PSA: I won't give up!

[Jason mack]

Update: Day 9 with the SPS frag pack in the display tank. The Orange Setosa and Digi are looking very bleached... the PC rainbow is bleached but only on the tips. The Leng Sy monti cap is losing color around the edges... The frag rack has remained 2 inches above the sandbed since arrival. Yesterday I adjusted my T5 lighting schedule back a bit...

I WAS running all 6 bulbs on the 48" fixture from 12pm-7pm with the reefbrite blue xho 48" LED strip running from 11am-1pm and again from 7pm-9pm.

NOW I am running two separate channels on the T5 fixture. The dusk/dawn, we'll call this "DD" (two B+ bulbs) channel and the Day (3C+ and 1B+ bulbs) channel. New schedule as follows: DD on 12p-7:30p, Day channel on from 2pm-6:30, Reefbrite LED on from 12pm-2pm and again from 6:30 - 9:30pm.

Alk has been rock solid at 8 DKH. PH between 7.8-8.1. Nitrates still 0, Phosphates still 0. I ordered a salifert nitrate kit to use in conjunction with the API test I currently have. New fans over sump and display tank have temp holding between 79-80.5. Should I do anything other than feed the tank/fish a bit more than usual to get my nitrates up? Carbon and GFO are still offline. Waiting anxiously on Triton results... I am not making any other tweaks or changes over the coming weeks. Just going to focus on the results of the Triton test and maintain my routine.

I would wait for the Triton results .. without knowing that Your just gonna be shooting blind .. (although Im still a newbie myself, ) I would just wait .. I know it's hard .. I'm going through something similar also ! But patience is everything .. but I feel for you !!

 

[VP616]

Update: Day 9 with the SPS frag pack in the display tank. The Orange Setosa and Digi are looking very bleached... the PC rainbow is bleached but only on the tips. The Leng Sy monti cap is losing color around the edges... The frag rack has remained 2 inches above the sandbed since arrival. Yesterday I adjusted my T5 lighting schedule back a bit...

Alk has been rock solid at 8 DKH. PH between 7.8-8.1. Nitrates still 0, Phosphates still 0. I ordered a salifert nitrate kit to use in conjunction with the API test I currently have. New fans over sump and display tank have temp holding between 79-80.5. Should I do anything other than feed the tank/fish a bit more than usual to get my nitrates up? Carbon and GFO are still offline. Waiting anxiously on Triton results... I am not making any other tweaks or changes over the coming weeks. Just going to focus on the results of the Triton test and maintain my routine.

While waiting on the Triton results, I'd recommend you to glance at this thread:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/help-my-sps-are-paling-and-i-dont-know-what-to-do.210035/

@Russ265 has written a very concise, accurate summary on the first post that sounds very familiar to your situation. I know you're not into adjusting anything until the Triton results come back, but based on what he said and your system running "0" nutrients, you may have to tweak more, unless you want to risk losing your new frags. Reduce your lighting schedule and dial it back even more until you get some nutrients in the tank. Lower the dKH to 7.0-7.5 (this one's important) and get those nitrate numbers up. Even phosphate could use a bump, if it truly is 0.00. You might even consider dosing nitrate and phosphate if you can't bring the numbers up to detectable levels via heavier feeding or current methods you're using.

 

[Tyler D]

While waiting on the Triton results, I'd recommend you to glance at this thread:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/help-my-sps-are-paling-and-i-dont-know-what-to-do.210035/

@Russ265 has written a very concise, accurate summary on the first post that sounds very familiar to your situation. I know you're not into adjusting anything until the Triton results come back, but based on what he said and your system running "0" nutrients, you may have to tweak more, unless you want to risk losing your new frags. Reduce your lighting schedule and dial it back even more until you get some nutrients in the tank. Lower the dKH to 7.0-7.5 (this one's important) and get those nitrate numbers up. Even phosphate could use a bump, if it truly is 0.00. You might even consider dosing nitrate and phosphate if you can't bring the numbers up to detectable levels via heavier feeding or current methods you're using.

Thanks so much for the link to @Russ265 article. This defines my battle. Extremely good read thus far! I understand the methods of dosing "nitrate" and will see if that is something I need to begin if my heavier feedings don't do the trick.

 

[Jason mack]

Great info !! I Will be applying iT too my tank as Well i think !!!thankyou !!!!

 

[Tyler D]

Just dosed 20ml of potassium nitrate... time to get my nitrates in check. SPS success, here we come!

 

[tripdad]

I would pull the carbon and gfo for now. You have no nutrients for the corals to grow on so this will allow some to build. The carbon is nice for clarity of water but your using good husbandry so you shouldn't need it. I have been growing acros for a few years now. First tank with tap water everything grew like crazy. New upgrade with all the bells and whistles had been a roller coaster till recently. I pulled all carbon and gfo, nitrates at 3 and phosphates at .08 and things are now healthy and growing. This advice came from a coral farmer and as i was at my whits end I took it. I will say best advice i received.

