SPS frags are dying

[Moonfroz]

Hello folks

I have restarted my 180g (+77g refugium +90g sumps) 6 months ago. My parameters are:
Alk: 9.9 dKH
Ca = 465 ppm
Mg = 1450 ppm
Nitrate = 0 ppm (always 0 ppm)
Phosphate = 0.06 ppm

All my parameters are very stable. I am using Red Sea Pro salt. and I am performing all tests every 2 days. I am performing a 50-60 gallons water change every 2 weeks.

I am running a Bio-Pellets reactor and a phosphate reaction with Rowa. ALk, Ca and Mg are dosed using a Kamoer Dosing Pump. I am using the Aquaristik product for dosing.

Even if my parameters are very stable. My SPS are dying! Thiers skin are peeling off about 2-3 weeks after being introduced in my system.

Please look at the picture below.

Please help. All my LPS doing fine!

 

[roberto_lopes]

Lower the alk. Since Biopellets are essentially solid carbon the alk must be at max 8.5.

I am not sure this is the problem but can be.

The frags are dying slowly or really fast ? (STN or RTN)?

 

[Moonfroz]

Dont know the difference between STN and RTN ?

 

[Moonfroz]

But it takes fews day before they die.

Could you give more information regarding solid carbon? Is they a difference with liquid carbon such as vinegar or volka?

 

[CeeGee]

Dont know the difference between STN and RTN ?

S= Slow
R= Rapid

 

[roberto_lopes]

But it takes fews day before they die.

Could you give more information regarding solid carbon? Is they a difference with liquid carbon such as vinegar or volka?

Biopellets are carbon. Solid carbon but a lot more pure than vodka or vinager.

Carbon + High ALK = STN/RTN


The lights can increase the problem too. What is yours ?

 

[Moonfroz]

Atlantik V2 from Orphek and they are pretty strong

 

[Moonfroz]

So, i must stop my bio-pellets reactor asap!!!

 

[Moonfroz]

Is it because I have 0 ppm of nitrate or just before of bio-pellets itself

 

[CeeGee]

So, i must stop my bio-pellets reactor asap!!!

Perhaps,

or just allow your all to drop to around 8 dkh and then stabilize and continue running the biopellets.

 

[Moonfroz]

The problem is my salt. I am using Red Sea Pro and the alk is very high around 11 dkh if I remember correctly. So every time, i will have a water change, I will have an Alk spike which is bad!!!! No?

Was it the nitrate and PO4 level with high Alk?

Do you still have nice SPS grow with alk to 7.5-8.0 dKH

 

[Reefer54]

alk shifts due to dosing or chasing ph (commonly) are very likely culprits. If they are starting to RTN from the bottom up, it is water chemistry. If it were your lights, they would typically start RTN from the top down.

lowering your alk below 8.5 as suggested above is also a commonly accepted belief when it comes to bio pellets and alk. There are even a number of good reads if you search bio pellets or alk\bio pellets....funny, none of them really point to WHY this happens, just that it does happen when alk goes above 8-8.5. maybe somebody here can enlighten that WHY...

good luck...sorry for the troubles, it is frustrating.

 

[jdamon]

I use the Red Sea regular salt as the Alk, Cal, and Mag are at levels closer to NSW. The alk is btw 7-8 depending what salinity you mix to. That would help you tremendously when you do water changes. Good luck!

 

[Moonfroz]

I use the Red Sea regular salt as the Alk, Cal, and Mag are at levels closer to NSW. The alk is btw 7-8 depending what salinity you mix to. That would help you tremendously when you do water changes. Good luck!

I am targetting 1.025, is it correct?

 

[jdamon]

The alk will be about 7.6 at a salinity of 1.025 for Red Sea regular salt. If you go to their website, they have the full chart. A lot of folks use regular instant ocean also, as the alk is closer to 7-8 than the reef crystals.

 

[Ryecoon]

once RTN/STN start forming can you recover them or is it done deal?

 

[catman78]

once RTN/STN start forming can you recover them or is it done deal?

From the the pics you posted, I don't think they will recover.
Give it a month to get params stable, then add a couple of frags. See if you can get some that are are already entrusted.

 

[ahmed_iAM]

Sorry to butt in here but could this not be acro eating flatworms? Im not an expert but how would you know if it is it isn't from a naked eye test?

 

[Moonfroz]

It's not flatworm. No bite, no eggs and no flatworms visible under magnificant glass

 

[greenhead]

Had this same thing happen to me. Tried carbon dosing at a dkh of 10. It somehow supercharged the bacteria and strip your system. With those type of water changes you should not be getting a whole lot of skimmate but I bet you are getting quite a bit eh? This is what happened to me. It made the water so clean my sps just started dropping like flies. I couldn't even grow algae. That's one indicator. If you can grow any type of algae at all then most likely the coral can not grow zooxanthele. Cut the bio pellets and go get a big bottle of Microbe Lift special blend. This is what finally gave my system the shot in the arm it needed. I think it replaces the bacteria that gets killed off when you carbon dose at a high dkh. Somehow super charging one bacteria kills another one causing an imbalance and thus what you are dealing with now.