Help-Sps not liking my tank.

Jackcarp · Dec 21, 2016

I just introduced some sticks to my tank and they're not liking it. What am I doing wrong?

130 gallons with sump and refugium
Salinity-1.026
Ph-8.25-8.3
Calcium-450
DKH-8.4
NO3- 2
Ammonia-0

I use 2 part dosers and have 2 kessil 360N for lighting.
I feed frozen brine or mysis daily and add nori for the tangs.
I also use reefchili 2-3 times a week

Any thoughts? Thanks!

luke33 · Dec 21, 2016

How old is your tank? Sps generally don't get the intensity they need from kessils. What kind of sps are we talking and how close to the light are they?

Jackcarp · Dec 21, 2016

Jackcarp · Dec 21, 2016

luke33 said:
How old is your tank? Sps generally don't get the intensity they need from kessils. What kind of sps are we talking and how close to the light are they?

The tank is about 6 months old. I added a few montipora as well as a birds nest, blue micromussa, and interstellar acropora (which is looking the worst). The lights are about 12 inches from the corals.

ctsps · Dec 21, 2016

Phos??

luke33 · Dec 21, 2016

How long did it take for the sps to start degrading? How do you maintain your alk? Does it swing much?

Jackcarp · Dec 21, 2016

luke33 said:
How long did it take for the sps to start degrading? How do you maintain your alk? Does it swing much?

It started blanching out about 2 weeks after getting added to the tank. I found that the calcium was low when I added it but slowly corrected it over a few days. Now the alk is pretty stable around 8.4 with the dosers controlled by my apex.

Jackcarp · Dec 21, 2016

ctsps said:
Phos??

I honestly haven't checked the Phos.

james983 · Dec 21, 2016

SPS need a seasoned and stable tank. The best indication your tank is ready for SPS is vigorous coraline growth, you should be scraping it regularly. Is this the case in your tank?

Jackcarp · Dec 21, 2016

james983 said:
SPS need a seasoned and stable tank. The best indication your tank is ready for SPS is vigorous coraline growth, you should be scraping it regularly. Is this the case in your tank?

I have seen an increase in coralline growth-not sure if I would call it vigorous though.

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 21, 2016

are you running GFO? how about carbon in a reactor?
dry rock to start?

acros are quite sensitive.
how fast was the decline on the acro.

james983 · Dec 21, 2016

Stability is key Jack. Monitor your levels closely for a month or so. When you see good coraline growth add 1 or 2 easy SPS and see how they do. Also, one Kesssle may not be enough depending on coral placement. Good luck.

Jackcarp · Dec 21, 2016

saltyfilmfolks said:
are you running GFO? how about carbon in a reactor?
dry rock to start?

acros are quite sensitive.
how fast was the decline on the acro.

Im not running any gfo or carbon. The rock was dry rock at the start and I used reef mature from Red Sea to cycle the tank.

Jackcarp · Dec 21, 2016

james983 said:
Stability is key Jack. Monitor your levels closely for a month or so. When you see good coraline growth add 1 or 2 easy SPS and see how they do. Also, one Kesssle may not be enough depending on coral placement. Good luck.

I totally agree on stability. I may not have chosen the easiest corals. My ora birds nest appears to be doing well. I wish I had a place to put the corals that don't appear to be doing well until I get he levels very stable but nobody around me has the same hobby.

luke33 · Dec 21, 2016

Everyone has good input. What's your phos? If your alk is stable it makes me think it's phos, light intensity or maturity issues. Kessils are known for intensity issues when it comes to sps. Starting tanks with dry rock causes phos and maturity issues for sps.

Your sps have that drawn out stn look, not rtn look. Makes me think it's a maturity or light intensity issue.

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 21, 2016

Jackcarp said:
Im not running any gfo or carbon. The rock was dry rock at the start and I used reef mature from Red Sea to cycle the tank.

did you follow the red sea all the way? I do have to guess not quite as You need to check the Po.
Its prob nutrints unless you burned them w the alk a little while ago. IMO. and its a young tank. there weird.
you could turn the light down a bit an let it heal up. do you have a par or lux meter?
the other corals are hardier so the should be fine.
prob ok to feed like heck for a while.

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 21, 2016

luke33 said:
Everyone has good input. What's your phos? If your alk is stable it makes me think it's phos, light intensity or maturity issues. Kessils are known for intensity issues when it comes to sps. Starting tanks with dry rock causes phos and maturity issues for sps.

Your sps have that drawn out stn look, not rtn look. Makes me think it's a maturity or light intensity issue.

yup

Jackcarp · Dec 21, 2016

luke33 said:
Everyone has good input. What's your phos? If your alk is stable it makes me think it's phos, light intensity or maturity issues. Kessils are known for intensity issues when it comes to sps. Starting tanks with dry rock causes phos and maturity issues for sps.

Your sps have that drawn out stn look, not rtn look. Makes me think it's a maturity or light intensity issue.

When you say problems with Phos and dry rock-do you mean you think my Phos is too high? I guess I need to check my Phos and either hook up my gfo reactor or feed more pellet/flake food?

Jackcarp · Dec 21, 2016

saltyfilmfolks said:
did you follow the red sea all the way? I do have to guess not quite as You need to check the Po.
Its prob nutrints unless you burned them w the alk a little while ago. IMO. and its a young tank. there weird.
you could turn the light down a bit an let it heal up. do you have a par or lux meter?
the other corals are hardier so the should be fine.
prob ok to feed like heck for a while.

I did finish the reef mature but I don't think I have a Phos test kit. I continued to dose a mixture of vodka and vinegar until my nitrates were stable at 2. I have since stopped because it started to dip down around 0. I don't have a par meter or anywhere that I could borrow one. Does turning down the lights help them heal?
I have also seen more hair algae pop up than I like so I am leery about feeding a whole lot more driving my nitrates up.

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 21, 2016

Jackcarp said:
I did finish the reef mature but I don't think I have a Phos test kit. I continued to dose a mixture of vodka and vinegar until my nitrates were stable at 2. I have since stopped because it started to dip down around 0. I don't have a par meter or anywhere that I could borrow one. Does turning down the lights help them heal?
I have also seen more hair algae pop up than I like so I am leery about feeding a whole lot more driving my nitrates up.

alge will grow in no nutrints sadly and compete for no n po. it grows in tank till you kill or scrub it.
yea it slows photo synthesis. you get "browning" but id rather have the coral too fat then to skinny. they seem to live longer when I blow it totally and half kill them..
try a lux meter. phone app is MEH.
w led you'd be wanting 35000 to 45000 lux probably at the top of the tank. more if its healthy. youll always want to start low and go up, so the app is scary to me.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/lighting-upgrade-with-a-lux-meter-saltyfilmfolks.248417/