Need some advice on what action to take !

[Jackooze]

I am having trouble keeping Acropora alive but no issues with other sps like digi or stylo. The tissues keep bleaching or coming off starting from the base and then move to the tips. I am assuming it might have to do with the balance between my nutrients and Alk which is why I am here asking for help. If my nutrients are high should my alk be higher then 8.9 or should I just worry about keeping them as low as possible and Alk stable? My goal is to lower my Alk down to 8 and keep my nutrients as low as possible but if I keep my alk on the low side and my nutrients jump high does that affect sps? I've considered maybe it is due to high/low lighting or maybe not enough flow. There are so many possibilities of error I am trying to wrap my head around this and understand what I am doing wrong. This tank has been running for two years with LPS but I started taking this hobby really seriously in July when I wanted to transition to sps dominate.

Dosing: 2ml Nopox & Acropower 2ml Daily
Running GFO
Alk 8.9 ( stable since Nov11 and before that fluctuated 7.6-8.3)
Mag 1440
Cal 445ppm
Nitrate 25ppm. ( ranges 5-25ppm)
Phosphates .08 (ranges .03-.08)
2 x mp40 Tank turnover 50x
Lights 2x XR15’s with diffusers at 65% max intensity

 

[rkpetersen]

What size tank is it? First few things that I notice are that those lights might not be enough, the nitrate is definitely higher than you want it although not a disaster either, and NPX always seems to cause me problems so I don't use it anymore and my corals have literally never been happier. But everyone's tank is different, of course, and for some people NPX or other forms of carbon dosing work well. Do you run a refugium or algae scrubber?

 

[Jackooze]

What size tank is it? First few things that I notice are that those lights might not be enough, the nitrate is definitely higher than you want it although not a disaster either, and NPX always seems to cause me problems so I don't use it anymore and my corals have literally never been happier. But everyone's tank is different, of course, and for some people NPX or other forms of carbon dosing work well. Do you run a refugium or algae scrubber?

It's a 65gal tank running a small refugium (chaeto only). I think my nitrate spiked because I dosed some reef energy a few days thinking maybe the acro was nutrient deficient. I need to use nopox to control my nitrates where water change alone does not control them. I use to use biopellets but had a horrible experience.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Test the par. You can use a lux meter too and measure just the top of the water.

Fwiw , I had acros do nothing or just die for a long time. Then one day they just grew. That actually happens.

 

[rkpetersen]

It's a 65gal tank running a small refugium (chaeto only).

I would suggest doing what you can to get chaeto growing faster. And maybe add a second macroalgae, Consider a more powerful and/or different spectrum light, longer photoperiod if not 24 hours already, and dosing a iron supplement, to mention a few ideas. If you get it growing vigorously enough you may be surprised how well it brings your nutrients down. This has been my experience and has allowed me to ditch GFO and carbon dosing in one tank. In a second newer tank where the fuge is not as well established (yet), elevated nutrients remain a concern.