 

[Tyler D]

Day 14 - SPS frag pack Update: Green birdsnest- first to die. Blue dragon - woke up to it fully bleached yesterday. Red setosa - 75% a goner Leng Sy Monti - faded and PE is gone. Forest fire - 60% goner... The PC rainbow, frog skin setosa, birds of paradise and pink lemonade all have RTN/bleaching on the tips which is creeping further down the branches every day. Triton results should be available any day now... I tested parameters yesterday and this is what I got. Using RedSea for the big 3, verified DKH with hannah, and the rest are API.

Temp = 79-80.5
Salinity = 1.026
PH = 7.8 (tested in the AM)
Alk = 7.8 DKH
Calcium = 460
Magnesium = 1350
Nitrites = 0
Nitrates = 8-10ppm (after dosing).
Ammonia = 0
Phosphate = 0

I haven't made any changes over the past three weeks other than turning off my carbon/GFO and dosing some potassium nitrate. I would be lying if I said I wasn't getting frustrated. It makes me sad when I kill these amazing species... but I refuse to give up seeking SPS success. Thank you R2R for your continued input/advice/criticism.

 

[Tyler D]

Spent the last hour reading about 0 phosphates... seems as though I need to get them up... and heavier feeding seems to be the best way to go about it. I've been broadcast feeding a good portion prob 1.5" x 1.5" on avg. of LRS reef frenzy to the tank daily. Occasionally I will do it twice daily (like maybe once or twice a week). Add some nori for the purple tang every few days. How much more should I feed? Should I dose phosphates?

 

[Maacc]

Just be careful and go slowly. Even though stuff is struggling its used to being nutrient starved.
Also if you can control it, try to get your alk below 7.5 until you can get some nutrients in your water column.

 

[tripdad]

Usually dry flake foods have some P04 in them if your fish will eat them. Hang in there and you will succeed, I know it. Try buying just a monti-cap frag next or a green slimer. These are very hardy and cheap. Go slow, keep checking everything and you will win.

 

[Alex Costa]

Alk = 8.2 DKH (rock steady for 1 month now) previously it fluctuated between 7.8-10.5 DKH while I had ignorance with my Carx.

That's the source of your previous losses. A variation of 1,0 DKH from one day to another is enough to kill some sps.
IME, If you can't keep the Ra rock stable over months.....years......you couldn't keep sps away from STN/RTNing.

Besides that, IMO, you're doing/dosing to much.....You need let the tank alone for a month or two.....to get some balance.

0,0 phosphates/nitrates in test reading is far from REAL 0,0 in water.....
I'm having 0,0 readings since my tank setup and didn't lose a frag till now....

 

[VP616]

Spent the last hour reading about 0 phosphates... seems as though I need to get them up... and heavier feeding seems to be the best way to go about it. How much more should I feed? Should I dose phosphates?

Again, I'd wait for the Triton results before considering dosing and to verify your results from your test kits.

With that being said though, if you were to begin phosphate dosing, I've read that many reefers had success with NeoPhos from Brightwell. I believe it lists the concentration, so you will know exactly how much to dose in order to get your levels up to a certain point.

In the meantime, you could also try running your skimmer on an on/off cycle through the day to see if that will raise your levels.

 

[Tyler D]

Hot off the press, I am by no means a chemistry expert or amateur for that matter (even though I love the subject). Any help deciphering is appreciated! What do YOU think? First thing that came to my mind is I got a bad batch of HW Marine salt with low potassium...? What ELSE? HELP!

 

[Jason mack]

Doesnt look that bad !! What does Triton suggest for dosing and water Changes ?? Or detox ??

 

[Tyler D]

@Jason mack I have no clue... I have never paid much attention to the Triton "method" or their suggestions... all new to me. @Randy Holmes-Farley would you mind chiming in on if anything in the above Triton test results stands out from your perspective?

 

[Darth George]

KI figured the k

Hot off the press, I am by no means a chemistry expert or amateur for that matter (even though I love the subject). Any help deciphering is appreciated! What do YOU think? First thing that came to my mind is I got a bad batch of HW Marine salt with low potassium...? What ELSE? HELP!

I figured the K would be low. Mg could use a little buffer as well. Maybe come by the shop and grab some fritz? This is craig by the way.

 

[Darth George]

That Al is high also...

 

[Tyler D]

That Al is high also...

Hmmm....Do you think this could be from two marine pure 8"x 8"x 1" plates I have had in the sump since the beginning? ...
I still have a whole box of HW Marine on hand that has yet to be opened... I'm going to get a potassium test kit and begin testing my fresh mixed SW. This is something I must add to my routine and no longer ignore.

 

[Darth George]

Hmmm....Do you think this could be from two marine pure 8"x 8"x 1" plates I have had in the sump since the beginning? ...
I still have a whole box of HW Marine on hand that has yet to be opened... I'm going to get a potassium test kit and begin testing my fresh mixed SW. This is something I must add to my routine and no longer ignore.

Hard to say. Some have speculated they leach al with a lower ph.

 

[Tyler D]

How would one go about raising potassium safely, other than a few large water changes?