SPS Growth- Huge mistake

[ReefWreak]

Just reading this thread is making my head spin. Too much, too fast.

Just slow down. Fix one thing at a time. Running magnesium, alkalinity, calcium too low won't kill anything, but doing a bunch of things in a hurry to fix a perceived problem will.

Brown is usually caused by instability. Then parameter/nutrients altitude. Then pests. Then lighting intensity (too low). Then nutrients/elemental issues. But I would spend a month working on the first thing on this list. Then the second. Then the third. A month each. SLOWLY.

The best thing you can do when you identify a perceived problem is observe. Think it through. What caused it, what changed. Think about it for a while. If "nothing" then go back and start thinking through the basics again. It's usually something simple.

My tank has been doing fantastically since I set up automated 2 part dosers, dialed in the dosing regimen (testing every week), and just fed the fish normal amounts, cleaned the skimmer, and did proper 2 week water changes. Basic enough stuff. No chasing, no buying new crap, no reactions.

I'd slow down. It's free, and likely won't hurt anything.

 

[Tigerdragon]

Agreed with all stability is the key. Stable ca, kh, mg. try not to strip the tank of all nutrients a little no3 and po4 is good otherwise corals may starve. LEDs are very good at growing corals in my experience and too many people try to run them like t5's and leds (at 100% power) this is a mistake with leds. Quit trying to make changes to get growth and concentrate on getting params and tank stable then sit back and monitor it will surprise you

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Wow OP slow down man. Too many changes too fast in a sps tank is not good. As has been said slow changes and stability are key here. Just step back and test alk ca and mg every day for a week and see what is being used in your tank. Adjust any dosing and again make changes slowly. Going from for example a low alk of 6 and dosing to increase to 8 or 9 right away is a good way to make you sps mad and even kill them. As for a salt mix just pick one that you can get regularly and stick with it. I have used just about every salt mix out there and saw no real difference in coral color, growth or water chemistry, i still had to dose even with high quality reef salt. IO is cheap, easy to get and works. I have had more issues with the high quality reef salt than IO.

 

[nogascans]

Read over this thread and all have good advise. Go slow with one at a time changes.

I do want to throw a little personal experience on SPS browning. I was having an issue with the dreaded AEFW, and as a result I was doing dips every 5 days on all my SPS. I used Bayer for the first week dip, and all subsequent dips with Revive. I did this for 6 weeks. (Reason I didn't repeat the Bayer was I have found that it tends to "brown" SPS out if used on more than one occasion at max rate.)

In any case, towards the end of the dipping regiment, and while corals were still colored and had PE, I made the mistake of attempting to replace the lamps (ATI 6 bulb T-5HO due to age (11 months). About a week after I noticed all the SPS browning and little no PE, some recession of tissue. Also noted was I had "burned" the LPS and even Green Star Polyps had completely closed up. I thought at that point that I had raised the lamp enough but it was obviously not high enough. Fast forward 3 weeks and all SPS back up in color, good PE, and new growth. Even GSP making a comeback (damn!). Still having some issues with candy canes with tissue recession. I am not new to reefing, and I should not have done this 'boneheaded move", but sometimes when the "fin hits the shan" we over-react!

So in the case of the OP, the change in lighting (assuming it resulted in a drastic change) may along with all of the other changes (Alk swings?) may have contributed to the issue.

Sincerely,

David

 

[Acronut]

Thank you everybody. I am sure each of you already contributed to what I think are the principles of growing SPS. We learned a lot from you.
My SPS are much better now. Some are a bit slow to come back but some show quite new beautiful colours so I am very happy. I am using my iPad to reply and I don't know how to upload a picture here to reassure you and thank you for everything. Will meet you all in other people's threads then.

 

[mhucasey]

It looked like you had no test result because the value exceeded the titration range- not to worry though, you can test beyond 1500 by refilling the titration syringe and continuing. Use the endpoint number from the second syringe(for example, 150 in your case) and add it to 1500 for a result of 1650. Magnesium that high is not a concern in my experience, I regularly keep Mg above 1500

 

[Acronut]

Thank you everyone !!! Each of you certainly brought in some very important PRINCIPLES in growing SPS in a wise way !!! It helps to hear and learn fast from experts...not learning by killing boxes of SPS like me !!! Hahaha.
My SPS doing well now, please do not worry for me. I am trying to post here a few pics so you can see...

 

[Acronut]

Sorry, not working. Unable to upload pictures. Thank you everyone. I threw in a lot of mistakes and received a lot of advices. Late comers, don't do like me ! Be patient ( that's what I don't have hahaha ) and learn from TOP GUNS in here !!! Maybe we should stop here and learn more from other threads...See you all somewhere else. Thanks again.

 

[Acronut]

P.S. Thank you Mhucasey, yes !!! That was the case. I squirted the whole syringe of reagent in and nothing happened, so I thought my reagent is no good or I don't have any Mg. Yours was such a good and intelligent observation coincided with Sahin's. Sometimes when it's out of range, it makes me feel very stupid, don't know what to do !!! Thanks again.