Stumped... Need some advice

BC1906

New member
So I've been having some issues with my corals lately and I can't seem to figure out why.

Here's the rundown. I set up my 180g tank about a year and a half ago. I transfered all of my corals from my smaller tank into the 180. Everything was doing great and growing healthy. About a year ago I switched from my 165w black boxes to 3 Radion 15xr pro. Around this time my acans started to melt and my sps started to bleach. From there my torches, frogspawns, hammers, plate corals, sps, and my other corals just started to melt and bleach. I only had my Radions at 40% on ab+ template 12" above the water.

Now around this time we also got hit by hurricane Irma and lost power for 9 days. I borrowed power from my neighbor during this time to keep the return pump going and I was able to have someone hold most of my corals and fish and they seemed to be fine when I brought them back. It's hard to tell if it was my Radions (too much intensity/ not enough) causing an issue or if the transfer and power outage stressed them too much but I lost most of my stuff a couple of months after Irma.

The odd thing is that I lost all of my corals except for my zoas, BTAs, toadstool, and rock nems. Everything else went downhill.

Since I couldn't figure it out I sent in an ICP test and nothing came back that was alarming that would cause I crash like this.

I didn't buy any new corals for a few months to let my tank settle and hopefully correct itself. About a month or so ago my lfs gave me a single hammer head to try out and see what happens. Today it seems to be doing the same as my other corals did. It's not as full and open as when I first got it and seems to be slowly melting. Ive tried different locations in the tank with different lighting and flow and it just doesn't seem to be doing well.

As of Saturday these were my parameters:

Temp: 78
SG: 1.025
Ph: 7.8
No3: 10ppm (salifert)
Po4: .12 (Hanna ulr)
Alk: 9.5 (Hanna)
Cal: 400 (red sea)
Using Red Sea blue bucket

Equipment:
3 Radion 15xr pro
RO Regal 200sss skimmer
Trigger 39 sump
2 PP15 powerheads
Apex
Dosing esv 2 part and nopox via BRS dosers

I've included some pictures of my ICP test.

I'm really hoping someone can help me figure this out because I don't really know what else to try and do.
 

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I usually use the attach pics once I have a reply started. You just have to make sure it's the right size file, or resize it. What's your magnesium at? I wouldn't stop dosing or do any changes until we figure out the source of the problem.
 
I'd post pics of my tank if this site would let me. Most of the pics I try to upload it gives me an error.

They're probably too big, I personally started an imgur acct that allows me to upload any size photo and then just embed it to a thread. fairly simple and also prevents readers from having to click on a thumbnail to view the pictures.
 
His mag is 1302 from ICP. Those tank parms are more lagoon-ish. lower flow, high light, more nutrients. can't imagine with good ICP numbers the LPS are fading.
 
I would lower your phosphate from .12 to .02.
You need to lower Alk to 8-8.5 because you are carbon dosing.
 
Thanks I'll try to post some pics tomorrow when the lights are on.

I could see my sps not thriving with those kind of nutrients but the way my LPS just melted away is puzzling. I don't have a par meter but I couldn't imagine it was too much light at 40% at 12" off the water.

I'm working on getting no3 and po4 down. I do overfeed and trying to cut back. I was also thinking of bringing my alk down so I'll try that over the next couple weeks.
 
Thanks I'll try to post some pics tomorrow when the lights are on.

I could see my sps not thriving with those kind of nutrients but the way my LPS just melted away is puzzling. I don't have a par meter but I couldn't imagine it was too much light at 40% at 12" off the water.

I'm working on getting no3 and po4 down. I do overfeed and trying to cut back. I was also thinking of bringing my alk down so I'll try that over the next couple weeks.

I have been keeping LPS under extremely bright lighting for 20 years. Right now I have them under four LX7s peaking at 100% on high energy option on a 72 inch tank, and every single one of my gonos, frogspan, and torches are thriving. I do not think you can have too bright lighting on LPS. Too much flow yes, too few nutrients yes, but lighting no.
 
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