Seeking help from SPS water experts. Urgent

[sponger0]

Before I make a hasty decision on my SPS corals. Im seeking some advice. I am having pieces RTN. Not happy about it. Maybe something about my water chemistry is right. So no nudis or red bugs. More than enough flow 1350 gph in a 40 breeder. All my other corals are doing fine softies and LPS.

Water parm
Ammonia - 0
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - 0
Alk - 9.2
Mag - 1400
Calc - 450
Phos - Unreadable

Im not sure whats going on. Some of the corals Ive had for months with no problems. I have had one piece for a year that RTN'ed this morning.

I starting using baking soda in the ATO resevoir to stablize the alk. Been pretty consistant at 9.1-9.4

I started using Seachem Liquid calcium, which has stronium in it.

Ive made both those changes in the past two months.

Been feeding corals with Oyster Feast.

So any thoughts? Normally I can find somekind of water problem....but Im lost.

 

[JCurry]

I've had a similar problem, are your sps rtn from the base? Ive chalked it up to having too clean of a system, I have always strived for zero nitrates and phosphates, by aggressive skimming and alot of media filtration. But what I've found is that if I let me system get between 5-10 ppm of nitrates and 0.05-0.10 ppm of phosphates my corals have exploded in growth rates as well as the colors have improved. I think that I was strarving/stressing them to appoint that they were dieing. Just my thoughts, good luck.

 

[sponger0]

Yes it had been a thought recently, so I started feeding more into my tank and still 0 readout on phos. And it isnt getting better either.

 

[JCurry]

Are you running any gfo? Or do you have alot of macro algae?

 

[sponger0]

No GFO. I have some cheato and flame algae in a fuge

 

[RRaider]

That may not be nearly enough flow, especially if it's a single powerhead.

 

[secrest]

What are you using to test your po4? Also, like rraider said, that might not be enough flow. What are you using for flow?

 

[MBIETZ]

Ya 1350gph for flow is not much in a 40g Thats around 33x turn over in my 65g i have 70x turn over in my mixed reef and i still don't think its enough. If your feeding the corals then i wouldn't think it is a nutrient problem. Have you checked your PH because backing soda will raise the PH quite a bit.

 

[hvacman250]

I have double that flow in a 29 gallon tank, so I would up your GPH with an additional powerhead. Also, are you getting 0 phosphates with a test kit or a Hanna checker. If you dont have a Hanna checker, I would invest in one ASAP.

 

[sponger0]

Yes I'm using a hanna checker.

 

[secrest]

If you're really getting 0.00 using a hanna checker then I would suggest adding another fish or two and maybe feeding a little heavier. If you really have no phosphate and no nitrate what so ever then your corals are most likely starving. I had the same thing happen a few months after I started dosing vodka and mb7.

 

[sponger0]

Yes that's what I'm really reading. I have 5 fish and another 2 weeks away from finishing quarantine

 

[RRaider]

Calibrate your refractometer with calibration fluid (not ro/di water) and check your salinity.

 

[Logzor]

It's either temperature or salinity. Use NEW calibration solution and a calibrated temp probe!