SPS No growth...

[PNW_reefer]

have a bunch of sps frags and haven’t seen any growth in weeks... I setup a calcium reactor earlier this year and have been working to get it dialed in. Tank is 50g corner, hydra 26hd light. Parameters are: alk 9.5, calcium 430, magnesium 1200, phosphate 0, nitrate 5. I dose Red Sea nutrition A/B a couple times a week.

Could it just be the changing parameters til I dial in the reactor? Lightning?

 

[happyhourhero]

Light, low p04 and flow would be what I would look into adjusting. Assuming the parameters above are kept fairly stable.

 

[Fudsey]

IMO a single Hydra on that tank is too little light for SPS. Unless you are trying only to grow them directly under the light with lower light needing LPS on the outskirts?

 

[PNW_reefer]

Light, low p04 and flow would be what I would look into adjusting. Assuming the parameters above are kept fairly stable.

I’ll get a pic of lighting schedule posted, but all sps are high up in the tank or on frag rack higher up. Mp40 operates between 20-40% throughout the day.

 

[sk8elenex92]

I would say you need at last one more light. Those likes are so spotty.

 

[PNW_reefer]

I’m looking at upgrading to a Radion instead. Trying to find one for sale with RMS mount. Hoping that might help too

 

[Bpb]

Keep in mind also that even under good conditions it can take new sps frags a while to get going, especially if you move them around on a frag rack a bunch. Even under absolutely perfect conditions sps can take several weeks and sometimes months to start putting on satisfactory growth

 

[Scorpius]

Any algae issues? If not, I say they need some detectable phosphates and more light.

 

[pdiehm]

have a bunch of sps frags and haven’t seen any growth in weeks... I setup a calcium reactor earlier this year and have been working to get it dialed in. Tank is 50g corner, hydra 26hd light. Parameters are: alk 9.5, calcium 430, magnesium 1200, phosphate 0, nitrate 5. I dose Red Sea nutrition A/B a couple times a week.

Could it just be the changing parameters til I dial in the reactor? Lightning?

i feel your pain. I have a Stylophora sitting in about 200 par, good water movement. Polyps are out, but I haven't seen any noticeable growth. I did notice that my display temperature was about 2-3 degrees lower than my sump (75-76 in display, 78.5 in sump). Raised the temp in the sump by 1 degree. Wonder if that is part of the issue.

My light is the Photon 48 (version 1) at 100% blue, 30% white.

What about turning the light so it's pucks are horizonal vs vertical?

 

[jda]

I think that tank needs a pair of XR30s or at least 3 XR15s to cover for SPS.

I also agree with more light. Can you get access to a PAR meter? I might bet that those frags in the rack off to the side are not even getting 100 PAR. While PAR is not an absolute number, or anything, it is a nice guide to get you some of the way to a conclusion about lighting.

Are you using anything to artificially strip phosphate? GFO, LC, organic carbon, etc.? If so, then get a Hannah Ultra Low Checker (HI 736) because you could be stripping to much. If not, then you do have some phosphate that your test kit cannot detect and you are fine.

 

[rkpetersen]

With what you have there already, I would rotate the light 45 degrees, so that more light projects to the right corner and right back wall. I would also lower the light several more inches toward the water; even small decreases in distance can have a substantial effect due to the inverse square law. Many sps love magnesium, especially monti's, and your magnesium is rather low; fortunately it's easy and safe to supplement that and get it up over 1300. Ditto to what jda said about phosphate.

 

[PNW_reefer]

I do have some algae growing, so I would imagine the phosphate isn’t truly 0. I’ll try and get access to a par meter here in town, and raise the magnesium

 

[Bps619]

i have the same problem. I found out it was because i looked at my corals every 8 seconds. Stop staring and they will grow. all joking aside, i hope you figure it out and get them rolling.

 

[rkpetersen]

STOP LOOKING AT ME! ;Jawdrop