Softie's shrinking LPS growing

[DrufusReef]

So all my Softies are closing up, but all my LPS are plump and getting new heads. I am baffled by this growth. Since you can't kill leather or shrooms unless you try... What would cause them to do bad, but let LPS Acans/Candycanes thrive?

 

[blaxsun]

Water parameters, lighting, PAR levels...?

 

[DrufusReef]

Don't have a par reader, but if I were to guess 90 - 100.
PH - 8.2
dkh - 10
Cal - 400
Mag - 1310
Nitrate and Phosphate read at 0, but I have some algae growth so there's some in there

 

[blaxsun]

What size is your tank and what kind of wavemakers are you using? Low nutrients could be affecting them. Are you supplementing with any coral foods? (not everything is photosynthetic)

 

[DrufusReef]

Don't have a par reader, but if I were to guess 90 - 100.
PH - 8.2
dkh - 10
Cal - 400
Mag - 1310
Nitrate and Phosphate read at 0, but I have some algae growth so there's some in there

For lighting I use

What size is your tank and what kind of wavemakers are you using? Low nutrients could be affecting them. Are you supplementing with any coral foods? (not everything is photosynthetic)

100g tank with a 30g sump.
I am using 2 AI Nero 5 pumps back/front config running at 60% max variation with a Viper return.

 

[DrufusReef]

For lighting I use

100g tank with a 30g sump.
I am using 2 AI Nero 5 pumps back/front config running at 60% max variation with a Viper return.

Not using any coral food as of yet. Shouldn't need to feed shrooms and leathers.

 

[blaxsun]

Corals only or do you have fish?

 

[DrufusReef]

Corals only or

Corals only or do you have fish?

Yellow Foxface

Tomini Tang
3 reef chromis
3 Lyre tail anthias
Bi colored Blenny
Diamond goby
cleaner shrimp
and crabs/snails

 

[blaxsun]

First thought is that someone might be nipping. You may want to post some images to elicit some other opinions.

 

[DrufusReef]

don't have any pics right now, but I'm 100% sure it's not nipping. It has to be water, flow, lighting or god forbid pests. I just don't know why one of those would be affecting softies and not lps

 

[DrufusReef]

@blaxsun I do think what you said earlier might be the case. It may be an issue of low nutrients. I am super careful of not over feeding. I think I have assumes since I have algae that there are nutrients in the water, but the algae may be eating it up before those corals can use it.

 

[blaxsun]

@blaxsun I do think what you said earlier might be the case. It may be an issue of low nutrients. I am super careful of not over feeding. I think I have assumes since I have algae that there are nutrients in the water, but the algae may be eating it up before those corals can use it.

My tank is mainly soft and LPS with a handful of SPS, and this is what I supplement with every week:
* Red Sea ReefEnergy AB+ (daily)
* Reef Roids mixed with Nyos Coral Nectar and Absolute Aminos (2x week)
* Brightwell phyto or zooplankton (daily); I’ve got 3 bottles and I pick a random one every week
* Calanus along with the brine and mysis for the fish (daily)

My nitrates were 4ppm and phosphates were 0.05ppm when I teated the other day (probably the lowest they’ve ever been in the system, but this was also after a 10% water change).

You could try a small bottle of the Red Sea ReefEnergy AB+ (or similar), and see if that makes any difference. I usually turn my return pumps (but not the wavemakers) off when feeding the corals. That way the wavemakers ensure everything is thoroughly dispersed.