Sps growth reducing

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pascal32

New member
My tank is doing great, levels are fantastic, and things look good.

It does seem that my sps growth has been slowing.

I run carbon and gfo pretty heavy. Po4 is reading 0 on the Hanna checker regular range.

Is there anything should be checking for? Any chance I need to introduce nutrients? Any thoughts?

Ph 7.9-8.1
Kh 10-10.5
Ca 410
Mg 1350
Po4 0.0
"ates" all 0
 
Hm. I would say adequate light and flow are the most important things for sps growth, assuming the water parameters are good. We'll have to see what the more experienced reefers will have to say.
 
I don't doubt that I could improve on lighting, thing is that this has been working, so why the slow change?
 
I have t5s too. When my bulbs started to go bad, I noticed slower growth and red algae build up. The new bulbs immediately turned the situation around. High flow is also critical for most sps. Have you changed the flow pattern?
 
My guess is instability. Just because parameters are spot on now doesn't mean they have been. I mean, it may not be the case. How often do you check everything? What has your temp been doing with all this crazy weather? Any envrionmental issues? New central air? Construction? Multiple new additions???? Just spit-balling.

Could be anything Pasquale, and you may not get an answer. Key is to ride it out. Look for big issues, otherwise, keep up with your routine and it'll pick back up. IME, when you go chasing issues, you usually create more.
 
I have to agree with Mark. I have seen a few ppl with amazing sps tanks that keep their parameters at less than ideal levels but do that consistantly.
 
I believe the tank to be pretty stable. Dosing system spreads BRS 2 part over 8 doses. Ato checks in every 5 minutes (I need to chamge this as it is killing my di cartridges). Temp fluctuates a couple degrees. Generally it is 79.5 - 81. I did hit over 82 one day as the ac was off. I'll pull graphs tomorrow and check.

P04 is reading 0 with the regular range checker, I don't have an ultra low range. This tester is geared at higher ranges. So I am likely not at 0, though it is surely low.

General sps like the penope birdsnest, tri color Bali, hull acro, even the digi appear to have slowed. The all look good and are growing, just doesn't seem as stellar as before.
 
If the polyps are nice, especially out of the radial corralites at night, and the colour is improving and/or perky you might be surprised ; sometimes I think things aren't changing so much than I look at a few month old picture and am a little amazed. How much water flow do you have, and what kind of coralline algae growth are you getting; they are one of the top reef builders, and I think a very good indication of a tanks overall happiness?
 
mr.maroonsalty said:
If the polyps are nice, especially out of the radial corralites at night, and the colour is improving and/or perky you might be surprised ; sometimes I think things aren't changing so much than I look at a few month old picture and am a little amazed. How much water flow do you have, and what kind of coralline algae growth are you getting; they are one of the top reef builders, and I think a very good indication of a tanks overall happiness?
Click to expand...

radial corralites - is that the experienced reefers term for polyps :)? Polyp extension has been great. Even the fire coral which (IME) has been more fussy than some of the others.

Coraline growth has been good except for the branching liverock.

maybe it is just me staring too much now that the tank is running and self-sustaining. all I do is water tests every couple days and the usual maintenance.

I should have mentioned that the Dinoflaggeteles battle is still going on. I did a 3 day blackout a week ago and another one is in effect right now. last one took out the majority of the growth, corals colored back up the week following, hopefully this will take them out completely. with this water changes have been minimized.

I tried no water changes at all as a means of attacking the dinos, however in the last 30 days I changed about 15-20 gallons. most of which last week with vacuuming the sandbed for the dinos.
 
Maybe this fight with the Dino's is slowing down the growth of your SPS. You are getting rid of lighting for a few days at a time then starting back up with just lower lighting before turning the sun on the tank. I think just the battle right now with the Dino's will cause a bit of difference in your SPS, i.e. Slow Growth, Loosing Color.
 
Gary Majchrzak said:
your coral's zooxanthellae were affected by the blackouts. This could explain a slowing of coral growth.
Click to expand...

How long does the recovery take?

Maybe this fight with the Dino's is slowing down the growth of your SPS. You are getting rid of lighting for a few days at a time then starting back up with just lower lighting before turning the sun on the tank. I think just the battle right now with the Dino's will cause a bit of difference in your SPS, i.e. Slow Growth, Loosing Color.
Click to expand...

I noticed it before, though i'm sure this isn't helping. I do believe the zoas are being growth limited by the Dino's. I've seen next to no growth on Zoas in the last 2-3 months.
 
I just checked my bulbs and 4 of the 8 are at 9 months. Man that snuck up on me! I'll be ordering some new bulbs shortly - then in they go, once at a time 2 days apart :)
 
Blurry said:
How long does the recovery take?
Click to expand...
can vary. As soon as your corals started coloring back up zooxanthallae were recovering. Zooxanthallae are dinoflagelletes that can provide a coral with up to 90% of it's food requirements. It sounds like you have a low nutrient reef aquarium and your corals are heavily relying on light (through zooxanthallae) for fuel.


Blurry said:
I do believe the zoas are being growth limited by the Dino's. I've seen next to no growth on Zoas in the last 2-3 months.
Click to expand...
feed 'em ;)
 
I've been suspecting low nutrient. Should I be looking to dose nutrients?

What do you feed zoos? Phyto or cyclopese?
 
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