Scott07
New member
I'd like to think I've come a long way from my early attempts at keeping SPS. I monitor alk daily, keep my nutrients low, and do weekly water changes religiously. But for the past several months (not sure precisely how long) I've been dealing with STN on some of my SPS. I'll post parameters below since I know that'll be everyone's first question. Recent changes include a new replacement mp10 wet side. I replaced this several months ago and if memory serves me a few weeks or maybe a month before the stn started. Normally i would never suspect this except that there was a pea sized gob of lubricant on the new propeller shaft that killed my skimmer for a week or so. I also recently switched from black diamond marineland carbon to aquafx small pellets that appear similar to brs rox. I run this and a small amount of gfo in a media bag in my sump continuously. I switched carbon after the stn had started however. I've also been adding small amounts of dry, washed sand over the last few water changes, but again long after i first started seeing stn.
The STN I'm seeing is selective. Some sps are affected and having tissue receed from the base. Others are growing, and my alk/ calcium consumption is actually on par with what it was before the stn started. Smooth skinned acros were affected first, but now a small frag of ora borealis which was encrusting onto the rock is affected as well. Other branching acros; a tri color, a rainbow stylo colony, two types of birdsnest, etc are growing.
I'm thinking about discontinuing gfo, but I'm not sure what else to try. Any help or direction is greatly appreciated! I'll try to answer questions as quickly as i can.
Parameters (65 gallon display plus sump):
-Alk: 8.3dkh (salifert)(drifts between 8.1 and 8.3 or so throughout the week)
-Calcium: 440ppm (red sea)
-Mg: 1300 (red sea)
-Nitrate: 0 (api)
-Phosphate: 0.00 (hanna phosphate, NOT ulr checker). My phosphate can't be zero as I have to clean a good bit of dust algae off my glass daily, but my cheato does not grow much either).
-Salinity: 1.025 (refractometer calibrated each use with solution)
The STN I'm seeing is selective. Some sps are affected and having tissue receed from the base. Others are growing, and my alk/ calcium consumption is actually on par with what it was before the stn started. Smooth skinned acros were affected first, but now a small frag of ora borealis which was encrusting onto the rock is affected as well. Other branching acros; a tri color, a rainbow stylo colony, two types of birdsnest, etc are growing.
I'm thinking about discontinuing gfo, but I'm not sure what else to try. Any help or direction is greatly appreciated! I'll try to answer questions as quickly as i can.
Parameters (65 gallon display plus sump):
-Alk: 8.3dkh (salifert)(drifts between 8.1 and 8.3 or so throughout the week)
-Calcium: 440ppm (red sea)
-Mg: 1300 (red sea)
-Nitrate: 0 (api)
-Phosphate: 0.00 (hanna phosphate, NOT ulr checker). My phosphate can't be zero as I have to clean a good bit of dust algae off my glass daily, but my cheato does not grow much either).
-Salinity: 1.025 (refractometer calibrated each use with solution)