SPS Gurus - help me out please

[jimrawr]

I am not a newbie to reefkeeping, but right now I feel like a total noob. I have had this tank now for 3 years I think, and I still cannot grow out my SPS. I have lost a LOT of frags. I had a tank previous to this one which was my first tank, and a nano, and it was far more successful with SPS than this tank has been for me. On my previous tank I never even dosed anything!! Usually with my frags, they will do well for awhile, grow nicely have good color, and then after some time (3-4months) they will lose their PE, lose color, and slowly die. I will post everything about my system that I can, I am really hoping to get some insight here as to what could be my problem.

Tank: 92g corner, w/20g sump
Lighting: ATI 6x24w T5 - 4 ATI Blue+, 1 6500k midday, 1 actinic plus - Lights are all on for 8 hours a day
Flow: Two Mp10's and TWO Koralia 4's.
Filtering: SWC 180 Cone Skimmer - Small Fuge with Macro - Algae Turf Scrubber - Carbon Dosing.
Dosing: Dosing is done via a Bubble Magus Dosing Pump. I dose Randys two part 24 times per day, every hour. I think right now I am dosing around 110ml of each part split up between each dose. I also dose Pohl Xtra Special (aminos), and lately I have been dosing some Oyster Feast thinking that maybe my corals are starving. I am not sure about that though, wouldnt I still have PE if corals are starving? I have zero PE right now.
Water:Only use RODI water with 0 tds, dont do many water changes.
Temp/SG: My temp stays between 78-78.5 controller with an Apex. SG stays at 1.024 with a tunze osmolator for top offs.

Now here is a picture of all my testing done for the last month. I keep track of it on a piece of paper. As you can see my parameters are pretty stable. The only jump you see in CA is when I started to use a new testkit (old kit was elos and new kit is elos, but I think they arent testing the same). Other than that things are pretty stable I think. Some of the SPS you see in the pictures have been in my tank for two years. They arent dead but they certainly arent doing well or growing. Also I am having problem with some LPS as well, so its not just SPS. Some LPS are doing just fine, where ALL my sps are doing crappy.

Fish7 total) 1 Yellow Tang, 1 Black&White Clown, 1 Red Margin Wrasse, 2 Blue Chromis, 1 Anthia, 1 Flame Angel.

 

[stevedola]

mag?
looks low to me.

also bouncing the calc up and down like that is from what? water changes?

 

[MammothReefer]

I'm no guru but I would say get that mag to 1350 montis will be one of the first to show issues with low mag

 

[dzhuo]

I have had this tank now for 3 years I think, and I still cannot grow out my SPS.

The rocks look brand new and nothing like from a 3 years old tank. Are the rocks new? Or you really can't grow any algae on the rocks in 3 years?

Do you have any corals besides SPS? If so, are they doing alright?

 

[Brent6b]

It's hard to tell in the pic but Im either not seeing coralline algae or it's pretty monotone colored, either way if your coralline is not coloring up and growing well that is the best visual indicator of either missing something or too much of something. Almost looks like a system with too much phosphate remover or lack of minor elements.
Aside from that it looks good I like the rock work!

 

[jimrawr]

Rock has been in the system since this summer, so its not new. I get coraline growth but not a whole lot of it. When it grows on the glass I scrape it off, but my powerheads are pretty covered in coraline, but my rocks are not.

As far as CA goes, it always within 20-30ppm except for when I got the new test kit and it jumped. I dont think there was an actual jump in CA, just difference between the two kits.

I have LPS, and they are mostly doing ok except for one brain thats dying right now, and a couple scolys with open mouth for a month or so but they look healthy other than their mouths being open. Acans look great, one favia looks great another favia looks crappy.

edit: Just tested CA with an older salifter kit which is reading 400, elos reads 500. Gonna get a third opinion when I can, but either way those numbers should be fine whether its 400 or 500 so long as its stable there, no?

 

[stevedola]

when you dose, do you dose equal parts of each?

you say carbon dosing...what do you mean by that... zeo? or biopellets? or vodka?

whens the last time you replaced youre RODI filters? carbon/sediment/DI?

Have you thought about taking the carbon off line?

YOu said you dont do many water changes...why>?
why do your levels seem to fluxuate with a doser? are your reservoirs small ? I set my magnus doser and the level is rock solid with in 10-20 ppm. why are yours ranging from 530-420ppm?

Mag should never drop below 1300...I keep my mag at 1400-1425ppm.

----------->sorry for the sporatic thoughts but im troubleshooting as things come in my mind.

 

[jimrawr]

Here is a FTS taken with my cell..

 

[ReefBum]

Have you checked for red bugs or AEFW? You may want to consider adding more fish, feeding the tank more (fish poop is good) and doing larger water changes. Tanks seems almost too clean so more nutrients should help with SPS colors and growth.

