Can't keep any new SPS frags alive. Slimming, tips burnig.

Elegance Coral · Jul 26, 2017

I don't believe your SPS are starving while LPS, clams, and zoanthids are doing great.
That PH drop and swing is brutal.

smh254 · Jul 26, 2017

I've been having the same problem for the past year. I've tried everything to stop it. I can not figure out what is going on. I have a large ph swing daily so this could be the problem.
Is this what your SPS do.

And my ph swing

Scott.h · Jul 26, 2017

I didn't read through everyone's posts but if I'm you - I'd piggyback a second di canister to achieve zero tds, I'd let my alk drop naturally a bit down to the 7 range and keep it rock steady for a month, and having an ati 8 bulb fixture myself I'd lower the intensity a bit. Mine is at 55% - 4' fixture over a 4' tank. Also your alk dosing is too abrupt. Spread it out more. (Guessing according to your ph)

Lastly you absolutely need some po4 and no3. It needs to be detectable slightly and stable. Get a Hanna ultra low P checker and a Red Sea pro for N and SLOWLY tweak these levels. I promise things will get better.

Scott.h · Jul 26, 2017

smh254 said:
I've been having the same problem for the past year. I've tried everything to stop it. I can not figure out what is going on. I have a large ph swing daily so this could be the problem.
Is this what your SPS do.

And my ph swing

That's not the issue, I'm jealous of those numbers.

kennedpa · Jul 26, 2017

I second all these. Your RO water needs to be perfect. You should at least split your bulk dosing in half and do twice a day, and once your water is good from your RO do 20% water change once a week for two weeks then get in a bi-weekly schedule u till things settle down. Make sure you're accounting for things well like nutrients. Dose potassium nitrate and phosphate as needed. Your alk cannot be that high with good PAR and no nutrients.

My RO is pressurized by an RO buddy as our water pressure isn't good enough. I maintain > 95% rejection from RO.

My setup is as one advised with two resin chambers. I run 1 micron sediment, 1 micron CTO carbon, 0.6 micron CTO carbon, 0.5 micron chloramine specufic to protect RO membrane, RO, silicabuster resin, DI resin, out.

My numbers are 152 in, 142 post pre-filters, 6 pre resin, 0 out. Your water should never be over 0. Get a handheld TDS to confirm your RO water purity.

kennedpa · Jul 26, 2017

Scott.h said:
I didn't read through everyone's posts but if I'm you - I'd piggyback a second di canister to achieve zero tds, I'd let my alk drop naturally a bit down to the 7 range and keep it rock steady for a month, and having an ati 8 bulb fixture myself I'd lower the intensity a bit. Mine is at 55% - 4' fixture over a 4' tank. Also your alk dosing is too abrupt. Spread it out more. (Guessing according to your ph)

Lastly you absolutely need some po4 and no3. It needs to be detectable slightly and stable. Get a Hanna ultra low P checker and a Red Sea pro for N and SLOWLY tweak these levels. I promise things will get better.