Something is outta wack- Please lend me your knowledge

[ageno125]

Been reefing for 5 years now on my 2nd tank and just cant seem to get my chemistry right and Im at such a loss. It’s been devastating not being able to sustain growth. I had a 50gal for 3yrs and it rocked. Moved houses bumped up to a 180 in-wall / fishroom and just cant get her going after two years.

Soft corals seem to being doing well - zoos, seem happy and growing. Mushrooms- open and good color.
LPS - couple acans- seem happy and plump

Hard corals - .... here lies the issue. The acros will do well for a week or so then bam! Burnt tips without a all swing.. then they slowly go.. Monti’s are pale today with a couple of polyps open. Monti digiti has polyps out no color. Sooo sad. Chalices seem to be doing well. Favia and lepto’s just hate me are pale as well.

I know its got to be the chemistry but I just cant figure it out..

Ive been dosing Tropic Marin A and B for alk and cal. I was dosing Brightwell NeoNitro to bring up NO3, tank seemed to like it, read up on using stump remover 10g to 1L, dosing that now about cup a day manually. NO3 was zero before dosing.

Alk: 8.3-8.6 pretty steady
Cal: 440 was 490 slowly brought down, holding here for few days
Mag: 1380
PO4: .11
NO3: 2 or 5. It’s light pink - the sailfert test is terrible.
temp: 76-77

Tank:180 gal with 30 gal sump. Reefer 600 skimmer
Deep sand bed: 4-5”
Flow: closed loop on oceansmotion powered by a L1, MP40, Ice cap 3k, 1700gph return,
Reactors: GFO&Car(both OFF)
Lighting: 3 Hydras 52 and two 72” Reef Brite atini.

Any help would be greatly appreciated TIA.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don’t really see a chemistry problem, but letting the alk drop a bit into the 7’s might be desirable for burnt tips.

 

[Snoopy 67]

Sometimes there is problems between SPS & softies.
It's called Coral Warfare. The softies emit chemicals into the water that react with SPS.
Try turning on the carbon.

 

[ageno125]

I don’t really see a chemistry problem, but letting the alk drop a bit into the 7’s might be desirable for burnt tips.

Thats was my next step that I was thinking, but wasn't sure. I just came across a read on the relationship of cal, alk, and mag and how people adjusted there alk according to those parameters. I dont know the rhyme or reason to go up in alk or down. thanks Randy.

What about the colors slowly fading? Not feeding enough? I had a nasty outbreak of vermitted snail (demons) and cut back on feeding to get them under control.

Started broadcasting a teaspoon of poly lab Reed roids yesterday in hopes.

 

[ageno125]

Sometimes there is problems between SPS & softies.
It's called Coral Warfare. The softies emit chemicals into the water that react with SPS.
Try turning on the carbon.

thanks for the reply, I afraid to turn on the Carbon on. Wouldn't it strip all the good stuff? This is why I turned them off and got my NO3 up. Well I guess that and dosing NO3.

 

[Uncle99]

Your numbers look fine by me.
What about flow?
When mixing soft corals and hard corals, flow can be challenging, but has a direct and important impact on SPS.
As you know, SPS required high flow (mine is in the 50-75 times range and supported by 8 wavemakers.

I run carbon 24-7

 

[Mical]

All the above are good suggestions but I tend to agree w/ Randy. Your Alk seems a little on the high side. I'd aim closer to 8 dkh.

 

[ageno125]

Your numbers look fine by me.
What about flow?
When mixing soft corals and hard corals, flow can be challenging, but has a direct and important impact on SPS.
As you know, SPS required high flow (mine is in the 50-75 times range and supported by 8 wavemakers.

I run carbon 24-7

My flow rate is at 43X and seems to blasting all over. But does seem low. Mixed tanks are definitely tough with managing flow and happy coral. Do you usually have high nutrients? I was testing 0’s and stopped the carbon and started dosing.
Eight wave makers! Nice. Great looking tank!

 

[ageno125]

Slowing bringing down the alk now, shooting for to 7.6. I hope this is help.

 

[Drysea]

I have similar issues a few years back and I increased my fish and feeding and the corals turned around. I think I was starving my sps. It was kind of tricky to keep my corals happy while at the same time not getting overrun with algae, but once I got a critical mass of corals growing life got a lot easier.