Sps always dies on me

[Stanzo13]

I got a green birds nest of wwc and I had another in the past but they all turn white and die. Nitrates from 6-8 even tried reef chili on this guy. I have a kessil a360we and I dose kalkwasswr from brs

 

[klesel]

Stability is # 1 alk has to be solid dont chase #s keep everything stable as possible temp under 80 at all cost high flow . Phosphate and nitrate low as possible. Been doing reefs 30 years done it all even now with all fancy high tech technology non of it matters if your #s are not stable temp flow and good lighting all the money in the world not going to keep sps alive . Kalk is fine I ran my 65 full of sticks with only kalk but you will probably still have dose 2 part to keep alk cal and mag stable .

 

[WWIII]

Flow, alkalinity and stability over time! Keys to SPS!

How long has your tank been setup? Do you know all your parameters? Calc, alk, mag, phosphate, nitrate?

 

[MTBake]

Can you post alk, ca, and mg? What settings do you have for the Kessil?

 

[Stanzo13]

Can you post alk, ca, and mg? What settings do you have for the Kessil?

Running just over a year, I don't have any way to monitor anything.... But... Last time at the higher quality of the 3 lfs my numbers we're all to their standards of in spec for a reef tank but that was 6-8 weeks ago.... So I should be getting more test kits? And about this mg..... I know nothing of it

 

[Stanzo13]

Dude every pick I take you can't see fish, I have 2 Osc clowns, a 6line, cleaner shrimp, slate nem crab, pom pom crab, 8-12 chinahats, 1living nourite, 2 astrea and 3 trokus I can't spell to save my life but a lot of snails, also a 3 stage Cascade filter W/ biomedia, rox.8 and I think the bottom is just a pad

 

[happyhourhero]

Yeah if you want to play with sticks, you need to be testing alk, cal, magnesium (mg) regularly and do not let alk go up or down much at all in a given day. Shoot for alk to be 8-9(pick one), calcium around 420, mg 1350ish.

Also make sure you have good flow.

 

[Stanzo13]

I dose brs kalkwasswr but I have no idea if I do it enough or too much.

 

[Skep18]

I dose brs kalkwasswr but I have no idea if I do it enough or too much.

This will probably be an issue for a while until expensive first-hand experience tells you you've got it right.

Idk your tank volume but for a single SPS frag that small, regular water changes with an appropriate salt mix alone should keep parameters in check. Probably don't need to dose heavy kalk.

 

[Stanzo13]

This will probably be an issue for a while until expensive first-hand experience tells you you've got it right.

Idk your tank volume but for a single SPS frag that small, regular water changes with an appropriate salt mix alone should keep parameters in check. Probably don't need to dose heavy kalk.

I have instant ocean salt, and I do have some decent softies and 3 lps frags 2 of which seem to grow a LOT lol

 

[Skep18]

I have instant ocean salt, and I do have some decent softies and 3 lps frags 2 of which seem to grow a LOT lol

well thats a good sign!

 

[Stanzo13]

well thats a good sign!

Only doing things by a guess I know is only waiting for big problems but I'm also moving up from just 30 gallons to a 55gal with a 20 gal sump, I have 3 compartments on the sump, I have an ato with pump and res redy to go, I plan on 2 heaters and chaeto and my skimmer (overkill?) I would like to get an Apex but in 2 months I will start to cycle my "big" tank and I'm going to allow for a one month cycle, no light and no worries should I just hang tight with my current and keep going on my new setup or jump on an Apex next paycheck?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

IMO , keep it simple at first.
Learn the big three Cal alk and mag. And grab some test kits for those.

I think you have low nutrients high alkalinity and too much light.

That’s an extremely easy sps to grow. You should be able to make it huge with only minimal gear (and testing really ) and only water changes. Infrequent ones at that.

Apex won’t really do any of that for you.

We have a number of folks here more than willing to help set your light and let you know how to interpret your nutrient levels in relation to the alkalinity.
There is a relationship there.

A fwiw , IO is a very high alk salt.

I have a 55 sumped and a 30 gal non sumped as well.

