Could this be why I've been losing SPS?

kevin_e · Feb 17, 2019

As you can see, there was quite the layer of detritus built up in my sump. My phosphate was at 0.11 a few weeks back. SPS have just been slowly fading away.

saltyfilmfolks · Feb 17, 2019

Probably not the reason no.

acesfull44 · Feb 17, 2019

Can you give details on water parms, lighting, tank mates and inhabitants, etc? My phosphates avg .03-.06, with nitrates around 10-25 ppm. Some will tell you this is not a successful way to keep SPS, but I have over 30 frags and colonies, and since I went from zero nutrients to these numbers, they are as healthy and colorful as ever.

There are PLENTY of heavyweights in this area that can give you better feedback than I, but I would guess this is not the issue.

kevin_e · Feb 17, 2019

Salinity: 1.027
Temp: Ranges 78-80 daily
Alk: 171 ppm
Calc: 390 ppm
Use my own RODI: TDS reads 3 coming out of membrane and 0 coming out of mixed bed resin.

Tank is about 1.5 years old. I have had no coraline growth in that time and very little coral growth. They have been hang in there wirh various levels of health until the last month or so where thibgs just started to STN/RTN randomly.

I was advised to rest nitrates, which I still plan to do. Other suggestion was to get an Triton test done to rule out a contaminant.

saltyfilmfolks · Feb 17, 2019

What’s the no3 and Po4 ?

Detritus will register as no3.

kevin_e · Feb 17, 2019

I dont know the nitrates. Phosphate was 0.11.

bhuyett · Feb 17, 2019

As long as your water column isn't as dirty as what is in your bucket the detritus isn't the issue.

Your Alk is higher than it needs to be and your Calcium is low, but this could be within your test kit accuracy as well. Really need to know what your Nitrates are.

If you have gone a full 1.5yrs with no Coraline growth, it sounds like you also have a Light issue and possible flow. What are you using for lights and are they the same over the entire 1.5yrs?

Charlie’s Frags · Feb 17, 2019

Curious about lighting as well. Are you carbon dosing or using gfo?

Hemmdog · Feb 17, 2019

Also what’s your mag at. If mag is totally off alk and calcium can’t be used properly.

kevin_e · Feb 17, 2019

bhuyett said:
As long as your water column isn't as dirty as what is in your bucket the detritus isn't the issue.

Your Alk is higher than it needs to be and your Calcium is low, but this could be within your test kit accuracy as well. Really need to know what your Nitrates are.

If you have gone a full 1.5yrs with no Coraline growth, it sounds like you also have a Light issue and possible flow. What are you using for lights and are they the same over the entire 1.5yrs?

Well yeah, the water column isn't that dirty, but that detritus just sitting there rotting is bound to put nutrients and nasties back into the water column.

Lighting has been two different sources. The first was a Giesemann infiniti 150 watt halide with 4x t5s. Two ATI Blue Plus and two ATI Coral Plus. That ran for the first 6 months. The last 10 months has been a 400-watt radium under a Lumenmax 2.

I don't think 170 ppm alk is really all that high and Cal at 390 isn't really all that low. Randy recomends 380-450 ppm calcium and 125-200 ppm alk. I don't dose, that's just what my salt mixes up as, evidently. I think most refers would find those values within a tolerable range of success, and certainly wouldn't lead to STN/RTN on their own. I know I found great success with similair numbers when I had the tank below back in 2015.

For flow I have 2 MP10s, plus my return. With the amount of detritus I'm getting in my sump, I'm beginning to wonder if I have enough flow through my sump.

kevin_e · Feb 17, 2019

Chaswood79 said:
Curious about lighting as well. Are you carbon dosing or using gfo?

No to both. See post above on lighting.

kevin_e · Feb 17, 2019

Hemmdog said:
Also what’s your mag at. If mag is totally off alk and calcium can’t be used properly.

Unfortunately my Mag reagent is expired. Can't imagine it being being off with nothing to consume it. I dont dose and haven't doses in this tank.

DesertReefT4r · Feb 17, 2019

Have you taken any steps to seed the tank and rock with bacterial, micro fauna and coralline? Sounds like a tank that was setup with dry rock.? Your alk and cal are not in balance thats for sure, 9.5 dkh and 390 ppm is a bit off. Raise cal to 410-420 ppm to get it in balance with your alk. Knowing your no3 and mag is important as well. Po4 at 0.11 ppm is not an issue.

kevin_e · Feb 17, 2019

DesertReefT4r said:
Have you taken any steps to seed the tank and rock with bacterial, micro fauna and coralline? Sounds like a tank that was setup with dry rock.? Your alk and cal are not in balance thats for sure, 9.5 dkh and 390 ppm is a bit off. Raise cal to 410-420 ppm to get it in balance with your alk. Knowing your no3 and mag is important as well. Po4 at 0.11 ppm is not an issue.

It was set with dry rock, but I've had snails with coraline and countless "seasoned" frag plugs make their way into the tank over the year and a half. I mean, I have sponges amd various dusters and worms naturally propogating in the tank.

I'll test my alk and calc again and see where they stand. I did a water change earlier.

We'll have to wait on those mag and nitrate values.

kevin_e · Feb 17, 2019

After my water change calcium came in at 375 ppm. Alk at 178 ppm. I'm going to raise my calcium to 420 over the next few days with BRS calcium chloride and see how things respond.

kevin_e · Feb 17, 2019

Purchased a Red Sea mag pro reagent refill and Nyos nitrate test.

Hemmdog · Feb 17, 2019

Sounds like your on the right track

Charlie’s Frags · Feb 17, 2019

What is the size of the tank? I don’t see any obvious red flag. Dry rock is notorious for leeching po4 but I wouldn’t freak out about anything less than 0.2 ppm. Have you checked for stray voltage?

kevin_e · Feb 18, 2019

Chaswood79 said:
What is the size of the tank? I don’t see any obvious red flag. Dry rock is notorious for leeching po4 but I wouldn’t freak out about anything less than 0.2 ppm. Have you checked for stray voltage?

50g cube. This dry rock was formerly my live rock. It sun baked and soaked in water for 5 months. It then cycled in the tank for 4 months. At this point it has been in the tank for 1.5 years.

Nothing really sticks out to me either. I've been doing this for about 10 years now too. Not a rookie by any means. I haven't checked for stray voltage, but I've had it in 2 other tanks. I could feel a slight zing when I touched the water and my coral didn't appear affected.