SPS corals thinning!

[cnguyenl]

I have been successfully keeping LPS and softies for over a year. I decided to add a few SPS frags (green birdsnest, superman milli) to see if my tank was ready. After a few months, I noticed the branches extended but very thin. I read from a few threads in here that it was either lack of flow or nutrition but none was the case here. I placed these frags in the direction of the MP40, and I fed reef chili once a day. What else could it be?

Tank age almost 2 years
120 Gal tank
20 Gal sump
LED - 2 EVO 200w fixtures.
Flow: MP40, Tunze 6045, 2 Aqueon 950
dosing pumps - 2 part cal/alk
GFO/Carbon reactors

Parameters:
Nitrate - 0
Phosphate - 0.25
PH - 7.8
Cal - 440
Alk - 147
Mg - 1360
Salinity - 1.025
Temp - 78F

 

[Allmost]

po4 is very high, unless you typed it wrong ?

what are the dimensions of the tank, 1 MP40 is not enough for a 120 G SPS tank.

 

[cnguyenl]

I believe that was the reading from the API Reef Master Liquid Test Kit. Will check again when i get home today.

 

[Allmost]

API is REALLY not good for po4.

we want PO4 to be at 0.03.

API reads zero, then 0.25 which is too high. I advice getting a low range test for it, if you really want to test, or just work on lowering it and observe corals.

double check the flow too. they need a random and high flow.

HTH,

 

[cnguyenl]

Thank you!

I'm thinking of getting the Hanna Checker for phosphate. I just recently bought one for Alkalinity and loved it.

Btw, my tank dimensions are 60x18x24. So you don't think 4 power heads (including the mp40) and Mag 18 returning pump are enough?

 

[rbp 4 135]

If you get the hanna get the ULR phosphorus checker, then use thier converson to get your phosphate reading.

 

[Allmost]

anytime, yes hanna is the best, hands down, make sure you get the Low range one though with extra regent. [the regent is a powder, so harder than the alk test, but still ok]

about flow ... 6045 doesnt produce much flow, same with aquone .. but if anything Id say you are borderline for SPS keeping ... but that is my personal opinion, I love really high flow ... in my tank, a tab bit larger tan yours, I have 2 MP40, 1 MP60 and 1 tunze 6105 !

 

[cnguyenl]

Wow, that is some serious flowing you have there...lol!

 

[cnguyenl]

Thank you all for your advice on Hanna Phosphate!

 

[cnguyenl]

So given phosphate is high - does that really cause the thinning issue? All other corals are doing fine in my tank. These SPS frags have good PE as well!

Regarding feeding...what do you normally feed your SPS with? I feed reef chilli every day, snow every other day, and 30ml of Reef Plus every two days.

 

[Allmost]

I feed my fish, the corals use the dissolved organics, and basically fish poop.

how are the colors of the corals ? any pics ?

po4 limits calcification, IME, lower calcification, thinner branches.

flow same thing .... too much flow, thicker branches, and more bushy the coral would grow.

 

[cnguyenl]

Yea, they colored up fine! Will take some pictures tonite.

 

[cnguyenl]

Does anyone know how to post an image here? I'm still new with Reef Central.

 

[Allmost]

best would be to host it somewhere like on photobucket.com you can make a free account.

then get the html link from there and post it on here. it will show up

 

[cnguyenl]

Test posting picture of the birdsnest

http://s1305.beta.photobucket.com/u.../cnguyenl/media/IMG_0166_zpsf4b3695a.jpg.html

 

[cnguyenl]

 

[cnguyenl]

The link works but the picture does not display directly. I used the Insert Image option and pasted the entire url from photobucket

 

[Allmost]

<a href="http://s1305.beta.photobucket.com/user/cnguyenl/media/IMG_0166_zpsf4b3695a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s549/cnguyenl/th_IMG_0166_zpsf4b3695a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0166_zpsf4b3695a.jpg"></a>

just click on the HTML link and paste it on here

 

[Allmost]

and if that is the coral in question then that is how they grow ... they have thin branches looks prety good to me.

they grow FAST, and can use some particle feeding.

 

[cnguyenl]

it was started out as a frag with a few branches. The branches were thicker when I got it. You can't really see the branches because the polyps already extended. I should have taken the pic at night when the lights are out. But anyways, I will try to resolve my Po4 issue and look for ways to improve my flow and see how it goes.

Thank you very much for your advice!