My 125g 3 Sided View Build

[prsnlty]

.I think I'm going to give up trying to keep sps for a while anyway. I have done everything I am supposed to do, great lighting, flow, mature tank, keeping parameters stable, fixed ph issue, coral amino, phyto, rotifers.... they still don't even last 2 months. It's just depressing There are 3 sticks left and barely alive, piclopora, garf bonsai and hydnopora. The bonsai is receeding at the tips, it isn't bleaching, piclo is so thin and little polyp ext and hydno has no pe and barely puffing up. Maybe I'll try again after the 180 matures but for now I'm done.....

 

[Jimbo662]

I had the same issue when i was running 3 Vega's on m 175g. On my new build (75g w/2 kessil A360's) my sps are doing great and seeing growth. I think with the Vega's I just wasn't getting it bright enough.

 

[prsnlty]

The only sps that is well in my tank are my sunset monti from Chris and my red monticap. The monticap is 2 years old but IMO hasn't grown as big as it should have for it's age although it IS growing. That is it. I lost the german blue branching monti, green slimer and mystic monti from him too I don't get it I guess. The sunset is perfectly fine yet the mystic that is 3 inches from it dies.... This is so depressing it really is. I got into the hobby in the first place because I love SPS and clams and can't seem to keep either :squigglemouth:

Sorry all, I guess I'm just in a pity party mode today IDK. I'm just frustrated... and almost to the point of quitting, but I'm not a quitter. I'm not even excited about the 180 build anymore either because of the loses. I don't have tons of money to throw away either and I can't stand to put a new sps in my tank for it to die 2 months later it isn't fair to the coral.

 

[prsnlty]

I had the same issue when i was running 3 Vega's on m 175g. On my new build (75g w/2 kessil A360's) my sps are doing great and seeing growth. I think with the Vega's I just wasn't getting it bright enough.

I am told I have plenty of light. I have a combo, 2 AI Sol blues, in between them are 2 24" PC and to the outside are 2 ATI 50" coral plus and Purple plus on this tank. I have actually bleached my corals and had to move them all down. I also turned down the AIs. The 180 will have this plus 2 more ATI 50" blue+. I don't have a par meter but this tank is super bright. So bright I only run the T5s for 4 hours a day now.

 

[prsnlty]

 

[prsnlty]

I have been wondering if I should change out the coral+ and purple+ with the 2 blue+ to see if this helps. The picture above was taten while the bulbs were just turned on and ramping up. Otherwise I can't get a picture of the layout.

 

[prsnlty]

Also, all my bulbs are new, I change them every 6 months and don't wait for them to wear down to keep my lighting even and stable.

 

[prsnlty]

Jackie
125g mixed reef peninsula

 

[TimSc2013]

This is a beautiful tank! Sorry to hear about your SPS issues, they can be really frustrating... Do you have large temperature swings? Hopefully you can battle on and figure it out. SPS are so intriguing and it is a great feeling to see them succeed!

 

[prsnlty]

Thank you Tim

My house is temperature controlled and the tank only fluctuates about 1 degree at most due to lights out at night. It never goes under 78.4 or over 79.6. I do leave a light on over the sump at night as well. I don't use a heater. Never really needed one but have been considering ordering one. So many horror stories about them though.

I don't plan to give up on the reef per say, just sps for a while. This tank is going to be traded out for the 180 soon and 2 more ATI T5s will be added, bigger sump and fuge, flow and real estate. I'm in hope that this makes a difference. I also want to be sure that the tank gets established before attempting them again. I'm just a bit disheartened I guess.

 

[prsnlty]

My acans appear to be having babies : D

 

[prsnlty]

I didn't see them untill I fed them today

 

[prsnlty]

The camera ham in the acan pic is Rosco btw. He loves it when I have my phone by the tank! No matter where he is he comes to see what's up lol

 

[prsnlty]

Pulling rock and killing asterina today. Just trying to reduce the population untill I can set up the 45g as a qt.

Parameters
salinity 1.025
PH 8.5
DKH 8.4
CA 430
Mg 1350
PO4 .002
NO3 .3
FE .05
I2 .06
K 392
Temp 79.2

 

[prsnlty]

 

[prsnlty]

Hmmmm, how many aptasia can you count? Ugh. I'm about to get them rock by rock with boiling real lemon juice and top with kalk paste. Doing this outside of the tank. Now where is that baby asperator...?

 

[joekool]

Don't keep killing those aptasia. It will spread them like wild fire. You need Berghia they get the job done. Hoping to send out some edges soon to you.

I assume this tank is still running. If so looking at your stats I would raise your alk up should help out your SPS with a Ca of 480 you alk should be in the 12.5dKH or 4.45meq/L range to be close to ratio. I always shoot for 460 Ca and 4.45 alk. Remember that the meq/L is the actual alk measurement dKH is KH

 

[joekool]

Calcium (ppm)

Alkalinity (meq/L)

360

0

-------------------

-------------------

390

1.5

400

2.0

410

2.5 (seawater)

420

3.0

430

3.5

440

4.0

450

4.5

460

5.0

-------------------

-------------------

600

12 (possible CaCO3/CO2 Reactor Effluent)

 

[prsnlty]

Yes this tank is still running. Well my ca has dropped considerably since that test. I did a wc on monday and today it's 290! Mg at 1400 and dkh at 9.5. I do have no3 @5 (up from 0). I think reef chili is the cause since I just started adding it since monday. But 5 is ok.

I'm about to go to the only store in my area that has a ca suppliment to bring up the ca. I may just practice on this tank with my new dosing pump that's coming. Lol. But I still have to order the suppliments for that first.

Thank you for the bergi!!!! I kind of had them in check, only 3 or 4, then I got some joes juice and the spread like wild fire I also keep changing my mind on how to kill the asternia stars. Bayer or harlequin shrimp. I think the shrimp is best but I don't want to keep it. Bsyer will kill all the good stuff in the rocks as well. But these stars are terrible and have to go. ..... feeling danged if I do/danged if I don't on this one. But I don't want any of these bad boys going in the 180. As it is I'll be needing new snails. Pyramids killed 95% of mine so far. The asternia stars came in on some frags 4 months ago and survived even after dipping. The pyramids came at the same time with new snails. They were inside the snails so I couldn't see them. Ugh....

 

[joekool]

Wait a second your killing your self. Jackie if you don't like all the bad stuff in your tank you have to setup a quarantine frag tank. Dip put into frag tank. Wait two weeks flush tank or move to second quarantine tank after dipping again. Dipping wont kill eggs and such and if you just dip then add to your tank you get stuff like aefw etc. quarantine is the only way to monitor your corals before adding into your large display. Not woth the risk and all the garbage you have delt with. Once new tank is ready do this to you current corals so you can monitor and make sure nothing gets in new tank. I would go as far as not putting any live rock from a store in the new tank. I will help with any questions. But over the phone better. I will pm you my number if you ever want to talk reef stuff etc.