 

[dzhuo]

I also dose Pohl Xtra Special (aminos), and lately I have been dosing some Oyster Feast thinking that maybe my corals are starving.

I have never been a fan of adding coral foods especially not knowing there is any definite need for them. If I were you, I would stop.

Can you quantify how much you feed?

 

[stevedola]

honestly if it were me, I would stop the carbon and raise the mag. see if that helps. also, do a water change- 20 gallons of well mixed h20 with matched levels...not for nutrient removal but to see if it helps. See if your corals respond to the increase of trace nutrients. and maybe add a fish or 2...go see Jeremy at CRA

 

[Chris Lakies]

Hows the polyp extension? Possible nipping by the flame angel?

 

[stevedola]

BTW- do the acros encrust?

 

[jimrawr]

The acros do encrust, but slowly stop afterwards and just stay stagnant. Polyp extension is almost non-existant, but not due to the angel. The angel was just added a couple days ago and this has been an on going issue.

I feed AA's because I think the water is too sterile and some of the paling of the corals is because of that, but I am not sure. I just started to feed AA's about 3-4 weeks ago, and the Oyster Feast was picked up with the angel a few days ago. So my main concern about the SPS has been going on before feeding AA & Oyster Feast. I started those two in hopes of maybe finding my problem

 

[dzhuo]

I am guessing your phosphate reading is misleading in the sense that it's not due to over feeding but because the tank has no algae or corals to uptake the nutrient. The tank looks literally just set up 2 weeks ago.

Even a 6 months old tank (whatever reason you replaced your old rock) should have a bit of algae growing by now. That would be my first guess as where the problem might be. Can you quantify how much you feed?

 

[120reefermadnes]

How old are your bulbs?

 

[chefzif]

small frags do not have a great chance to live if getting nipped by angles! I would remove all angles and non reef safe fish#1 and #2 check on pests and #3 keeping parameters in check with no swings! Good Luck! This is what I would do if it were my system!Chef!

 

[jimrawr]

I am guessing your phosphate reading is misleading in the sense that it's not due to over feeding but because the tank has no algae or corals to uptake the nutrient. The tank looks literally just set up 2 weeks ago.

Even a 6 months old tank (whatever reason you replaced your old rock) should have a bit of algae growing by now. That would be my first guess as where the problem might be. Can you quantify how much you feed?

I replaced my old rock due to a bad GHA outbreak that I couldnt get rid of so I did a rock swap. I still have a bit of GHA but not noticeable and its mostly in wierd locations that I cant reach. Keep in mind I clean the back wall and front glass all the time.

I feed about 1 cube per day, then a couple pinches of flake, and then about a 2x2 piece of nori for the tang. Not all at the same time, but thats one day of feeding.

 

[jimrawr]

How old are your bulbs?

Only 4 months old.

small frags do not have a great chance to live if getting nipped by angles! I would remove all angles and non reef safe fish#1 and #2 check on pests and #3 keeping parameters in check with no swings! Good Luck! This is what I would do if it were my system!Chef!

The angel is new, havent had him even a week yet and this problem is years old. I dont think its pests, I have had red bugs before and can spot them easily now. I dont see bite marks to be AEFW, plus I have acros for a few years now not dying but not growing either..

 

[wankelrx]

I had a similar problem in my 75 gallon. I'm running 6 ATI bulbs, SWC 160 skimmer, biopellets, 6 fish.
I finally have color back with good growth. Here is what I did.

Add more fish 9 total (includes 5 anthias).
Stopped biopellets (I would suggest stop carbon dosing for awhile).
Stop all supplement dosing.
Get all parmameters inline (bump mag up and maybe SG up a tad).
Keep everything stable (looks like you are doing good there)
Feed lots. Start with 1ml oyster feast a day and increase each week until 3 ml and hold there. Feed fish at least 2X a day and feed some frozen some if your not already.
Cut photoperiod down to about 5 hours all bulbs, 8 or 9 hour actinic only.
Change 10% water weekly.


Just make sure you don't increase feeding too fast and stay consistent.

Sit back and be patient, it will probably take at least a month or two before growth starts kicking in.

I think it took about 2 weeks before I started see more color. Some corals went through a shade of brown then I started seeing green shimmer before changing to the normal color. Some corals are just now getting polyp extension back after 3 months so the recovery time varies alot from coral to coral.

I restarted my biopellets after about 3 weeks. I just adjust feeding now depending how light or dark the corals are.

One thing I did that I think really helped was to buy a couple nice mini colonies with dark rich color. After I put them in the tank I used their color as a guide for feeding. If I saw the tip start to lighten I feed alittle more or if I see hints of brown feed alittle less. So far, it's been working well for me.

Hope this helps...good luck.