Help saving SPS...

[Nuuze]

Can someone help me possibly save an SPS? I just noticed this morning its starting to loose some color at the bottom. I bought the frag Friday and was doing okay until this morning. its about 8 inches from the MH and right below one of the Seio's. Its in a 58G with a RIO 2500 return and two Seio M620's. Lighting is 1 175W 14k MH, two Actinic white VHO's. Here are tank stats:

Temp 78-80
pH 8.2-8.2
Ammonia 0
Alk 2.0-2.5
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Calcium 400

Lighting is 4 hours for VHO's and 8 hours for MH.

Oh, and two Damsels, two Firefish, two bi-color Blenny's, Jennifer, two spot Goby and itty bitty blue Tang.

Nuuze

 

[cwegescheide]

I'm hoping your Alk reading is in meq/L correct? Even then its a little low. Also 2.0 - 2.5 is quite a bit different. From what I understand natural sea water has Alk of 2.7 meq/L. I try to keep my Alk around 3.5meq/L and not much higher. That way if it drifts down a little then you have a little "buffer zone" if it drifts low. Low Alk can have a pretty bad effect on SPS. I recently had a low Alk episode and about half of my corals faded quite a bit. So I'd say get your alk up and test it often for a while to make sure it stays up. Also make sure you don't have any of your sources of current pointed directly at your coral. Thats not good either.

Oh yeah whats your Magnesium level? When your Mg is at its proper level it makes it easier to keep Alk and Ca in balance.

Good luck!

 

[Nuuze]

Yes, its meq/L. Righ now none of my sources of current is pointing to any corals. I haven't had a chance to get a Mg kit yet. Is that bad not to check or add Mg? I do add coral-vite and essential elements.

 

[cwegescheide]

If I were you I'd read Randy's articles on Calcium and Alkalinity in the Reef Chemistry forum. It will explain things a lot better than I can. You should invest in a MG test kit and dose it (if you need it of course) I see from your post count your fairly new here? Yeah you should read up on reef chemistry if you plan on keeping sps!!! Don't worry we have all been there! Of course thats not the only reason something like that could happen. Sometimes people get acro eating flat worms that start from the base of the coral and are pretty nasty critters and can desimate sps as well. then of course red bugs but those guys arent near as bad from what I can tell. I'd do a search on Acro eating flat worms and red bugs as well.

Have fun,
Chris

 

[gemxsps]

I agree with cwegescheide. Should increase Alk and Ca level. But should increase very slowly.