Still stuck in a rut with SPS

adubson

adubson

New member
I've had a few previous threads documenting my struggle with SPS and unfortunately I'm here to update that I'm not seeing any improvement. It's been one year now since the tank dropped into a funk and it's never been the same.

Not too long ago it went into another period of false hope where SPS were staying alive. Never any growth or improvement during these times, just staying alive. Well once again the tank fell off a cliff and I've got a handful of bleached or dead/dying SPS.

I have alk and ca dialed in at ~8.0-8.5 and 440-460, respectively. Mag is 1350. I upgraded my light to a DIY LED/T5 hybrid about one month ago (potential latest problem could be here, but T5s are only on for 3 hours midday and LEDs only reach a max of 65% for a few hours).

I think the problem lies with nutrient import/export. This entire time I've had trouble gaining stability with nutrient export and zeovit and vinegar have both not been able to cut it in reducing nitrates. I added a small algae scrubber to my overflow into the sump to hopefully increase nutrient export. Well two weeks ago my nitrates were finally measuring their lowest value at 5 ppm. However the SPS were looking to be getting paler in color and less polyp extension (never had great PE on SPS). So I upped my coral feeding by adding acro power and some homemade coral food (pappone recipe).

Long story short, SPS still look like garbage, still have copious amounts of cyano, and my nitrates have skyrocketed back to 40 with the increased feelings.

Any advice? I know stability is key but this tank just doesn't seem to want to round the corner and settle in.
 
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Here's my Laker scroll that's survived all of this. It was what keyed me into wanted to feed more. Began really coloring up again and regaining lost tissue before polyps retracted very deeply and it got this overall concrete/dried out appearance.

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Here's my bonsai that also has been through this whole ordeal (only two SPS to survive!) and it started getting burnt tips this week. I think my alk got a little higher due to the loss of living corals taking up the 2 part. Alk stable at 8.17 now though.

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Here's a purple cap that I picked up from Labas not too long ago. Really didn't last long in my tank. Montis have been the worst hit it seems of all my SPS. Seem to immediately lose their color but then they'll grow with color at edges but the center will stay dead. I have a Tyree sunset that continues to try to come back but as it grows concentrically outwards the tissue seems to just bleach/die right behind it. I measure potassium and keep it above 400.

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Here's a green slimer which is still alive! And also the only acro that has had polyp extension in my tank! Behind it you can see a previously-thought dead rainbow monti frag. It continually looks like that where I think it's finally gone come back but no it's just red polyps emerging and never any re growth.

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This is the "faux red planet" as Labas called it when I picked it up from him. It lasted a decent length in my tank before the tips began to bleach and then the entire body. Now it's a constant effort to keep algae from growing on it in case it decides to rebound.


Well that's pretty much the summary of the crappiness of my SPS. So who's got the magic bullet fix for all of this?!
 
Another thing I forgot to mention... I think that my sand bed has been useless when it comes to this nutrient export problem. I consistently vacuum out some pretty gnarly brown water. However I've never really seen that full of life appearance to it that mature reefs seem to get. Maybe it needs to be seeded with some live sand?


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I can give you my 2 cents.
It took me along time to be able to keep sps long term. You do need to keep your water stable but small slow swings usually cause few issues.
I think nutrient export from a sand bed is important. A good clean up crew does wonders.
I've noticed the lower the nitrate and phosphate readings , the lower you need to keep your alk

The higher all slightly higher seems to work best. 9 ish
Also the nutrient ratio seems important range from 50-200 / 1
Nitrate to phosphate, mid range the best.
The right flow and spectrum/intensity of lighting for your corals. Some like one over the other.
I think a mature tank seems to help, maybe due to other natural forms of nutrient export. Sponges, diverse bacteria.
I went through the same issues until things balanced all out. I still go through occasional issues still.
Try not to make too many large changes at once, it makes it harder to see what helps hurts.
I think the nature of sps makes them more prone to challenge us as ree keepers .
Feel free to ask any other questions. I have probably tried or encountered most issues. HTH's

Todd
 
Do you have an ATO? It's the best for keeping salinity rock solid.

You didn't mention flow but it's super important -- more so than light IMO. I'd get a couple wave makers going real strong and random. The jebaos work well and are inexpensive.

Not a magic bullet but would probably help some, for both SPS and nutrients
 
Sparky312 said:
Do you have an ATO? It's the best for keeping salinity rock solid.