 

[Stanzo13]

IMO , keep it simple at first.
Learn the big three Cal alk and mag. And grab some test kits for those.

I think you have low nutrients high alkalinity and too much light.

That’s an extremely easy sps to grow. You should be able to make it huge with only minimal gear (and testing really ) and only water changes. Infrequent ones at that.

Apex won’t really do any of that for you.

We have a number of folks here more than willing to help set your light and let you know how to interpret your nutrient levels in relation to the alkalinity.
There is a relationship there.

A fwiw , IO is a very high alk salt.

I have a 55 sumped and a 30 gal non sumped as well.

My idea on the Apex would be dose and monitoring levels, I had an a80 and swapped to an a360we and my corals seem to love it, all lps is low and off to the side I watched a lot of videos on placement for par and rateings for my lights and I promise I try but every couple months I decide to move something for the better

 

[Stanzo13]

My idea on the Apex would be dose and monitoring levels, I had an a80 and swapped to an a360we and my corals seem to love it, all lps is low and off to the side I watched a lot of videos on placement for par and rateings for my lights and I promise I try but every couple months I decide to move something for the better

Like that huge clam on the left? This was a dark pick just turned the light on for the pick so nothing looks great

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

My idea on the Apex would be dose and monitoring levels, I had an a80 and swapped to an a360we and my corals seem to love it, all lps is low and off to the side I watched a lot of videos on placement for par and rateings for my lights and I promise I try but every couple months I decide to move something for the better

No worries. We all do it or have done it.
I don’t belive apex monitors no3 Po4 alk though.

The sps is high and right in the most intense light. That par (and photoperiod) may be fine for some some tanks, but if your alk is high and your nutrients low , it may not be.
I have the same coral both on the sand bed and at the very top of the tank.
This is an older pic , but at the time it was under 600 + par , alk under 7 and the nutrients (well, that’s embarrassing really )

 

[Stanzo13]

No worries. We all do it or have done it.
I don’t belive apex monitors no3 Po4 alk though.

The sps is high and right in the most intense light. That par (and photoperiod) may be fine for some some tanks, but if your alk is high and your nutrients low , it may not be.
I have the same coral both on the sand bed and at the very top of the tank.
This is an older pic , but at the time it was under 600 + par , alk under 7 and the nutrients (well, that’s embarrassing really )

Dude that grew from your sandbed!?!!!?!?!?!!? WHAT A GOD!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Dude that grew from your sandbed!?!!!?!?!?!!? WHAT A GOD!

Hahaha. Nooo. That’s the one on the top. The one on the bed wasn’t half that size so I had to sell it. Lol.

 

[Stanzo13]

I wish I could have a bunch of experienced reefers come to my house and adjust flow and move corals, my rocks are completely terrible. I will not be buying any of those rocks again, I have no way to aquascape and very limited coral placement

 

[Hanfam1111]

Stability is # 1 alk has to be solid dont chase #s keep everything stable as possible temp under 80 at all cost high flow . Phosphate and nitrate low as possible. Been doing reefs 30 years done it all even now with all fancy high tech technology non of it matters if your #s are not stable temp flow and good lighting all the money in the world not going to keep sps alive . Kalk is fine I ran my 65 full of sticks with only kalk but you will probably still have dose 2 part to keep alk cal and mag stable .

Stability stability stability, I chased numbers when I had to go Fallow. I had Same Birdanest, and 4 other SPS and they were doing well with 1 ppm or Less of Nitrate and No Detectable Phosphate. All parameters remained +\- 2% for the entire FALLOW term. Well after 4 months and felt ICH had run its course I added Fish and that bio load shot my Nitrates to 40 ppm. SPS took a little bit got them down to 15-20 ppm and they remained there and low and behold 80 days into stable 15-20 ppm nitrates my SPS are Flourishing!!!! I know everyone will say that’s way way to high of Nitrates but I like to feed my corals and fish. This has taught me that stable parameters (whatever they are) is the most important thing!

These are all pics with 20-25 ppm Nitrates. 9.2 DKH 8.2 PH 480 Cal