Cannot keep SPS/LPS alive. Help please?

[MARK M. DAVIS]

I test alk and salinity daily. Due to consumption and I do a 1% auto water change and auto top off. The water change and top off are susceptible to failure.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I test alk and salinity daily. Due to consumption and I do a 1% auto water change and auto top off. The water change and top off are susceptible to failure.

A daily testing although does not hurt can be unnecessary and not to mention cost of reagents, etc. I wonder (just a wonder) if your Auto changes are giving you swings??? As a test, I would turn off auto changer for a week and see if numbers stabilize. While a great concept, can also create swings and changes beyond control.
As a second suggestion, Take a water sample to a Trusted LFS and have them test to see what readings They come up with and to compare with your test results. Basically a small insurance that you are getting accurate readings.

 

[MikeW9788]

I've read somewhere that distilled water can have copper in it due to being distilled through copper pipes, dont know if there is any truth to that and if it were true I'd think the inverts would be toast.

 

[SeaDweller]

I noticed you said you used distilled water, I would personally try to source RODI water. I know you said you have poor floor at your home but its probably better making the trip to the LFS to buy RODI than to use distilled.

Yeah, I’m surprised no one mentioned it up there a while ago. But theoretically distilled “should” be ok to use.

 

[ChrisQ0904]

Yeah, I’m surprised no one mentioned it up there a while ago. But theoretically distilled “should” be ok to use.

I know it should be ok, but that's was just the one thing that really stood out from the OPs post.

 

[Punchanello]

I think that maybe your lighting schedule is too short. Also, what bulb combination are you using?

I don't know if this is scientific fact but in my experience sudden death in SPS is usually a the result of longer series of multiple events. Low light over a long period of time, combined with a minor alk swing or other issue and suddenly you have RTN. In reality that coral may have been struggling for a long period and an event tipped it over the edge.

My cprals weren't doing well for a while and I was losing a few. I realised that I was only running my lights at full power 6 hrs a day. As soon as I ramped that up I started noticing improved health, colour, polyp extension. I have a 4 bulb ATI hybrid (4 LED clusters) I run it full power for 12 hours a day plus ramp up and ramp down time.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've read somewhere that distilled water can have copper in it due to being distilled through copper pipes, dont know if there is any truth to that and if it were true I'd think the inverts would be toast.

Distilled water is also made from steam and loses it ability to assist with buffering of PH

 

[lck]

In my opinion, for a 360L tank, 2x Tunze-6045-Pumps is way too low flow or not enough to generate the right kind of flow for hard corals, especially acropora!!

Tunze E-Jet 1605 Centrifugal Pump is also not really helpful in making suitable waves for the stonies too!

 

[ScottR]

I noticed you only feed your fish 3x a week. Seems like not enough to me with how many fish you have.

 

[Cory]

According to most ive read, losing flesh and turning white is an indication of low nutrients no3 po4 . Possibly the softies suck it up over two weeks and then the sps die because they didnt get much. Whitening is a loss of zoox, which feed the coral and they need no3/po4. Try upping the po4/no3.