Need a little advice on an SPS problem

[kdx7214]

My 75g tank is now almost a year old and I've had tons of problems keeping any sps. Actually, the few I've tried have died. I have one left and it's not doing so well. It did break when I was putting it in and I also mounted the frag. For a while it was doing better than the main colony, but is now showing oddness.

Tank parameters:
Salinity 1.026
Temp 77 +/- 0.3F
pH 8.1
Alk 7.6 dKh
Calcium 327
Nitrate and Phosphates are 0

I have attempted to up the alkalinity, but have been unable to get it above 8.1 without the pH getting high (it's never gotten above 8.2 though). Calcium seems to vary wildly. Sometimes it's around 380, sometimes low like now. I am dosing alkalinity when pH isn't too high (usually after lights out) and calcium daily.

What am I doing wrong here?

 

[Naturalreef]

No nutrients will kill coral every time. Bring your nutrients up. Nitrate ~ 10 and phosphate .05 - .1 and you will see things turn around for you.

 

[dstockwell]

Agree, calcium is low, what’s your magnesium

 

[kdx7214]

No nutrients will kill coral every time. Bring your nutrients up. Nitrate ~ 10 and phosphate .05 - .1 and you will see things turn around for you.

Any advice on how to do that? What kind of additives can I use? I feed fairly heavily for the fish, but also have a lot of macro algae

 

[dedragon]

gonna matter what you are using to test nitrates and phosphates with as some tests like API test kits arent gonna give you accurate results you need

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

What lights and pumps are you using for flow?

 

[dedragon]

what are you using for lighting and flow as well?

 

[dedragon]

lol camaro, great minds think alike

 

[kdx7214]

gonna matter what you are using to test nitrates and phosphates with as some tests like API test kits arent gonna give you accurate results you need

I'm using Hannah checkers, so I hope that's good

 

[kdx7214]

What lights and pumps are you using for flow?

Lights are 6 T5 bulbs (3 Coral+ and 3 Blue+). Flow is around 1160gph for a 75g tank. There is also a 260gph power head for circulation along the back of the rockwork

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

Lights are 6 T5 bulbs (3 Coral+ and 3 Blue+). Flow is around 1160gph for a 75g tank. There is also a 260gph power head for circulation along the back of the rockwork

Have you tested par? You need way more flow then that especially for sps. Your flow should be 30x-50x. I’d buy 2 gyres or 2 mp40s. Sps like strong lighting and strong random flow with stable parameters.

 

[dedragon]

its a flow problem, I would go with 1 gyre for now as that will give you some places for sps along the rockwork, then maybe add another 1 gyre or 2 powerheads to counter the current of the gyre and get any dead spots in the tank.
Par could also be an issue but based on the white strip gone in the middle of the fragged montipora, it is the flow that is killing it faster

 

[kdx7214]

Have you tested par? You need way more flow then that especially for sps. Your flow should be 30x-50x. I’d buy 2 gyres or 2 mp40s. Sps like strong lighting and strong random flow with stable parameters.

I don't have access to a par meter, so I've not been able to check it. The nearest LFS that has one is 2+ hours away.
I'll have to see if I can find something to up the flow. Not 100% sure I'll be able to do it in this tank without a complete rescape of the tank.

 

[dedragon]

you should still get the nitrates and phosphates up a bit 100%, with a lot of algae like you have dosing might be a good option to look into

 

[Naturalreef]

Brightwell makes good products. Neonitro for nitrates and neophos for phosphate. Follow instructions and do it slowly as to not shock your system. Lighting, flow, nutrients…all need to be stable for acro to flourish. My opinion is no nutrients is what caused them to die.

 

[vetteguy53081]

My 75g tank is now almost a year old and I've had tons of problems keeping any sps. Actually, the few I've tried have died. I have one left and it's not doing so well. It did break when I was putting it in and I also mounted the frag. For a while it was doing better than the main colony, but is now showing oddness.

Tank parameters:
Salinity 1.026
Temp 77 +/- 0.3F
pH 8.1
Alk 7.6 dKh
Calcium 327
Nitrate and Phosphates are 0

I have attempted to up the alkalinity, but have been unable to get it above 8.1 without the pH getting high (it's never gotten above 8.2 though). Calcium seems to vary wildly. Sometimes it's around 380, sometimes low like now. I am dosing alkalinity when pH isn't too high (usually after lights out) and calcium daily.

What am I doing wrong here?

Often you will hear about maintaining the big three elements and also you will hear about light and flow. Before addressing light and flow, adreess these first which could be the sole issues:

Alk 7.6 dKh You want range of 8-11dkh
Calcium 327 Should be 400-440 avg
Nitrate and Phosphates are 0 Nitrate 10-15 and Phos .04-.08

 

[kdx7214]

Often you will hear about maintaining the big three elements and also you will hear about light and flow. Before addressing light and flow, adreess these first which could be the sole issues:

Alk 7.6 dKh You want range of 8-11dkh
Calcium 327 Should be 400-440 avg
Nitrate and Phosphates are 0 Nitrate 10-15 and Phos .04-.08

I've been struggling with Alk. How do I raise the Alk without totally borking the tank's pH? I've been slowing adding at night when the lights are off, but don't want to overdo it.

Calcium I'm at a loss at. I'm dosing 30mm of a strong calcium additive and it's still not rising.

 

[dedragon]

Calcium I'm at a loss at. I'm dosing 30mm of a strong calcium additive and it's still not rising.

What are you adding for calcium and alk?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've been struggling with Alk. How do I raise the Alk without totally borking the tank's pH? I've been slowing adding at night when the lights are off, but don't want to overdo it.

Calcium I'm at a loss at. I'm dosing 30mm of a strong calcium additive and it's still not rising.

Calcium works with alk. Alk itself has a buffering height to prevents swings in ph levels but to attain a proper level of alk you have to know how it works with carbonates in the water and then realize high alk reduces the calcium levels as well as Ph. When calcium and alk are balanced and in range, your corals take off with color and growth.
Regarding your question, If you increase calcium, you are likely causing your alk to fall. if you change water with low alk levels in the salt, you will in essence reduce the alk level without realizing it so suggestion would be to test the alk the next time you mix new water.
So whatt can you do to raise alk safely - I would recommended instead of adding alk, add Baking soda at 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons during the day. 24 hrs later and test and add more if needed and repeat until you reach desired. See if it stabilizes or drops and how much it dropped.
once stable, use a two part alk and calcium solution which should hold it at level.

 

[kdx7214]

Calcium works with alk. Alk itself has a buffering height to prevents swings in ph levels but to attain a proper level of alk you have to know how it works with carbonates in the water and then realize high alk reduces the calcium levels as well as Ph. When calcium and alk are balanced and in range, your corals take off with color and growth.
Regarding your question, If you increase calcium, you are likely causing your alk to fall. if you change water with low alk levels in the salt, you will in essence reduce the alk level without realizing it so suggestion would be to test the alk the next time you mix new water.
So whatt can you do to raise alk safely - I would recommended instead of adding alk, add Baking soda at 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons during the day. 24 hrs later and test and add more if needed and repeat until you reach desired. See if it stabilizes or drops and how much it dropped.
once stable, use a two part alk and calcium solution which should hold it at level.

I'm currently dosing a solution made with baked baking soda and RO water. It's one @Randy Holmes-Farley published on Reef Central. So I'll stop dosing calcium for a while and just work on the alkalinity. Thanks