Issues With keeping SPS
- Thread starter Baboon7
- Start date
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Every tank is different, but here is my experience.
SPS are more forgiving at lower alk. Seems most of the SPS gurus are running between 7-8dkh. I know mine get stressed when it starts to get up around 9.
Maybe let your alk drop down to around 8.
Your nitrate levels are fine. A lot of SPS dominant tanks run higher than that.
Get an accurate reading on phosphate. Hannah ULR phosphate checker is cheap compared to most of the stuff we buy for these tanks!
Feed as much as you can without nutrient levels rising.
My opinion is that the residual nutrient levels measured by a test kit don't matter much. They are, however, important for identifying trends and allowing you to adjust your import/export.
500 PAR is a lot. Maybe too much, maybe not. 300ish is a safe bet, depending on interval.
SPS are more forgiving at lower alk. Seems most of the SPS gurus are running between 7-8dkh. I know mine get stressed when it starts to get up around 9.
Maybe let your alk drop down to around 8.
Your nitrate levels are fine. A lot of SPS dominant tanks run higher than that.
Get an accurate reading on phosphate. Hannah ULR phosphate checker is cheap compared to most of the stuff we buy for these tanks!
Feed as much as you can without nutrient levels rising.
My opinion is that the residual nutrient levels measured by a test kit don't matter much. They are, however, important for identifying trends and allowing you to adjust your import/export.
500 PAR is a lot. Maybe too much, maybe not. 300ish is a safe bet, depending on interval.
MrMreef
Community Member
Those PAR readings are really high - I’ve got the pros in a very similarly sized tank and mine are at 100% and only hit 200 at the surface and struggling for 80 in the bottom corners, 100ish in the middle - maybe check the PAR meter?
Yazannreef
Valuable Member
A lot of people had issues with low range since it's only 0 to 5ppm range. High range nitrate is the way to go
MaxTremors
2500 Club Member
You can do a dilution and then it’s up to 50ppm, but still the HR is the way to go (much easier process too, the LR is a full on science experiment).
Tonycass12
Valuable Member
I agree with this your numbers are abnormally high for where your lights are set. I run 2 xr15pros over a 2x2x16tall and I can get those numbers with my fixtures at almost 100%. I have a hard time believing you got accurate readings.
HuduVudu
2500 Club Member
Montis are easy. Acro is a big category and will include a huge of range tolerances. Since you don't really have much in the way of stonies, I would suggest that you try to grow the purple stylo. It is a super easy, once you figure it out and if you kill it it is cheap. Almost all of them are captive propagated. When you can get that to survive then you can be confident you are starting to understand.
I think that you are struggling to understand that it isn't the output (nitrate and phosphate) that is the problem for you it is the input. You are starving your tank. Like I said in my post you need to feed a lot. Your nitrates and phosphates are going to come up when you start to do this. DO NOT LIMIT THE INPUT. This is where you are going to need to get your export worked out. You are probably going to get nuisance algaes as your tank starts to stabilize and you start to work out your export. You want some sort of stony in the tank while you do this, so that it can be consuming stuff too. It will also be your canary to see if things are going well.
It is a balancing act and you need to go through it to figure out how it works.
Hope this helps.
I mean I rented a LED par meter from BRS and that's what it said. I even used it on a buddy tank and his reading was much different than mine so I assumed it to be correct. Maybe it's time to get another one and retest. Thanks for the input
Thanks so much for your help. I ordered the Hannah checkers for the nitrate and phosphate and when I get a more accurate reading I will up the food to my tank and hopefully get a better understanding.
Viva'sReef
Valuable Member
Yeah, I opened the LR Nitrate box and read the instructions. Packed it up and sent it back just because of how involved the test was. The HR Nitrate is light years better
thatmanMIKEson
Reefing ain't easy$
Your right, and know about nuisance algaes..speaking of did you ever get that forest knocked down i see in your build thread...
thatmanMIKEson
Reefing ain't easy$
Good move thats the one and buy as many reagents as you can they only stay in stock for 20 minutes every 3 months
Another question.... Have you ever dosed vibrant?
