount of flow through it.
#3 feed more. Get your fish fat and sassy. They poop and feed the coral. Coral loves fish poop. There is no need to "feed" your corals if you have enough fish poop. Make that BK180 work, its what its there to do.
#4 PO4, i used to chase numbers of 0. my corals were pale and dying. Unless i have gob loads of algae growing all over i do not worry about it.
Peter Eichler
New member
It will often prevent them from encrusting fully.
MountainManReef
New member
Ok action plan for now is as follows:
1. Continue to slowly raise salinity/pick up calibration fluid for refractometer.
2. Increase intensity of lighting (I did this yesterday) - monitor results.
3. Continue to gradually reduce PO4 removers.
4. Slowly reduce vinegar dosing to 45ml, monitor from there.
5. Continue to try and feed as much as possible without over feeding.
6. Rescape my tank utilizing live rock in my sump. In the process I will carefully remove/frag corals from existing rock, check carefully for signs of blue cloves. Discard old rock. If I find blue cloves in the new rocks I will Kalk paste/putty over them. This is something I was considering anyway, and I had better do it before I actually get something to grow/color up and then not want to disturb.
7. Maybe when I get paid Friday I will place a BRS order and get a Hanna ULR phosphorous meter. Have also been considering the Red Sea Colors Pro test kit to allow me to test K, Fe, and Iodine.
Thanks for the input everyone!
1. Continue to slowly raise salinity/pick up calibration fluid for refractometer.
2. Increase intensity of lighting (I did this yesterday) - monitor results.
3. Continue to gradually reduce PO4 removers.
4. Slowly reduce vinegar dosing to 45ml, monitor from there.
5. Continue to try and feed as much as possible without over feeding.
6. Rescape my tank utilizing live rock in my sump. In the process I will carefully remove/frag corals from existing rock, check carefully for signs of blue cloves. Discard old rock. If I find blue cloves in the new rocks I will Kalk paste/putty over them. This is something I was considering anyway, and I had better do it before I actually get something to grow/color up and then not want to disturb.
7. Maybe when I get paid Friday I will place a BRS order and get a Hanna ULR phosphorous meter. Have also been considering the Red Sea Colors Pro test kit to allow me to test K, Fe, and Iodine.
Thanks for the input everyone!
fishguy597
Member
One thing at a time. The most important is to raise your sg. Monitor it for a week or two then make your next move. You might shock your corals by raising intensity and phasing out the other stuff.
Peter Eichler
New member
There is a dewormer that people have used to get rid of blue cloves. Do some research on Fenbendazole.
itche_scratche
New member
+1 feed fish more. And a big plus for Coral love fish poop. If your tank doesnt get a film of algae on the glass in 4-7 days that mean your coral is starving.
MountainManReef
New member
Picked up a bottle of calibration solution for my refractometer today. I'm at 30ppt! That's after I've been doing water changes with stronger solutions of saltwater! I wonder how low it was before!
Peter Eichler
New member
Had a feeling it was even lower than you suspected. That's most of your problem right there.
MountainManReef
New member
I would have never thought to look, thank you for all of the insight. Salinity was so far off my radar. Funny how I've watched phosphates, Ca, Alk, and Mg like a hawk and missed something so vital.
nemodan
New member
I was lucky. Mine instruct to calibrate with destilled or RO. I used destilled water. After reading many postings like the previous I got a calibration solution. It has always worked perfectly with both (Calibration solution and Destilled Water). I can't complain of my luck !!!!..... and is a $25 refractometer.
Cheers
Ps: I remember some details: I keep the refractometer in its original box with the drying salts bag, after drying well the glass with a tissue paper. And keep it in the same room of the tank to avoid any temperature effect on the reading.
MountainManReef
New member
Yep, 5 points is about what I was off by. Even better than the uncertainty of LFS water, pick up some Refractometer calibration fluid. I paid 2.99 for a bottle that will probably last years!
Jessesoto33
New member
Sps need more calcium than 400ppm try to get them up to 450ppm and Mag up to 1350ppm and stop dosing Vinegar because you phosphates and nitrates are already low enough
john.groves6
New member
Get your salt up to 1027. Don't forget iodine.
Peter Eichler
New member
No they don't, there's absolutely nothing wrong with 400ppm. I like 450 a little better, but if maintained at the levels mentioned there is going to be no difference between the two.
Last edited:
