Mistakes, I've made a few (okay, a lot)

[Pennywise the Clown]

My display has been running for 16 months and in the last couple of months I have really got the acropora bug. I started with a couple of millies and a Garf Bonsai. These frags did really well and my confidence started to grow. I added a Red Planet and a Strawberry Shortcake and this is when things started to go wrong.
These 2 frags didn't thrive so I decided my lighting wasn't high enough and altered my light schedule. Then one of my millies tips went brown, my alk was 9.4 and my nutrients were low but detectable so I lowered my alk to 8 over a period of a couple of weeks. My millie with brown tips RTN'd almost over night. Things have continued on a downward spiral. My acros are alive, just. My Bonsai is browning, my remaining millie is doing okay'ish. The Strawberry Shortcake has lost any color that it had, with just a hint of pink and the same with my Red Planet.
I've altered my lighting too many times, changed my salt from Red Sea Pro to the blue bucket and generally made a mess of everything.

Help me get back on track (please)

 

[Jon Fishman]

First and foremost, I’d like to mention..... “you”

Anyone know that Bloodhound Gang song???

Anyways, you sound like you know the problem..... so stick to stability, and you’ll be ok.

I have new lights on the way, and I’m terrified of exactly what you mentioned! All my stuff is doing awesome currently

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

My display has been running for 16 months and in the last couple of months I have really got the acropora bug. I started with a couple of millies and a Garf Bonsai. These frags did really well and my confidence started to grow. I added a Red Planet and a Strawberry Shortcake and this is when things started to go wrong.
These 2 frags didn't thrive so I decided my lighting wasn't high enough and altered my light schedule. Then one of my millies tips went brown, my alk was 9.4 and my nutrients were low but detectable so I lowered my alk to 8 over a period of a couple of weeks. My millie with brown tips RTN'd almost over night. Things have continued on a downward spiral. My acros are alive, just. My Bonsai is browning, my remaining millie is doing okay'ish. The Strawberry Shortcake has lost any color that it had, with just a hint of pink and the same with my Red Planet.
I've altered my lighting too many times, changed my salt from Red Sea Pro to the blue bucket and generally made a mess of everything.

Help me get back on track (please)

Sounds like they’re starving
How many fish do you have and how much do you feed? What are your exports methods?

 

[Pennywise the Clown]

Sounds like they’re starving
How many fish do you have and how much do you feed? What are your exports methods?

I run an oversized skimmer and that's pretty much it.
8 small fish in a Reefer 250, coral beauty is the biggest and I feed one frozen cube a day.
I feed aminos and Reef Roids twice a week and I've started to switch off my skimmer for the odd day. I've always had very low to non existent nutrients and had a dino outbreak last year.
I'm very keen to avoid that again. I have to dose nitrate and phosphate (seachem) on occasion as well.

 

[Mical]

Go back to your original lighting schedule and watch it for 2-4 weeks. (the longer the better) Then when things tend to stabilize try turning your skimmer off at night. A local "old time reefer" advised me when I took on SPS, told me to turn off skimmer at night and let corals absorb nutrients. I was skeptical, worried about Ph swing at night & lack of aeration but not only are the SPS doing well, my LPS & others are blooming. I have a frogspawn that went from 2 heads to (at last count) 12 in 8 mos. Just a suggestion...

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Less skimming and more fish poop will definitely help. I have a 50 gallon cube and feed 3 frozen cubes a day, a coral food, zoo plankton and I only skim 12 hours a day. 10-25 no3 and 0.10-0.25 po4 alk 8.0-9.3 (fluctuates that much everyday) and all my sps are happy as clams.

 

[Pennywise the Clown]

Okay, I've gone back to my original light setting. Switched my skimmer off overnight, moved my powerheads so the acros are not getting direct flow.
My nitrates are now 10 and phosphates are 0.1.
Things looked to have stabilised but my garf bonsai ?? is not looking very good. It is still encrusting but very brown under white ish light.

 

[Pennywise the Clown]

Before and after shots of my Garf

 

[Pennywise the Clown]

Also my Strawberry Shortcake.
I'm not even sure that it is still alive?

 

[Pennywise the Clown]

This is my peak lighting intensity under 2 Hydra 26's. Lights are 12'' above the water and my acros are between 6'' and 10'' below the water line.
Is this too much, not enough?