New to SPS, but it all keeps dying!

[Jennxlovely]

I've had my 120 gallon reef tank for six months now. I've kept LPS and I've had no issues with it. Recently, I wanted to try SPS because I love the look of it and I even would like to have an SPS tank eventually. But it all keeps dying on me, and I'm not sure why. All my parameters are fine (I think). Since I'm still sort of new and all the information on what is "œgood" and "œbad" on alk, mag and calcium. I've read so many posts that all seem to contradict each other. Anyhow, I'm at a loss here. I was really looking forward to keeping SPS, but it doesn't seem to working for me. The only thing I still have yet to check is the PAR, which I'll be doing soon. I'm currently running a reefbreeder photon V2. Any ideas on what could be killing my SPS? There's no critters chowing down on it that I've seen, I don't have algae either, and my flow is pretty good with an MP40 on either side of the tank running different settings throughout the day. I do weekly (sometimes bi-weekly) 20% water changes too.
Ammonia: 0
PH:8.3
Nitrates and nitrites: 0
Phosphates: 0
Alk: 8.4
Calcium 450
Magnesium: 1350

 

[Tripod1404]

Your problem is probably 0 phosphates and 0 nitrates or lack of flow.

 

[jda]

How fast do they die? Instantly, or does it take a few months?

Which SPS have you tried? Losing a tough acro in a new tank with LEDs is not troubling, but if it was M. Digitata, then it could be.

Do you have coralline? Coralline is a good litmus test for being able to keep acropora.

Your parameters all look fine as long as you are not driving N and P low with carbon dosing, GFO or other media/chemicals. If you are using any media, then post which ones... and you should probably stop.

 

[Pslreefer]

New to SPS, but it all keeps dying!

Your tank being up for only 6 months is the one and only reason why sps are dying.

 

[Jennxlovely]

I am allowing the phosphates to rise because I read some are good. After testing today they are at .02. Nitrates are still at 0.

They don’t die instantly, they take a few weeks. My first SPS Was Montipora, which did really well so I got a red fire digita, which did well and so I got two acros and red dragon. The first thing to go was the red dragon, the montis are doing okay and the fire digi and acros seem to be dying slowly. I do have coraline, my rock is completely covered. I actually was running carbon and GFO but stopped shortly after I got the Montis.

As for my tank being six months old, it was really just transferred. Someone wanted to get out of the hobby, so I just transferred all the water, rock, tank, sand to my house from there’s. I let it cycle just in case and added SPS after, which did so well and is still doing really well. Just the SPS is Hurting. I did forget to mention, when I noticed the red dragon was going, I checked for voltage going through my tank and there were 20 volts. I immediately found the culprit and changed it out, with 0 volts now.

 

[Jennxlovely]

Sorry, added LPS

 

[Tripod1404]

I am allowing the phosphates to rise because I read some are good. After testing today they are at .02. Nitrates are still at 0.

They don't die instantly, they take a few weeks. My first SPS Was Montipora, which did really well so I got a red fire digita, which did well and so I got two acros and red dragon. The first thing to go was the red dragon, the montis are doing okay and the fire digi and acros seem to be dying slowly. I do have coraline, my rock is completely covered. I actually was running carbon and GFO but stopped shortly after I got the Montis.

As for my tank being six months old, it was really just transferred. Someone wanted to get out of the hobby, so I just transferred all the water, rock, tank, sand to my house from there's. I let it cycle just in case and added SPS after, which did so well and is still doing really well. Just the SPS is Hurting. I did forget to mention, when I noticed the red dragon was going, I checked for voltage going through my tank and there were 20 volts. I immediately found the culprit and changed it out, with 0 volts now.

Do they lose color before they die? This all looks very much like lack of nutrients to me. For those numbers you would probably need to keep alk close to 7dKH.

Digitatas are nearly impossible to be killed by anything but alk swings or lack of nutrients. I would either increase nitrate and phosphate to 2-3ppm and 0.03ppm or gradually lower alk. Imo it is easier to keep SPS corals with some nutrients and high alk, compared to low nutrients and low alk. At low nutrients and low alk, they get sensitive high light.

 

[Ostentum]

Your tank being up for only 6 months is the one and only reason why sps are dying.

I beg to differ. I had sps in my tank after 6 weeks and everything has been great the past year.

Jennxlovely- How often are you checking Alk levels and what are you doing to supplement alk? also how are they dying, slowly from the base up? Instantly overnight after a week or two? Are you checking Alk before and after your water changes?

 

[Pslreefer]

New to SPS, but it all keeps dying!

I beg to differ. I had sps in my tank after 6 weeks and everything has been great the past year.



Jennxlovely- How often are you checking Alk levels and what are you doing to supplement alk? also how are they dying, slowly from the base up? Instantly overnight after a week or two? Are you checking Alk before and after your water changes?

You can beg to differ all you want but considering a proper cycle takes at least 6 weeks for the initial stages and another few months after that to settle in.

It's too young of a tank for sps, especially for a noobie.

 

[jda]

Losing a Red Dragon is nothing to worry about. There are many people who cannot keep it and it is not a beginner/easy coral. There are also some that have it grow like a weed (myself, included)... another story for another day.

How do you have your Photon set? Are the whites up too high? This is not a fantastic acro light, IMO... it is OK, but not great. The white diodes in this light can burn coral if you have them up too high - this is not a "too much" thing, but a "wrong kind" thing where the diodes have too many bad peaks/waves for corals. The people who like these lights keep the whites down low.

