Help with SPS!

[ReefOG311]

I have a few SPS that have started to grow algae on them and some that have what seems to be browning. Also very little polyp extension.

Ca 420
Salinity 1.026
Alk 8.9
Mag 1280

I dont measure phosphate levels but I have no algae growth. Run GFO and Carbon, and have an algae scrubber.

LED light is 12" above water level set at 70% blues and 30% white.

Can u tell me what may be causing it? Should be try to bring ALK down. I drop kalk with topoff

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Get rid of the gfo and lower your alk to 8
Stop worrying about po4

 

[ReefOG311]

Do u think the GFO is causing it?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I don’t think it is causing it, I know it is causing it.

 

[rhastareefer]

I don’t think it is causing it, I know it is causing it.

Unless it's still a young system, I'd agree. But even if it was a ~yr old or less, there is such a thing as TOO clean, even for acropora.

 

[Juniorh2r]

I agree get rid of the gfo

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Get rid of it
You’ll thank me later

 

[ReefOG311]

Thanks all. Will do immediately

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Im confused. You said you need help with algae growth on sps but you said you have no algae growth. If algae is growing directly on a coral its dead, at least in the spot algae is growing. Algae can not grow on living coral tissue. For sure tank the gfo out. Gfo and carbon cause more issues than they provide benifits imo. Both can quickly strip the water of organics corals require.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

OP is probably confusing burnt tips with algae.

 

[PatW]

All of your parameters are in range.
I don’t know what your flow is in your tank. SPS like flow.

I don’t know what your nitrates and phosphates are. SPS need some nutrients. You want nitrates to be between about .05 and 5 ppm.
You want phosphates to be between about .01 and .03 ppm.
I measure nitrates with Red Sea Pro and phosphates with Hanna ULR. My first guess is your phosphates are too low and maybe your nitrates also.
Another guess is the PAR value of your lighting is off or the spectrum is wrong but the latter seems less likely.

BRS has a series of videos on maintain SPS and you might check them out.

 

[mta_morrow]

We can help you out here for sure.

It would be very helpful to have a FTS and some pics of your sps.

Also do you have any corals that are doing ok?

In order to be successful, you need to know some things.

For now, you need to know what your phosphates and nitrates are.

You may be high, you may be low. Both can be bad.

Also, how long has your tank been up and running, what kind of light do you have, and lastly for now, don’t change anything you are doing until you you can measure and know where you are.

 

[ReefyB]

I wouldn’t be so quick to remove GFO, or do anything, until you can test nitrate and phosphate. I’ve run GFO and carbon on a reactor 24/7 since my current tank was setup (around 10 months old) and have great results with SPS, especially acros, growing relatively fast. My phosphate always comes up as 0 on hanna, plus I run chaeto. My nitrates are in the 15-25 range. Your issues may have more to do with acclimation or stability. Do you run a doser, or dose manually? Running an ATO? Adding any aminos?

 

[ReefOG311]

So definitely struggling with my SPS. Diatoms seems to be growing on them. Here are my readings. Bought a new Salifert kit and nitrates are high. Probably due to my stocking and feedings. Alge scrubber is not enough.
CA 420
NO3 25ppm
Alk 9.9
Mag 1230
Salinity 1.024

What I've done so far...Reduced lights to 7 hours and lower iintensity a bit. Got rid of GFO and added new ROX carbon to media reactor. Changed to more of a wet skim on my reef octopus 110int. 10% water change each Friday the past few weeks. 0.1 TDS on RODI. Using IO salt. Doing another water change tomorrow to lower nitrates and feedings to every other day.
Any other suggestions? SpS polyp extension low, diatoms growing on tips. Plating montis starting to lose color and covered in some areas with brown dust. Ahhhh

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

So definitely struggling with my SPS. Diatoms seems to be growing on them. Here are my readings. Bought a new Salifert kit and nitrates are high. Probably due to my stocking and feedings. Alge scrubber is not enough.
CA 420
NO3 25ppm
Alk 9.9
Mag 1230
Salinity 1.024

What I've done so far...Reduced lights to 7 hours and lower iintensity a bit. Got rid of GFO and added new ROX carbon to media reactor. Changed to more of a wet skim on my reef octopus 110int. 10% water change each Friday the past few weeks. 0.1 TDS on RODI. Using IO salt. Doing another water change tomorrow to lower nitrates and feedings to every other day.
Any other suggestions? SpS polyp extension low, diatoms growing on tips. Plating montis starting to lose color and covered in some areas with brown dust. Ahhhh

I’ve heard rox is pretty aggressive. I only use carbon after I frag.