(New SPS Only 65 GAL Frag Tank). Advice, Tips, Adjustments for a SPS Newbie / Rookie

[Wally.B]

Hi,

I need some feedback/Advice on the health of my new (6 month) SPS frag tank. Pictures are below, but here is my story.

I have tried to grow SPS corals in my mix tank for years. My Soft and LPS corals did fine, but every time I added a SPS piece it would bleach white after a while. Eventually ended up a dead skeleton. I gave up on the SPS hope for years.

Then recently, with kids growing up and me having more time. Decided to try again.

I decided to make my Home Office 65GAL tank SPS only that way I could watch it closely, and hopefully some day have a nice SPS tank to look at while I work. I started from scratch to some degree. Most of the rock was previous Live rock that I got handed down from a friend. The rock had been scrubbed, washed, bleached and stored in a bin for about 2-3 years. I added only a few select pieces from my established mix tank to help cycle the tank. Also a first for me was sand bottom, since I converted to Glass bottom many years ago.

When I started introducing SPS frags into the tank, things were ok at the beginning. I got each frag over a period of many months. Each time dipping New Frags in ReVive Coral cleaner as recommended by my Frag supplier. I glued each one in place to ensure they stayed put. When fish got added, that's when the algae problems started. The SPS frags were getting coated with brown, redish algae and appear to be suffocating. Brown algae like strings were floating around, getting caught on the frags, and my circulation pumps needed constant algae cleaning. I guessed this was due to nutrients from having added fish. I was determined to overcome this obstacle, since many of the beautiful tanks I've seen on reef central have fish. The tank has good EuroReef skimmer that was skimming properly. Some articles describe how fish waste is good for the SPS, due to the fact that the Fish break down food into better nutrients for the SPS corals.

After reading many articles about needing good circulation; (return flow rate, and inside tank flow rate), I replaced my pathetic Mag 5 return pump, with a Mag 9. I was now maxed out. My return barely being able to handle the return flow. It was scary watching my overflow box running so fast. I actually had to drill a tiny hole in the return plumbing, to stop the noisy gurgle. ]To my pleasant surprise within a week, all the algae covered SPS was polished clean. I mean not a single spec of algae anywhere in the whole tank. . My Mag 9 was running thru my sea swirl, so I was getting nice distributed random circulation. Having learned that circulation was key, I added a few more power heads, and put them on my Neptune Apex Controller for added random circulation.

Things looked promising, but no growth, or very little. I was running OLD 150W MH bulbs, and a single VHO Actinic bulb. So, to help with growth, I changed my 150 MH bulbs to 250W, since I had a switchable ballast. I was careful to start the new bulbs high, and worked my way lower over many weeks. The tank initially showed some sign of brown algae again, but things kind of stabilized. I still notice dthe algae here and there on rocks but only where there were shadows. I was ok with that, since it wasn't spreading or increasing like in the past.

I was monitoring my parameters weekly, and was adjusting manually. I read that stable parameters is another important factor for SPS. So I moved my A/B dosing pump from my Mix tank to the SPS tank. Dosing automatically, daily by two peristaltic pumps via Apex controller. That's been about a week.

My A mix is TurboCalc, my B mix is Baking Soda. (Randy Homes Farley Formula-Recipe #1). My magnesium manual top up is pure Epson salt mix.

Also another adjustment is that I've started practicing ( hat I've learn from RC posts) is that my bare hands no longer enter the tank. Even to feed flake I use tweezers. To adjust rock or corals, I use shoulder length gloves. That is my new promise to this tank. I used to go arm length in there just rolling up my sleeves, like I do for my mix tank.

So the reason for this post, is I am getting worried. Some part of my SPS frags are going white. Especially the sides hit mostly by light. I did place some of my frags sideways, hoping they would grow out and fill in the tank areas. Those frags placed sideways appear to be going white as well on the sides. Not sure if they should be all upright?