I have a biocube that used to grow SPS better than my main display. Had a major outbreak of hair algae that I couldn't get under control, so I tried vibrant. It killed the algae... Along with everything stony. This was several months ago and I change about 5 gal/week in a 16 gal system. Stony corals still struggle in there.
Anemones, mushrooms, Xenia, and star polyps weren't fazed.
Just something else to consider...
I have a biocube that used to grow SPS better than my main display. Had a major outbreak of hair algae that I couldn't get under control, so I tried vibrant. It killed the algae... Along with everything stony. This was several months ago and I change about 5 gal/week in a 16 gal system. Stony corals still struggle in there.
Anemones, mushrooms, Xenia, and star polyps weren't fazed.
Just something else to consider...
HuduVudu
2500 Club Member
Yes.
Had to move, so that tank went into a 90 gallon bin. I ended up hooking it together with my 20 to make my life easier.
The issue was that I couldn't get coral growth in the 60. It was driving me mad. I was putting stylo and porites in and they were getting wiped out. I couldn't even get my weed zoas to take. The maurading fish weren't helping, something was definitely afoot at the Circle K. Turns out my light was garbage. I should have known. Put on a Radion and I am starting to slowly turn things around. The algae isn't going without a fight though.
thatmanMIKEson
Reefing ain't easy$
YesYes.
Had to move, so that tank went into a 90 gallon bin. I ended up hooking it together with my 20 to make my life easier.
The issue was that I couldn't get coral growth in the 60. It was driving me mad. I was putting stylo and porites in and they were getting wiped out. I couldn't even get my weed zoas to take. The maurading fish weren't helping, something was definitely afoot at the Circle K. Turns out my light was garbage. I should have known. Put on a Radion and I am starting to slowly turn things around. The algae isn't going without a fight though.
1
131696
Guest
Jedi Mind Trick monti par 100-150 ,all sps sticks corals put in 250-350 par and keep it there ,some of your corals are getting cooked
X-37B
Fight The Good Fight
Stability is what acros like.
How stable has your system been over time?
How many fish in your system and how much do you feed?
If your nems are moving they may have stung some corals.
The orange shrooms look like disco's. They will kill any acro they touch. Ask me how I know. See my build thread.
If you have been using the same po4, no3 test kits from day one that may be part of tbe problem.
A po4 result from 0-.25 from your test kit is not accurate enough for acro systems. Get the Hanna ulr.
I use Nyos for no3 but only check it once a month.
You will get to a point when you look at your system you will know if no3 and po4 are in range.
A range of
Po4 <.1
No3<5
will work for most and its what I target from day one.
I also do not feed the corals only the fish and practice Heavy in/out.
I use an oversize skimmer to control no3 and po4 reducing media to control po4.
Without accurate testing of both you wont know which direction to go.
Their are plenty of par settings for your leds available without having to use a par meter, imo.
Here is a pic I just took of my jedi.
Look through my build as I try to keep it simple and its documented from day one and going on 2.5 years now.
You can pm me with any questions you have if you like.
How stable has your system been over time?
How many fish in your system and how much do you feed?
If your nems are moving they may have stung some corals.
The orange shrooms look like disco's. They will kill any acro they touch. Ask me how I know. See my build thread.
If you have been using the same po4, no3 test kits from day one that may be part of tbe problem.
A po4 result from 0-.25 from your test kit is not accurate enough for acro systems. Get the Hanna ulr.
I use Nyos for no3 but only check it once a month.
You will get to a point when you look at your system you will know if no3 and po4 are in range.
A range of
Po4 <.1
No3<5
will work for most and its what I target from day one.
I also do not feed the corals only the fish and practice Heavy in/out.
I use an oversize skimmer to control no3 and po4 reducing media to control po4.
Without accurate testing of both you wont know which direction to go.
Their are plenty of par settings for your leds available without having to use a par meter, imo.
Here is a pic I just took of my jedi.
Look through my build as I try to keep it simple and its documented from day one and going on 2.5 years now.
You can pm me with any questions you have if you like.
