SPS tank, softies dying

[boobookitty]

I've run reef tanks for 20 years or so, and like a lot of people I started with softies, then moved to LPS, then became obsessed with SPS. I currently have a 400G set up 3 years ago with a wide variety of SPS that are (finally) doing well, and I've wanted to add a couple of softies for old time's sake.

So I added a green finger leather, and a toadstool. Neither is doing well; both are essentially melting away. Then it occurred to me that I used to have a thriving pulsing xenia population that has really faded as well.

Tank parameters are in line (listed below; I'm fanatical about them), I don't have any softie-eating fish (that I know of) and like I said, the SPS are thriving. Any ideas why I can't for the life of me keep softies alive? The only real issue I have is keeping pH up: I struggle a bit to keep it 7.75-8.0 despite CO2 scrubbers, extra aeration of CA reactor effluent, etc., and for a while it was dropping to the 7.60-7.65 range and causing issues with the SPS. That has been rectified for about 6 months now.

Salinity: 1.024-1.025
Temp: 78.5-79 (chiller and heater)
pH: 7.7-8.0
Alk: 8.5 dkh
CA: 450
MG: 1350
Nitrates: 1-2
Phosphate: 0.03-0.08

icp test showed no heavy metals or any other problem conditions.

Any help would be appreciated...

 

[mcgyvr]

When did you add them?...

Parameters are fine as you know.
Often we never know the reason for these situations...
One may suggest they need higher nutrient levels to be happier

 

[boobookitty]

About a month ago. Literally have melted slowly down to stumps. I know they like “dirtier” water, but figured having nitrates at 1-2 and a little phosphate was good enough. Just kinda sad to see them wither.

 

[Anemone]

One may suggest they need higher nutrient levels to be happier

That's what I was going to go with...

Kevin

 

[boobookitty]

But would nitrates at 1-2 and phosphates at 0.03-0.08 make them actually melt away and die? In my old 240 I had softies, and nitrates and phosphates were undetectable (I used zeovit on the old tank).

 

[otimer]

Many local refers say that softies in ulns are not better than those in a high nutrient tank having no3 5~10ppm, but they graw and are healthy.
Those in my lns tank are doing well.
The parameters are almost same as yours.

 

[mattgumaer]

I think it can be hard to run a really nice 'mixed reef' where difficult sps, softies and LPS all thrive. I have a 180 mixed reef and it always seems like some things are doing better than others. More light, more flow, relatively low (not zero) nutrients and sps do well so long I keep track of my two part dosing so I don't end up with a calc/alk deficiency. Turn down the flow and light, allow the nutrients to increase and my LPS and softies seem happier. My guess is that if you turned down your lights and flow and let nutrients come up, you'd find your softies are happier (but, possibly at the expense of your more delicate sps).

Matt

 

[Uncle99]

I run those same parameters and have no problems.
Softies, or at least mine, hate high Alk but your Alk is fine.