One observation is that even though they appear white and possibly bleaching, they are still showing polyps where they are white. So it's not a dead skeletal kind of bleaching. Under actinic lights these white areas do glow green fluorescent colors, including green polyps that I don't see under MH lights. Are the white area's growth? I always understood growth would be at tips.

Are my SPS Frag corals doing ok based on the picture I show? Any advice to improve my coral health and growth? Or should I just be patient and let these frags do their thing, and get bigger, where they will extend and turn upward, to eventually show off their colors?

Also. I am not familiar with ideal placement of these corals. Should some FRAGS be placed lower, other higher to get proper lighting? Greatly would appreciate any advice on any needed adjustments.

Do I have too many Frag? Will this be a nightmare to maintain as they grow?

I add nothing other then the following to this tank:

• A/B Dosing (TurboCalc, Baking Soda)
• Epson Salt mix for Magnesium (manually)
• Flake food, Frozen Brine Shrimp for fish
• Live Copepod Tiggers for Mandarin from my Copepod Farm.
• A 5ml capeful of AcroPower Amino acid each week.
• Monthly 10% water change using Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt.

Here are my TANK parameters and fluctuations:

• ALK: 8.5
• CALC: 435
• MAG: 1310
• SAL: 1.025
• PH: 8.125 - 8.25
• TEMP: 75.5 - 77.8
• PHOSPHATE: 0 (based on Salfert Test Kit Sensitivity)

CIRCULATION:

RETURN PUMP: MAG 9 (Return Height 3 ft)
CIRCULATION PUMPS: 1x Hydro Koralia 1150, 1 x Hydro Koralia 1500, 1x Tunze NanoStream 6025
SKIMMER: EuroReef

Here is my Office SPS ONLY Frag Tank.

Here is a closeup of SPS corals under the 250W MH Bulbs.

A view under Actnic VHO bulb.

A few close ups of each SPS area.


CLOSEUP: Tank Middle

CLOSEUP: Tank Left

CLOSEUP: Tank Right

Appreciate any feedback and recommendations. Hoping this tank will take off and stay stable.

Wally

 

[Wally.B]

After taking Photo's for this Post, I was looking closer at the Frags.

These Extra close ups of the corals is what I am referring to when I say the upper side of my SPS corals are going white.

Is this growth, or bleaching?

Wally

 

[tmz]

The white spots are not growth,which occurs at the edges or tips. They may be photo inhibited from intense light or may being blasted with laminar flow. Zero PO4 may also be an issue. Some food may help. It's not too crowded,imo.

 

[Wally.B]

Too much circulation?? Some Corals too high?

Too much circulation?? Some Corals too high?

The white spots are not growth,which occurs at the edges or tips. They may be photo inhibited from intense light or may being blasted with laminar flow. Zero PO4 may also be an issue. Some food may help. It's not too crowded,imo.

When you say "Photo Inhibited" do you mean my lights are too strong for that coral, so I should lower it? Or raise my MH lights?

I googled "Laminar Flow", since I didn't know what that meant. I assume you mean when the powerhead align their flow, there may be high pressure points, too strong to the SPS coral. I'll consider moving around my powerheads to adjust some possible current hotspots. Is that what you meant?

Also, once concern I had, about too aggressive circulation, is initially I was so concerned to have enough circulation, I may have overdone it, by changing my Return Pump from a Mag 2 to Mag 9. Mag 2 was way to low, since I was getting algae problems.

And lastly. I have a sand shifting Goby. He is always stirring up the sanbed. I've always worried that all that dust floating around may be sandblasting my corals. I also never give my corals a breather from circulation. At least 1 powerhead overlapping with the Return SeaSwirl. Should I be slowing down cirulations for a hour here or there. Perhaps a break at night?

 

[tmz]

I answered your pm . I mean direct constant flow as opposed to turbulence and alternating flow. As for lighting, the intensity may be keeping the polyps on the uujper ares closed. Less light . a shorter photo period or moving th corals down may help. The corals do need some phosphate ;if you really have zero it might be part of it.