How do my parameters look?

[ScottB]

A quick search reveals a few people having issues with acros and vibrant.
One reefer lost all his coraline algae which I can definitely relate to. I probably have 10% of my coraline remaining. It started falling off in sheets.

Whaa? You lost your coralline algae? Whoa. Sorry if I missed that before but that is a huge red flag. Screams of copper or some toxin.

The coralline death was coincident with -- or came a week or two after -- what changes? Look at your logs. Did you lose/replace any hardware? Change salts, start Vibrant, switch carbons, something. New housing cleaning chemicals? I know, grasping at straws.

Sorry you are going through this. Just trying to help.

 

[ScottB]

Until the coralline death mention, I was actually going to suggest that 2 X 26HD running 118% UV is too much light over a 50G display. Particularly where the light cones overlap.

 

[Pennywise the Clown]

Whaa? You lost your coralline algae? Whoa. Sorry if I missed that before but that is a huge red flag. Screams of copper or some toxin.

The coralline death was coincident with -- or came a week or two after -- what changes? Look at your logs. Did you lose/replace any hardware? Change salts, start Vibrant, switch carbons, something. New housing cleaning chemicals? I know, grasping at straws.

Sorry you are going through this. Just trying to help.

I did start a thread on my coraline algae and got a couple of responses that it was normal when it gets to a certain thickness.
My algae blenny and coral beauty always peck at it and I've seen sheets fall off as they were doing it.
The glass in these 2 pictures used to have about 33% or more coverage. As you can see, the glass is pretty clear but still a big build up on the plastic overflow. My rocks still have a good coverage.
Thanks for your help, it is very much appreciated.

 

[Pennywise the Clown]

Until the coralline death mention, I was actually going to suggest that 2 X 26HD running 118% UV is too much light over a 50G display. Particularly where the light cones overlap.

I have thought the same. It's just that so many reefers use the exact settings and have great results that using this setting takes one potential problem out of the equation.

 

[lavoisier]

This hobby can be so frustrating and a bit mysterious at times. Your parameters look fine. You have not mentioned how often you are testing for ALK. Could you test daily for a week or two (maybe even twice a day) to see if you are experiencing swings? What about Ph swings?

It might be worth your while to do an ICP test to check for outliers or metals.

 

[SeaDweller]

Is it possible to have too much flow?
I have a max turnover rate of 80x tank volume.
I know I won't get close to that due to them never running at 100% but I try to get the flow to converge above my acros, and limit the flow that fits my hammers and zoas.
My very hairy millepora has lost all polyp extension apart from the tips and my other millie RTN'd.

You COULD have too much flow, but you'll see other effects too: growth away from the flow (I have some acros that bend away from the flow and grow funny), lack of polyps on the side getting blasted but it'll have tissue, just looks "bare"; I think if you provided straight laminar flow 24/7 then you could have some tissue peeling off, but the effects you're having make me feel it's your water, something is off and potentially in it.

 

[Pennywise the Clown]

This hobby can be so frustrating and a bit mysterious at times. Your parameters look fine. You have not mentioned how often you are testing for ALK. Could you test daily for a week or two (maybe even twice a day) to see if you are experiencing swings? What about Ph swings?

It might be worth your while to do an ICP test to check for outliers or metals.

I've been testing alk every other day and it has been very constant. I haven't tested for PH in months, the color reading I get doesn't really match anything on my Salifert chart.

 

[Pennywise the Clown]

You COULD have too much flow, but you'll see other effects too: growth away from the flow (I have some acros that bend away from the flow and grow funny), lack of polyps on the side getting blasted but it'll have tissue, just looks "bare"

That very accurately describes my Milipora. It started growing branches from the base and they are leaning quite drastically away from my most powerful powerhead. And it does look bare.

 

[SeaDweller]

I did start a thread on my coraline algae and got a couple of responses that it was normal when it gets to a certain thickness.
My algae blenny and coral beauty always peck at it and I've seen sheets fall off as they were doing it.
The glass in these 2 pictures used to have about 33% or more coverage. As you can see, the glass is pretty clear but still a big build up on the plastic overflow. My rocks still have a good coverage.
Thanks for your help, it is very much appreciated.

My coralline has been coming off in sheets too, annoyingly as it's just landing on stuff. Even after reading your posts (I don't use vibrant, but I do use MB7), I'm not gonna sweat that as I attribute it to being thick, and with added flow it's probably just not hanging on as tightly as it did? I'll keep watch and see if I see any correlation.

