sps problems

[Authentic]

I was successful with SPS for about a year and a half. I made a couple of changes to my system adding a second tank and an automatic water change system. Since then I have been having trouble keeping SPS alive. I recently purchased a few frags as a test, both acropora and birds nests. Within a few days I started to get receiving from the bottom and eventually they died off. My water parameters are excellent, pH 8.3, calcium 450, alkalinity stable at around 9.0. I check my phosphates with a hannah checker and recently saw .04 the only thing that I can think of is that my tank temperature fluctuates between 76.5 and 80° because we keep the house very cold at night. Could this fluctuation cause the problem. I am heating the tank with a cobalt heater in my sump rated for 100 gallons but the heater is only half submerged due to the level of water in my sump necessary to run my reef octopus which is approximately 6 inches. I am thinking that when I added the second tank heater may not be able to keep up with keeping the tank stable. Any thoughts appreciated

 

[jda]

What is your salinity - are you sure that it is right?

What are the nitrates? P of .04 can be pretty high for SPS... but not always since the standard error of the test kit could put it at .01 to .10, or so.

Did you change lights or anything?

Why not drop another heater in the tank... just in a tank if the sump is not big enough.

 

[Authentic]

salinity 1.025 with a digital refractometer,the real Q is whether a temp swing would kill sps off.i have a few pieces which are surviving.

 

[lynchmob3000]

I would look at one of your tests being wrong. ca 450 is a little high for my liking. ive seen 470 make sps do that. i would first have a lfs confirm your tests.

 

[lynchmob3000]

i wouldnt worry about temp too much and sps. unless you have tangs then i wouldnt get into the 76 range thats for sure

 

[ThorEffex]

I wouldn't think that temp swing would cause the issue. You use rodi in the ATO? You have a tds meter on it? How do you add your alkalinity? Through a doesing pump, reactor, manual bailing, kalk or water changes?

 

[Authentic]

Rodi and a TDS reading 0.00,alkalinity added with brs dosing pumps.thinking it may be my calcium , have others found problems with calcium levels off the charts? When I lost most of my sps awhile back my calcium was over 500

 

[OrionN]

The chemistry that you posted are fine. Temp are not. I would look closely in to temp. Heater does not work 1/2 submerged. I looked a bit into the cobalt heater. The tempt sensor are on top of the heater thus no submerged and does not read temp accurately. Do you have other thermometer so that you know exactly what your temp is at? I keep my tank with very little variation in temp. Peak temp with full light on for my tank is 81 degree which is about where I like to keep my tank, so I set the temp controller to keep the tank at 81 degree at night.

I would recommend that you get a Temp controller with sensor remote from the heater element. I use a Finnex HC 0810 and happy with this. It is a digital controller, and able to keep my tank spot on at 81 degree.

IMO, this is your problem. Partially summered heater does not work so what your temp is is anybody's guess. I get one of the heater that can me lay horizontal to get it fully submerged.

 

[OrionN]

cobalt heater from what I read only go up to 200 watts which is rated only for about 55 gal tank. Are you sure your's is rated to 100 gal tank or 100 watts?

 

[Nanighan]

I wouldn't worry about temp if its really 76 deg. My tank is sitting at 77 and during winter months can go to as low as 75 for periods at a time. Maybe try a lower alk. Make sure test kits accurate or try a different brand.

 

[OrionN]

I think the swing of temp can be a problem. I now a lot of perple keep temp of the tank low, coral will grow slower but if the temp swing from 70-80 every day, it can be a problem.
In the wild, teps is constant with seasonal swing only, not daily swing