It is good that the digis are living. What kind of acros did you get... again, if these are like Pearlberry or some other deepwaters, then you might have no issue, but if they are slimers and easier ones, then maybe.

Do you have new coralline spots popping up? Having legacy coralline on a rock is good, but not the same sign as having it popping up everywhere on it's own.

Forget about the N and P - if you are not using media and chemicals to lower them, then you have enough. The calcium, alk and other params look fine too.

 

[pisanoal]

You can beg to differ all you want but considering a proper cycle takes at least 6 weeks for the initial stages and another few months after that to settle in.

It's too young of a tank for sps, especially for a noobie.

There are plenty of examples of people that had "success" very early on with tanks, especially veterans. And by success I mean able to add acros, have them keep color and grow. Maybe not the best color and growth, but at least doing well. The length of a "proper cycle" (whatever that actually means) can be very dependent on several factors, especially since we don't know if this a dry rock/dry sand or high quality LR started tank.

While I agree and have experienced the fact that a more mature tank will likely have more success with sps additions, stating that the tank being too young as the "one and only reason" this persons sps are dying is neither inherently correct nor helpful on its own. Without going into too many details, the tank being too young is not in itself a cause of the sps dying, and there are multiple reasons that a new tank might be struggling, few of which are exclusive to new tanks.

 

[Jennxlovely]

Do they lose color before they die? This all looks very much like lack of nutrients to me. For those numbers you would probably need to keep alk close to 7dKH.

Digitatas are nearly impossible to be killed by anything but alk swings or lack of nutrients. I would either increase nitrate and phosphate to 2-3ppm and 0.03ppm or gradually lower alk. Imo it is easier to keep SPS corals with some nutrients and high alk, compared to low nutrients and low alk. At low nutrients and low alk, they get sensitive high light.

Here, this is a picture of an Acro and the Forest Fire Digitata: http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums...B9-FCC3ACBE5427_zpsssopu4od.jpeg?t=1522872991.

It's not the best picture, but enough to see something seems wrong.

jda: I have the whites low for this reason. I really am debating switching to radions, though, because I'm not a fan of this light at all. Also, I am not 100% sure what the names of these acros are, I completely forgot unfortunately because I didn't write them down, which I normally do tons of research and what not, but a friend gave me the acros randomly since I was very new to SPS, he said they were hardy. New coralline is popping up too.

 

[outssider]

Your tank being up for only 6 months is the one and only reason why sps are dying.

I have to call B.S. on this too !

A seasoned sps keeper can grow sps in a toilet bowl starting day one if he really knows what he's doing....

 

[Jennxlovely]

Here, this is a picture of an Acro and the Forest Fire Digitata: http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/...g?t=1522872991.

It's not the best picture, but enough to see something seems wrong.

jda: I have the whites low for this reason. I really am debating switching to radions, though, because I'm not a fan of this light at all. Also, I am not 100% sure what the names of these acros are, I completely forgot unfortunately because I didn't write them down, which I normally do tons of research and what not, but a friend gave me the acros randomly since I was very new to SPS, he said they were hardy. New coralline is popping up too.

 

[fijisrfr]

I have to call B.S. on this too !



A seasoned sps keeper can grow sps in a toilet bowl starting day one if he really knows what he's doing....

I call B.S on that!


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[swhobbie1]

rent or get a PAR meter. In the past i killed many corals by putting them were I assumed the light was right. that may be part of the problem. And SPS like very little change so try to avoid that and dont do WC that are too large that might cause a big change in parameters. what kind and how many fish do you have in that tank?

 

[fishguy597]

With your n & p that low I'd lower the alk. When my nutrients were that low that's what I did and it helped out. As mentioned above I was running around 7 dkh.

With your water that clean where are you placing these corals in your tank? Looks to me like to much light and not enough nutrients. When ever I get a frag I start out towards the bottom 1/3 and move up slowly over a few weeks. Just looks like between the light and nutrients they are starving.
I am not familiar with your lights but maybe you could post the settings,intensity, and duration of your lights. Too much and to long are a common problem with leds.

 

[kevin_e]

Your tank being up for only 6 months is the one and only reason why sps are dying.

That's not a justifiable statement. Plenty of ppl keep SPS in tanks as young, if not younger.

How quickly are they dying?

What settings and how high off the water are your lights?

Are you dosing anything?

Stability is key. Do your parameters stay pretty stable? I would think so with frequent water changes.

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[Pslreefer]

That's not a justifiable statement. Plenty of ppl keep SPS in tanks as young, if not younger.

How quickly are they dying?

What settings and how high off the water are your lights?

Are you dosing anything?

Stability is key. Do your parameters stay pretty stable? I would think so with frequent water changes.

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A 6 month old tank is anything but stable and no people don't have good success with sps in younger tanks. Sorry it just doesn't happen unless they use rock and such from a stable system and in this case it isn't nor is the op experienced enough to even be successful at it.

 

[mike810]

If you truly have no3 and po4 at zero, alk should probably be lowered a bit to maybe 7.5. Are they dying from the top down or base up? Top down usually indicates alk burn. You say you do 20% water changes, does your new saltwater parameters match your tank's parameters? If the new saltwater parameters are way off compared to your tank's parameters, you could be causing huge swings and instability every time you do a water change.