help with keeping sps

[Jackwkahn]

I have a 40 br set up about 6 months ago, have a wholesale LED unit that many LFSs use, mp10, TLF bio pellets reactor plumbed directly to reef octopus 125 recirculating skimmer (in 10 gallon sump). I am having some minor issues with cyano on the sandbed and algae on the rocks, but as you can you tell by the title that is not why I'm posting. My stock includes a tiny hepatus tang, leopard wrasse, purple firefish, ocellaris clown, and blue green chromis. I feed half a cube of frozen mysis everyday along with a tiny pinch of OMEGA pellets for the tang (he goes nuts for them). I try to clean the skimmer every 2 days to keep it running pretty efficiently, and I skim pretty far on the wetter side. Blue LEDs are on from 1-9pm and daylight LEDs are on from 2-8pm. Clean up crew/inverts include fighting conch, several assorted snails, 2 peppermint shrimp, skunk shrimp, and clawless emerald crab. I dose a 2 tsp/5gal Kalk solution through an autotopoff. When the topoff kicks on, it is dosed at a rate of about 1 drop per second. Running 1 small bag of chemipure in an Aquaclear 50. Return pumps about 450 gph (just a guess, i could be totally off on this)

According to my crappy API test kits (which I don't trust) my params are as follows-
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate- Under 5ppm
Cal- 440 ppm
Alk- 8

I have a green tort that has totally browned out and is showing very slow tissue necrosis and poor PE. My frag of red monti is in the same situation. Each has been in the tank for about a month. I have bubble, frogspawn, GSP, zoa, lobo, and hammer pieces that are all doing quite well (they'd be happier with some less turbulent flow). I also have neglected to regular weekly water changes in the bast several weeks due to recent low quality of the NSW i use. Could the lack of water changes be the source of my problems?

What Im thinking is that I have a phosphate/perhaps nitrate issue. Should I increase dosage & flow in regards to biopellets? Or just employ GFO separately?

I'm very open to suggestions from experienced SPS keepers, and am willing to make drastic changes if need be. However money is a very large object, so these changes will most likely not be instantaneous.

I Hope that I have provided enough details about my system in order to help you all draw some conclusions.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Jackwkahn]

forgot to mention the temp stays pretty stable right around 79 degrees

 

[cichlid9]

is an mp10 enough flow for a 40 gallon? I have one in my 20.

 

[rogerwilco357]

with frags and no major colonies i would rely more on the water changes more so then dosing for replenishment of nutrients i use Reef Crystals ..if you use natural sea water what are the numbers on the ph,alc,calc.mag..etc...

 

[robferrari]

I would recommend double checking your alkalinity with a more reliable test kit. I used an API test kit and it showed 10 dkh when it was really 7dkh using a salifert kit. When I did water changes the alk fluctuated too much causing my STN. Even though you dose, after weeks without water changes, perhaps your alkalinity is lower than what your API test kit shows as well. So be careful performing water changes, you don't want those to be too drastic. If at all possible I would look for a higher quality water source. It would make things a lot easier on you and for everything in your tank. If the NSW you have is not ideal, that could be contributing the algae issues and browning of coral. I don't believe any other changes would be necessary IMHO. *Hope this helps.*

 

[Jackwkahn]

thanks guys, this makes a lot of sense. I am going to sell some old music equipment on craigslist to help me get my hands on a hanna alk checker and a 200 gal box of reef crystals

 

[Jackwkahn]

I have an idea. I have a biocube HQI with a 150w MH pendant 14k. I've been looking to sell it but lately I've been thinking of putting the MP10 on it and making it strictly SPS while I put a Koralia on my LPS/Softie 40 breeder. My only dilemma is should I plumb the biocube to the 40 or keep it separate? Please give me lots of opinions and help! thanks!

 

[Jackwkahn]

started a new thread- http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2152539

 

[divewsharks]

on this tank i would definitely look at the phosphates, and ALK (you ALK not only needs to be within the proper range, but also not swinging). Either of which can affect the health and appearance of the corals.
Depending on where your NSW comes from it could contain a fair amount of phosphates.

 

[Jackwkahn]

Yeah, Im pretty sure the NSW i use has got phosphates, from right off the beach. I'm going to start using Reef Crystals just for the control factor. Ill start doing water changes and let things go from there on my 40 as Im going to keep it softy/easy lps and have a 30 gal ULN High Energy SPS system