How long?

[nemokeeper]

How long does a tank need to be running assuming all parameters are in check. My solana is going to be SPS dominated but i've only had it running for 6 months. It has a 250 watt pendant over it. How long does a system need to mature before being able to add SPS? Whatever frags i have turned brown in a few weeks...

 

[Western_reefer]

What are your water parameters?

 

[nemokeeper]

ph 8.2
ammo 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
po4 .003
cal 450
dkh 9

 

[dzhuo]

Hi nemokeeper,
Your params look spot on but as much as the numbers need to be close to NSW, minimize swings are also crucial. For example, 7 or 10 dKH of alk are both acceptable but a daily swing even within this safe zone would stress the SPS. How are you maintaining stability for these params? Are you aware of such swings? Browning is normally a sign of excess nutrient. What are your filtration consists of? Are you using RO/DI? Are you experiencing algae issue? Are the frags still having good polyp extension? Finally, do you know the name of the SPS that browned out?

 

[allsps40]

+1 wise words.

 

[nemokeeper]

Hi nemokeeper,
Your params look spot on but as much as the numbers need to be close to NSW, minimize swings are also crucial. For example, 7 or 10 dKH of alk are both acceptable but a daily swing even within this safe zone would stress the SPS. How are you maintaining stability for these params? Are you aware of such swings? Browning is normally a sign of excess nutrient. What are your filtration consists of? Are you using RO/DI? Are you experiencing algae issue? Are the frags still having good polyp extension? Finally, do you know the name of the SPS that browned out?

I use a kalkreactor with my top off water. Not too sure how much the dkh swings.... I have a g1x skimmer in a 60 cube with refugium and i am using ro water. I did have a green slime algae issue but now its gone. My millepora that was once red is now browned out but my green one is still green.

 

[nemokeeper]

both have good polyp extension...

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

Sounds like I would do a couple of good size water changes with high quality salt like Oceanic. After you get the organics lowered, it is just a matter of keeping them low by either skimming, GAC, and/or a regular water change schedule.

 

[Dynamic_Reef]

Did you acclimate them to light? in some cases not doing this can cause your SPS to brown out from the shock to new/stronger light! my 2 cents

 

[Herk]

I would try some easier SPS first and see how they do. Such as Birdnest or some Montis

 

[dzhuo]

I use a kalkreactor with my top off water. Not too sure how much the dkh swings....

If you don't dump more than 1% (of your tank's total water vol) of kalk solution in your tank at once and the top off is managed by an ATO, you are probably not going to see a huge swing. If you want to confirm, I would just take multiple readings, say 2 - one during lights on and one lights out, to make sure all the readings are close enough.

My millepora that was once red is now browned out but my green one is still green.

My feeling is your coloring issue is due to nutrient. Are you running GFO / GAC? I am not very familiar with ASM but I know it's pretty well agreed that this brand of skimmer is overrated in capacity. Do you feel the skimmer is working properly and pulling enough skimmate? How many fish and how much feedings do you do daily? Also, I assume the corals in question are aqua-culture instead of wild or mari-culture right?

 

[lolgranny]

What are you testing your water with? What test kits?

Some brown out from them being stressed / shocked from the move, others because you have too much nutrients so it would help if you told us your stock list / how much you feed.

Ive had some brown out because my params were off and i thought they were on and ive had others brown because i wasnt feeding enough.

 

[nemokeeper]

salifert test kits is what i used.... I have a yellow watchman goby and 3 clownfish. I feed once a day(I try) or every other day. Some of the pieces were wild frags... they had color when i bought them but are now all brown... Even my hawkins echinata is brown. The only one that kept its color is a wild green mille, green echinata, aussie blue tip echinata, red planet, blue voodoo, and rose mille. I am running carbon and biopellets... no phoslock. I do 5 gallon water change once every other week and i use ESV salt.

 

[BrassMonkey]

just set up a tank and have some sps now, little over a week after the rocks came in the mail, lol . so im not sure there is a set number.

 

[dzhuo]

Some of the pieces were wild frags... they had color when i bought them but are now all brown... Even my hawkins echinata is brown.

Wilds are known to be very sensitive so I won't be surprise they brown out. If they are still showing good polyp extension and growing, they might eventually color up. Depends on the individual coral, this might take as long as several months. I would keep an eye on the corals and make sure there is no RB, AEFW, etc. Did you dip the wild frags?

The only one that kept its color is a wild green mille, green echinata, aussie blue tip echinata, red planet, blue voodoo, and rose mille.

If that's the list of acros that hold its colors, I don't think you really have a big problem. It's possible that your tank is good enough for lots of acros but a few just didn't like it.

I do 5 gallon water change once every other week and i use ESV salt.

8g bi-weekly water change on a 60g tank (that's assuming you don't have a sump which would add more water vol) is only ~8%. I would up the water change to ~15% to see if things improve. I have heard very good things about ESV salt.

 

[nemokeeper]

Thanks! I religiously dip all my corals... will try upping water changes...

 

[Alkamist]

try out some easy sps or some cheap acros its what i did and if they make it after a few months try something a little harder and see how that goes.