SPS Growth Issues

[Ike]

I was dosing but the parameters would then be all over the place. I took the doser off and have been able to maintain parameters with water changes. I was planning once I got more SPS in the tank and they started to take up more elements I would bring the doser back on.

What all have you dosed in the past year? Do you know your PO4 level? What are you using to measure your salinity?

 

[EmptyWallet]

XR15's are surprisingly disappointing. I run 4x XR15 G4 PROs with diffusers (@100% intensity on AB+ = 67% total) and can barely crack 200 PAR across the 'rock shelf' which is higher in my tank than yours. Directly under the puk at waters surface is 350 PAR and it quickly drops as you go down lower into the water (so even if your Acro's are sticking out of the water directly under the light no risk of too much PAR). My guess is your not even at 200 PAR at the rocks. The point of intersection between the 2 lights is where the bigger numbers come from (watch BRS videos on XR15 diffuser if you have not already). In my tank the top braces (15mm acrylic) pretty much block the point of intersection, so I had to add more rock get the 'shelf' higher and will probably have to accept 200-250 PAR at the rock level which is disappointing after laying down $3k (AUD) on lights

 

[EmptyWallet]

Sorry so in short - yes you need a PAR meter and will either need to add a third XR15 OR put your SPS frags under the point of intersection (assuming no tank bracing front to back).

If your in the US BRS rent PAR meters? I use a Seneye - and seem to bring it out everytime I get new corals and also use it for ammonia monitoring when QT'ing fish

 

[ScottR]

I agree that lighting is important. But flow is also really important. SPS need good flow. A friend of mine showed me a video of one of his dives and a colony of torch corals were getting blasted back and forth by the current. The ocean has some power. If you watch BRS videos, the top of their tanks have so much movement. Also, if you add more lighting, I’m sure a T5 fixture with your current LEDs will make a good hybrid light.

 

[Feldo]

I rented a par meter from BRS. Hoping this will help with finding the actual light readings.

What were the results?

 

[Jaysushi]

I can't thank @Chaswood79 enough because ever since he let me borrow his PAR meter everything has been doing very well. I was always so confused because my parameters were stable and in check, but acros were declining slowly. I began to raise the intensity on my Radion overtime to an overall intensity of 95% and things have never looked better.

 

[Ocelaris]

I'm in the alkalinity and calcium dosing camp. I've never had any luck without dosing. Get the doser back online and check alkalinity daily for a week or two until you have it dialed in. Weekly water changes will help, but they're not a solution long term. Once you're stable, bi-weekly alkalinity checks are almost mandatory until you have good growth. Phosphates are very important also, make sure they're not too low and weekly nitrate and phosphate checks aren't too frequent.