SPS noob needs some help!
- Thread starter PDR
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I already did figure it out. Just kidding. Well....
Mostly kidding
It's probably just a type of coraline or maybe even a colored type of sponge. If it doesn't blow away from a Turkey baster or powerhead, then don't worry about it (which would indicate cyano or some type of turf algae). I've had similar growths on my live rock over the years, although the basic light purple coraline seems to win out and dominate the rock structure over time
KrisReef
10K Club member
I really appreciate the time you took to reply! Thank you!
I am in the process of adding new powerheads (today). After they are added, my turnover should be in the 50x-60x range. It's about 30-40x now.
For reference, the SPS are placed 9" under the water line directly under the center fixture. Ideally, I would have more light, but I tried to choose some SPS that others have had luck with in lower par. I have also done quite a bit more research on these lights (a lot of which I had already read when I was setting them up) and my approximations are right in line with what others have found with a par meter.
As of today, the red planet seems about the same, but the Joe the Coral is looking worse. There is more tissue recession on the tips and it is starting to grow some brown algae on the tips. Should I go ahead and frag the tips?
I don't doubt the flame angel may occasionally nip some of them, but no more than I have seem my tangs "nip" at them. That may explain the polyp extension issue, and otherwise, my red cap and digitata seem healthy. The stylo also seems more or less ok.
Here are some pictures I took after lights out, hopefully you can see the condition a little better.
I went ahead and changed my carbon out a few days early. I have not done any water changes or dosed anything in the last few days. I plan to start dosing 2 part again today as the levels should be right where I want them now.
Also worth pointing out, when I would dose my alk at night, the powerheads would blow the "white alk cloud" directly over all the sps before dissolving fully. Any way that could have caused issues?
That's a yellow card, followed by a red.
I doubt that stability would look like alk clouds blowing across your acros, and I do think that could cause them stress. I would aim your powerheads more towards the surface of the tank. A current blast directly at a coral can easily cause them to retract their polyps. That kind of current is what happens in storms surges and the corals tuck their wavey parts away when the waves threaten to rip them off. Ok, I might be a little dramatic, but your retracted corals look like they are in too much direct powerhead current to me.
And additives (Ca & Alk, Mg, etc) generally need to be well dissolved and gently & slowly added into the tank to avoid chemical burns to the corals' delicate flesh. (Those clouds are probably like taking a handful of table salt and rubbing it in your eyes.)
The light; you need a meter to measure that. Guessing if it is low or high is betting red or black on a roulette table. Some of the published info may help you beat the odds, but it doesn't give you the PAR that your corals are receiving.
Corals need good current, good light, and great water quality all at the same time to thrive. I trust you will find the sweet spot with time and effort. Godspeed.
Hemmdog
10K Club member
Why does everyone swear by low alk? Red Sea Coral Pro is 10.5 alk and I know many people who have success growing acros with it, me not being one of them I suffer from the same issue as the OP lol. But why does high alk and low nutrient work just fine for some people?
Uhhhh, besides the fact that the alkalinity on corals reefs is below 7??? I like lower alk because I’ve learned it gives me a larger margin of error if my nutrients drop, which happens all the time because my acros are growing so fast. Also, because I killed $10,000 worth of acros when my alk was above 8 and I’ve killed zero since I’ve dropped it below 8. I don’t believe acros grow faster with higher alk, especially considering the mortality rate associated with it. I’ve had many discussions with acro collectors and farmers and they all try to keep their alk below 8.
I’m not the OP with the problems. I was showing what a healthy Joe the Coral looks like.
Why? Because corals are very adaptable and can thrive in a wide range of environments.
I choose to run my alk around 8.0 dkh, as that is closer to NSW levels. Plus, my salt mixes up to lower alk levels, so it's just easier when doing water changes.
Elevated alk / calcium levels can increase calcification, but I find a lower alk is just more forgiving where I don't have to stress quite as much about my light and nutrient levels.
Hemmdog
10K Club member
What salt would you recommend then that isn’t a fortune like tropic Marin ?
J
Jason Fox uses Instant Ocean. I use tropic Marin pro but a lot of collectors and farmers use instant ocean or Red Sea blue bucket, but a lot of them use muriatic acid or an air stone to drop the alk below 8.