You didn't mention flow but it's super important -- more so than light IMO. I'd get a couple wave makers going real strong and random. The jebaos work well and are inexpensive.

Not a magic bullet but would probably help some, for both SPS and nutrients
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I believe I've got enough flow. Two RW-8s, one on Else mode and the other at 80% constant.
 
adubson said:
I believe I've got enough flow. Two RW-8s, one on Else mode and the other at 80% constant.
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On what size tank? Because i run 2 rw4s on 100% in my 30 and rw15,rw8 and hydor 1400 100% on my 93. With that said i dont think flow is whats causing this though

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It's a standard 75. Flows been tough to dial in, when trying to make LPS and SPS happy. I redid my aquascape on the tank a couple months ago to improve flow around the rocks and eliminate some dead spots.


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Did you mention your PO4 level?

Have you calibrated your refractometer?

I'd lay off stuff like acropower until you have no nitrates. I test zero or close to zero nitrates in my tank and don't have issues. Are you using a skimmer? Shoot for Zero nitrates and see what happens. Just feed heavy. I like the heavy in heavy out method for nutrients. Keeps the fish happy.

How are you keeping your alk steady? I think steady alk is the number one most important thing with sps. Fluctuation can surely cause RTN/STN.

Why are you only running your T5s for three hours? That's not nearly long enough.

RODI Water?

That's all I got.
 
adubson said:
It's a standard 75. Flows been tough to dial in, when trying to make LPS and SPS happy. I redid my aquascape on the tank a couple months ago to improve flow around the rocks and eliminate some dead spots.


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Click to expand...

I feel you, its tough with a mixed reef thats why I gave up on it lol

Your soft corals and LPS look really awesome tho
 
jrwoltman said:
Sorry to hear, Andrew. :(
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Hey Jim! It's okay, all the lps and softies are still thriving so not a total loss.

Sawdonkey said:
Did you mention your PO4 level?

Have you calibrated your refractometer?

I'd lay off stuff like acropower until you have no nitrates. I test zero or close to zero nitrates in my tank and don't have issues. Are you using a skimmer? Shoot for Zero nitrates and see what happens. Just feed heavy. I like the heavy in heavy out method for nutrients. Keeps the fish happy.

How are you keeping your alk steady? I think steady alk is the number one most important thing with sps. Fluctuation can surely cause RTN/STN.

Why are you only running your T5s for three hours? That's not nearly long enough.

RODI Water?

That's all I got.
Click to expand...

Yeah, calibrating the refractomer was something I checked off during this period. Bought some calibration fluid and the tank is at 1.026.

Probably a good idea on stopping the aminos. I only started them because the SPS were starting to look pale. Checked the nitrates and they were lower than they've been in a long time so I thought maybe the corals needed some more food. But now the nitrates are back!

I run a eshopps S120 cone skimmer that pulls out some pretty good gunk consistently.

Alk/Ca is buffered by a very small amount of kalk in the ATO, and then supplemented by a jebao dosing pump that doses homemade 2 part solutions.

The T5s are run during the high light period of the day when the LEDs have ramped up to their max of 65%. I started the new fixture by running the T5s for 6 hours of the midday cycle but some corals looked to be bleaching from this so I decreased the light cycle length. The LEDs have a ramp up and ramp down from 930am to 1030pm, with them being at max for 6 hours.

Sparky312 said:
I feel you, its tough with a mixed reef thats why I gave up on it lol

Your soft corals and LPS look really awesome tho
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Thanks! I keep telling myself to just give up the SPS and go with what's working, but I keep getting drawn back in! Can't I just grown one nice monti colony, is that too much to ask?!
 
Sounds like your on the same boat as me. I can't get sps to look good or grow. So freaking frustrating. I don't know what else I can do. Took bio pellets offline just waiting to see if there will be an improvement or not. To early to tell. Frags look amazing for 3 weeks then look like crap all of a sudden. Agh.
 
Could it be bugs??

I never saw any bugs on the sps before. However, after reading old threads online about problems similar to mine I saw one experience very similar that was due to bugs (white bugs, not the usual red bugs). So I decided to take a closer look at my struggling SPS and noticed this little guy.



I know it's kinda hard to make out, but I saw at least two little things that size that were mobile.

This guy is on my purple stylo, pretty much the only SPS piece that has done okay throughout this and continues to have polyp extension. Could all these SPS-specific problems be from a pest? And is there any reasonable way to eradicate them besides interceptor?
 
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