Struggling with SPS -- anybody help diagnose?

[ps2cho]

Tank is 6 months old started in January.

1.025
pH 8.1-8.2
0 nitrate
0 phosphate
420 ca
9.0 dkH
1290 mg
79F
Lighting: Reefbreeders Value LED
60x turnover in display with 2 WP-25's.

I run a little vinegar in the ATO with my kalkwasser. I also run GFO and activated carbon. Algae just won't disappear...

My SPS are not happy. Polyps are closed, everything looks unhappy. I have practically zero corraline algae growth in 6 months. The ONLY frag that seems to have grown is the green one on the flat plug on the left. But even that hasn't grown much. Maybe 1" plate encrusted around in 6 months.

Anybody help diagnose what is going on?

 

[markalot]

Did you test your water just after a water change? Have you tested KH to see what your daily usage is? Are the SPS browning out, or are they a lighter pale color? Common mistakes I see, and I have made ...

1. Too much light and not enough food in the water
2. Not enough flow
3. Unstable KH assuming water changes will be enough

 

[Aquattro]

What is your water change schedule? IMO, you don't have enough coral mass to worry about using kalk yet.
Where did the rock come from? If you have algae, you have nutrients, regardless of whether the test kit shows it.
Some people report this type of SPS issue with some LED. Just stuff I've read, not sure why this is.

Your flow shouldn't be an issue, I'd suspect light and/or nutrient levels. Alk at 9 is fine as long as you're reasonably stable.

You could try removing the GFO for a while, see if that improves anything.

 

[ps2cho]

I am using about 0.8dkh per day that is why I am using kalk.

I do 15% water changes weekly.

All the rock minus one piece was dry from reefcleaners the other piece was in my old tank and it's about 1yr old
No hitchhikers. I QT everythibg.

My red planet is a green color at the base so not sure if it's really too much light? Although the other corals are pale so maybe it is too much I don't know...

 

[markalot]

Nitrates and phosphates are not the nutrients I'm talking about. Start feeding the corals, I like reef roids, and perhaps stop vinegar and go for a while and see if coral health improves. Really, in short, try to brown out the corals and see what happens, you might be surprised. Phosphate reducing media has killed more corals than high phosphates ever will.

With a newer tank you will have to deal with algae outbreaks, no doubt.

 

[ps2cho]

I stopped the GFO. I probably shouldn't stop GFO and vinegar at the same time, so I stopped the GFO and will taper off the vinegar over the next week. It sucks losing some of the SPS, but I figured it was an inherent part of the learning curve.

Thinking about it though, by feeding the tank aren't I effectively adding more nutrients for the algae to feed on?

Should I try and do any manual removal of the red carpet algae at all or just let it be?

 

[PaleHorse]

no!! suck that stuff out. and with a better CUC your rocks will be good. do you have another tank to put your live stock in?

 

[ps2cho]

What CUC do you recommend? Most of the original cuc has perished by now.
I just had the reefcleaners cuc.

 

[GatorAlum05]

1. Remove activated carbon. (you're stripping/over polishing the water of a new tank)
2. Remove GFO. (you need some phosphates in your water, contrary to popular believe)
3. Stop vinegar dosing. (your tank is still young; your SPS loves nutrients; also the red carpet of algae is cyano; most likely due to carbon dosing)
4. continue being patience because it'll take a tank at least a year to find the "spot" where everything just grows like wildfire.
5. you can skip a few water changes

 

[ps2cho]

Basically go back to the basics.

Monthly water changes?

Shall I keep doing kalk in the ATO to keep the alk and ca up?

 

[PaleHorse]

Start over brother or your going to hate this hobby. If your CUC dies that dosent mean you just dont have any.

If you cant start over gator has good points. I honestly think you need to look at your flow also. Just look at the middle of the tank. I dont belive any tank is to young but i think your over doing it.

Get 2 wp10's
Get more CUC (not big snails) Dwarf Cerith's are the best from looking at your tank.

 

[GatorAlum05]

the basics will keep you sane. Kalk in your ATO isn't a big deal. It'll help balance your pH.

monthly water changes. your tank needs nutrients. as you add more fish and the bioload becomes too much for your filtration to handle that's when I'll start vinegar/vodka/biopellet dosing. As far as GFO goes, you don't need it unless your rocks are leeching like the dickens. Heck, I rather put in a refugium with 24/7 light period than to use GFO. You want cleaner water? Use UV at the max water flow allows. Activated carbon will over polish your water.

FYI, the browning I see on your live rocks tells me you still have new tank syndrome. No need to start over. Be patience and happy reefing. =)

 

[ps2cho]

Yeh I'm not starting over...There isn't trash in my sand or anything I just need to get back on track.

Do you think I should keep blowing off the diatoms with a turkey baster or let them run their course?

 

[YoungREEFA]

what water do you use for water changes and top off? And can you test the TDS