I hope you get this figured out

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Until the coralline death mention, I was actually going to suggest that 2 X 26HD running 118% UV is too much light over a 50G display. Particularly where the light cones overlap.

I don’t have that problem

But I don’t have 2-26’s over a 50 gallon

I have 2-52’s

 

[lavoisier]

I've been testing alk every other day and it has been very constant. I haven't tested for PH in months, the color reading I get doesn't really match anything on my Salifert chart.

If your pH is out of wack it could be causing issues.

 

[ScottB]

I don’t have that problem

But I don’t have 2-26’s over a 50 gallon

I have 2-52’s

Touche. Well played.

I ran a single Radion over my RS250 and my SPS were happy and had good color. Now I am back to T5s or T5 hybrids.

 

[Pennywise the Clown]

If your pH is out of wack it could be causing issues.

I'm going to say 7.8 to 7.9. I know it is on the low side but this hasn't altered from day one for me.

 

[ReeferNtraining]

This just my $.02 of having the same thing happen a couple years ago when I was still new. You mentioned RS Coral Pro. I was also using that and not testing my alk in the new saltwater before a water change. You also mention having low to no nutrients a while ago. I used to run AI Prime HD’s in AB+ settings as well. All of this is a disaster waiting to happen. Low nutrients with high alk and high light will definitely kill coral. When you couple that with a new increase in nutrients before the coral has time to recover from the original stressors.....it looks just like what I went thru and a lot like your pictures. I think at this point I would keep my alk as stable as possible and test it every day. I personally would bring the maxed out UV, violet down to about 110 over the next week just to make sure you’re not burning the corals.

This, of course, is without Vibrant in the mix. I’ve never used it and probably never will

 

[LC8Sumi]

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to do an icp, just to rule out stuff

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Touche. Well played.

I ran a single Radion over my RS250 and my SPS were happy and had good color. Now I am back to T5s or T5 hybrids.

I actually agree with you to a certain extent. The 26’s and primes leds put out more power per led than my 52’s do. So if the fixtures are too close to the water I think those could be too much for acros. I had to customize those hms mounts to get mine 16” above the water.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

This just my $.02 of having the same thing happen a couple years ago when I was still new. You mentioned RS Coral Pro. I was also using that and not testing my alk in the new saltwater before a water change. You also mention having low to no nutrients a while ago. I used to run AI Prime HD’s in AB+ settings as well. All of this is a disaster waiting to happen. Low nutrients with high alk and high light will definitely kill coral. When you couple that with a new increase in nutrients before the coral has time to recover from the original stressors.....it looks just like what I went thru and a lot like your pictures. I think at this point I would keep my alk as stable as possible and test it every day. I personally would bring the maxed out UV, violet down to about 110 over the next week just to make sure you’re not burning the corals.

This, of course, is without Vibrant in the mix. I’ve never used it and probably never will

Oh snap
The OP is using vibrant???
Ding ding ding

Vibrant is an sps killer.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

System is 18 months old.
The lights are bugging me. Being in the UK, nobody rents out par meters. I don't know of anyone who owns one.
I'm going by the par database on here and I'm guessing that the top of my rocks is getting 250. That is going off other reefers readings.
Unfortunately, I could be way off. One way or another.

I have 2-26’s on my frag tank and a par meter. I can check for you when I get. The ab+ on 26’s is pretty low par if I remember correctly

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I thought Vibrant was a bacterial solution and not a carbon based one?
I'm only dosing 6ml weekly, could that be enough to cause problems?

I’m probably wrong, but I thought the directions were x mls/10 gallons once every 2 weeks. You probably only have 35-40 gallons of net water, so 6 mls would be too much and then I think you’re double dosing on top of that. I’ll never use that stuff again because it was part of my routine back when I had acros die like this about 2-3 weeks after they arrived. Do a 75% or more water change and throw that stuff in the trash.

 

[Pennywise the Clown]

I’m probably wrong, but I thought the directions were x mls/10 gallons once every 2 weeks. You probably only have 35-40 gallons of net water, so 6 mls would be too much and then I think you’re double dosing on top of that. I’ll never use that stuff again because it was part of my routine back when I had acros die like this about 2-3 weeks after they arrived. Do a 75% or more water change and throw that stuff in the trash.

I think every 2 weeks is a maintenance dose. But I am basing my dose on 55 gallons so still over doing it.
I agree, a big water change is needed.