@Chaswood79 gave you some good recommendations. You can do a search in the forum for salt mixes. There's probably more pages you'd care to read on the "best" salt mix. I think we may be derailing the OP thread a bit
Agreed, but the OP hasn’t chimed in awhile, so our acro a,d,d kicked in.
Sorry, didn't mean to just disappear, had some tank stuff to take care of, then had to help get my sick baby in bed and a late dinner.
They were actually still just as hard as the rest of the skeleton and the algae blew off easily.
This tank only uses .3 dkh a day. I have been manually dosing it (dosers arrive on Wednesday), but I have been slowly adding it over a 5 min period, still not ideal, but it wasn't like I just dumped it all in.
I really appreciate the input. I can almost guarantee they are getting much more than 100 par at that depth. They are most likely getting (based on quite a bit of research and confirmation with a waterproof lux meter) 180-200 par at that depth. I understand this is still not ideal, but far from what should kill them in a matter of days. In fact, I was just reading a thread where someone had acros growing quite well in about 150 par. Also according to the par readings took of the WWC tanks, they have quite a few acros growing in the 180-200 range. I would test it to be 100% sure, but unfortunately I do not have access to a par meter and do not have the funds to buy one atm.
Thank you for your comments. Yes, I agree that is not what stability looks like, which is why I have dosers on the way. My powerheads are aimed at the surface, but the current meets in the middle of the tank and then gets directed down towards the sps. I also have two ph's on the back that blow into the current to help break it up, they are all on random mode. From everything I can observe and what I have read, I do not believe they are receiving too much flow or strong direct flow.
FWIW, WWC keeps their alk at 8.5, just food for thought.
They were actually still just as hard as the rest of the skeleton and the algae blew off easily.
This tank only uses .3 dkh a day. I have been manually dosing it (dosers arrive on Wednesday), but I have been slowly adding it over a 5 min period, still not ideal, but it wasn't like I just dumped it all in.
I really appreciate the input. I can almost guarantee they are getting much more than 100 par at that depth. They are most likely getting (based on quite a bit of research and confirmation with a waterproof lux meter) 180-200 par at that depth. I understand this is still not ideal, but far from what should kill them in a matter of days. In fact, I was just reading a thread where someone had acros growing quite well in about 150 par. Also according to the par readings took of the WWC tanks, they have quite a few acros growing in the 180-200 range. I would test it to be 100% sure, but unfortunately I do not have access to a par meter and do not have the funds to buy one atm.
Thank you for your comments. Yes, I agree that is not what stability looks like, which is why I have dosers on the way. My powerheads are aimed at the surface, but the current meets in the middle of the tank and then gets directed down towards the sps. I also have two ph's on the back that blow into the current to help break it up, they are all on random mode. From everything I can observe and what I have read, I do not believe they are receiving too much flow or strong direct flow.
FWIW, WWC keeps their alk at 8.5, just food for thought.
No need to be defensive, I was just pointing out that they have been successful with alk above 8.0, that's all. I'm not sure I understand the difference a calcium reactor and larger water volume makes on the overall alk level?
I have 2 hydra 52 HD’s over a 50 gallon cube
This is a 10” depth measurement with both set to 40 watts, or 80 watts total
149
Here’s another one at 20 watts each or 40 total
98
This is a 10” depth measurement with both set to 40 watts, or 80 watts total
149
Here’s another one at 20 watts each or 40 total
98
510 model so there’s no conversion required for led.I have 2 hydra 52 HD’s over a 50 gallon cube
This is a 10” depth measurement with both set to 40 watts, or 80 watts total
149
Here’s another one at 20 watts each or 40 total
98
I wasn’t trying to sound defensive, just trying to shed light on variables that don’t apply to the common reefer with a 30-150 gallon tank. We don’t have a full staff of employees testing, changing filter pads, feeding every hour, etc. And the majority of us don’t have self cleaning skimmer heads, 12 xr30 pros with T5’s and 100 established colonies. So yes, you’re right, 8.5 alk can and does work for some, but for me it doesn’t. If wwc was asking me why their Joe the coral was stressed, I would just shrug and say “ shouldnt you know that?” But your title said “sps noob needs help” so I thought I would share my failures, which sound similar to what you’re going through, and what I did to reverse those failures into success’s. We’re all just trying to help. I hope your little one feels better soon.
