new to sps having issues

[Waddleboy]

i recently purchased a Fireside Acro, Branching Acro, and a staghorn. Both acros have been in the tank since December, and the staghorn is new. The tank has been running since November so putting the first two in december may have been rushed and its my fault but everything was stable including water parameters. Tank is 90gal, and my current params are ph 8.2-8.4, no n03,no2,po4,nh3, alk 9.3, mg 1300, ca 420. I do biweekly water changes. The two acros still are brown with slight polyp extension. The staghorn came brown so i dont know what do with him. I am running LEDs and the two acros were bleaching in the beginning so i turned them down. The polys and lps in my tank are doing well. I dont really know what else to do and figured i asked the people who do it all the time for a little help.

 

[Arkayology]

It can take months for SPS to get their color back after bleaching or browning out. It takes time.

 

[Waddleboy]

It can take months for SPS to get their color back after bleaching or browning out. It takes time.

i figured but how do i know if the water is correct and proper light? should i be dosing? maybe i am just over reacting? Thanks for the help

 

[bamf25]

You will likely need to dose. Daily dosing would likely give you more stable water parameters than twice weekly water changes. Also more predictable value once you figure out exactly what your tank needs.

 

[Waddleboy]

i already dose kalk and my ca reactor which the pump currently broke so i need to get that back online but other than that should i be doing like a mixed nutrients or more specific nutrients?

 

[sponger0]

You need to be testing you water first and give us some parameters to give you some better advice. Cant give advice on dosing until we know levels

 

[Trademark]

Just continue doing what you are doing. Patience will pay off in this hobby.

 

[Waddleboy]

You need to be testing you water first and give us some parameters to give you some better advice. Cant give advice on dosing until we know levels

sg 1.024, temp 77, ph 8.2-8.4, 0 n03,no2,po4,nh3, alk 9.3, mg 1300, ca 420. What else should i be checking for?

 

[sponger0]

sg 1.024, temp 77, ph 8.2-8.4, 0 n03,no2,po4,nh3, alk 9.3, mg 1300, ca 420. What else should i be checking for?

Looks good. What kinds of tests are you using?

 

[Waddleboy]

for temp apex, sg refractometer, for mg, alk, ca redsea, and for everything else api. Test kits are a month old. Ive heard sps need not 0 water like they prefer a lil nitrate and po4? is that right or is that completely wrong? Also im running gfo and ROX carbon

 

[sponger0]

Nitrates you shouldnt have any. But your phos is good about .04. But I wouldnt trust an API kit. Look into Red Sea pro, Salifert or a Hanna checker for phos to get better accurate readings

 

[Cliff519]

My SPS seamed to look better once my nitrate was less than 1ppm using a salifert test kit. I don't like the API nitrate test kit as you can have 3 ppm of nitrate and you won't be able to tell as the kit onlt starts reading at 5 ppm

 

[Waddleboy]

My API reads 0 for both nitrate and phosphate. So even if it was a little off that would explain the problems I'm having with the sps?

 

[sponger0]

My API reads 0 for both nitrate and phosphate. So even if it was a little off that would explain the problems I'm having with the sps?

API can be way off on certain tests. Get a better test for phos if your going to have SPS

 

[Waddleboy]

so phosphate is most likely causing this?

 

[dvanacker]

phosphate possible...yes....likely....who knows...you wont till you test with a low range meter.

It might just take time. Personally I dont trust LED yet enough either....not saying that is your problem though.