SPS not looking great!
- Thread starter Dan Kyle
- Start date
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Flippers4pups
Fins up since 1993
I also like the scape as well, but it doesn't look very porous.
Nburg's Reef
High-Rise Reefer
Looks like Caribsea Liferock Shapes. I have used it for over a year and i believe it does a good job. I have the problem of undetectable nitrates no matter how much I feed.
It does look pretty sterile in there so I wonder if it was too much light and too little usable food.
I doubt 50 watts would be too much light. Definitely low nutrients from skimmer, chaeto, nopox and I believe OP was using gfo earlier
OP
OP
Dan Kyle
Active Member
Bang on! That is the rock I have used. I didn’t go for live rock in this tank although I have 2 small pieces of life rock just to help seed it with Caroline.
OP
OP
Dan Kyle
Active Member
Thank you. It’s a nice scape I agree. It’s not the best for coral placement though unless you glue the suckers on there but it’s not hard
OP
OP
Dan Kyle
Active Member
Yeah I haven’t had any issues with it, least I don’t think so
it was a pain to cycle and took considerably longer than it would have done if I had used live rock but I’m happy with it. I believe it takes about a year to become ‘live’?Flippers4pups
Fins up since 1993
Dan,
What I can give to the thread on SPS health is pretty broad and without going in to deep on technical info, these are the things that can effect their health:
1. Water quality. All things equal like SG, water pramameters, temp, alk.....etc. Pramameter swings are big stressors, so stability long term is big.
Water contaminants are also very detrimental leading to stress and death, depending on what the contaminants are. Air borne contaminants, household cleaners, air fresheners.....etc are to be avoided.
Water source contaminants that are not removed during RO/DI can and do build up. Heavy metals, chloramine and chlorine are death sentence. Always use RO/DI water with 0 TDS.
A water test such as icp Triton to determine what is in the water may yield usable information when hobby tests look nominal.
2. Nutrients. Stable N03 at least 5 ppm and P04 at trace, 0.02. Most if not all SPS can be healthy and colorful with these basic amounts.
3. Trace elements. Necessary for health and color. Good reef salt mix will provide these with water changes. Frequency of water changes and the amount of corals will determine this. Weekly to monthly changes need. If longer, supplement these elements.
4. Lighting and par. Most corals, including SPS will do fine with 200-300 PAR. Too high, bleaching. Too low, browning and loss of color. Proper spectrum is also key. 400-500 nm. Proper photoperiod, 8-9hrs. Expect shaded areas to have less color or in the case of colonies, death in these areas can occur due to lack of photosynthesis and loss of zooxanthellae.
5. Pests. It's very important to dip each and every coral with a coral dip before placing into a system. Quarantine if possible is advisable and retreat if needed. Fish and pest inverts can cause damage and stress. Observe and remove these if possible.
6. Frag/colony health at purchase.
If a coral looks stressed before buying, before placing in your tank, it's likely going to stay stressed or even decline. Can recover, but will take time. Every point above must be spot on for recovery to happen.
7. Coral acclimation. What the coral was use to before you bought it, will be different than what it will encounter in your tank. This is a stressor. Light acclimate every coral at sand bed first. If it does well in a few days, raise it up some and wait a few more days, repeat till it's where you want it.
Water pramameter acclimation as you would new inverts is advisable. Drip acclimate for 1hr+.
8. Flow. Essential for SPS feeding. SPS create a boundary layer around themselves that needs to be pushed aside to allow nutrients to be absorbed through their tissue. Flow should be as high as possible, but as not to damage tissue or polyp extension.
9. Disease. RTN and STN can happen do to damage, bacterial infections. Little is known how to treat, but research is and has been done that indicates use of broad spectrum antibiotics may be where this is heading. Current approach is to frag above the disease line, discarding the infected tissue. Disease may spread to healthy colonies.
Hope this covers most everything.
What I can give to the thread on SPS health is pretty broad and without going in to deep on technical info, these are the things that can effect their health:
1. Water quality. All things equal like SG, water pramameters, temp, alk.....etc. Pramameter swings are big stressors, so stability long term is big.
Water contaminants are also very detrimental leading to stress and death, depending on what the contaminants are. Air borne contaminants, household cleaners, air fresheners.....etc are to be avoided.
Water source contaminants that are not removed during RO/DI can and do build up. Heavy metals, chloramine and chlorine are death sentence. Always use RO/DI water with 0 TDS.
A water test such as icp Triton to determine what is in the water may yield usable information when hobby tests look nominal.
2. Nutrients. Stable N03 at least 5 ppm and P04 at trace, 0.02. Most if not all SPS can be healthy and colorful with these basic amounts.
3. Trace elements. Necessary for health and color. Good reef salt mix will provide these with water changes. Frequency of water changes and the amount of corals will determine this. Weekly to monthly changes need. If longer, supplement these elements.
4. Lighting and par. Most corals, including SPS will do fine with 200-300 PAR. Too high, bleaching. Too low, browning and loss of color. Proper spectrum is also key. 400-500 nm. Proper photoperiod, 8-9hrs. Expect shaded areas to have less color or in the case of colonies, death in these areas can occur due to lack of photosynthesis and loss of zooxanthellae.
5. Pests. It's very important to dip each and every coral with a coral dip before placing into a system. Quarantine if possible is advisable and retreat if needed. Fish and pest inverts can cause damage and stress. Observe and remove these if possible.
6. Frag/colony health at purchase.
If a coral looks stressed before buying, before placing in your tank, it's likely going to stay stressed or even decline. Can recover, but will take time. Every point above must be spot on for recovery to happen.
7. Coral acclimation. What the coral was use to before you bought it, will be different than what it will encounter in your tank. This is a stressor. Light acclimate every coral at sand bed first. If it does well in a few days, raise it up some and wait a few more days, repeat till it's where you want it.
Water pramameter acclimation as you would new inverts is advisable. Drip acclimate for 1hr+.
8. Flow. Essential for SPS feeding. SPS create a boundary layer around themselves that needs to be pushed aside to allow nutrients to be absorbed through their tissue. Flow should be as high as possible, but as not to damage tissue or polyp extension.
9. Disease. RTN and STN can happen do to damage, bacterial infections. Little is known how to treat, but research is and has been done that indicates use of broad spectrum antibiotics may be where this is heading. Current approach is to frag above the disease line, discarding the infected tissue. Disease may spread to healthy colonies.
Hope this covers most everything.
OP
OP
Dan Kyle
Active Member
Thank you, that’s a very informative post and to be honest a lot of that covered what I already knew. I’m receiving my new frags on Friday so I will keep you all updated on a day to day basis.
Flippers4pups
Fins up since 1993
Your welcome. That’s all I have really.
If all your bases are covered and still can’t get to the bottom of why they are off, even with a great deal of time, Get a water test from triton.
Good luck!
If all your bases are covered and still can’t get to the bottom of why they are off, even with a great deal of time, Get a water test from triton.
Good luck!
OP
OP
Dan Kyle
Active Member
I appreciate it.
I am wondering if the powerhead on the left side of the tank at the back was irritating them too. The flow was strong with where they was. It’s practically in direct flow.
I am wondering if the powerhead on the left side of the tank at the back was irritating them too. The flow was strong with where they was. It’s practically in direct flow.
Flippers4pups
Fins up since 1993
Maybe.
Sarah24!
2500 Club Member
Hello,
Definitely a very informative post and is also written to almost any one can comprehend what is being discussed. There are a few things that I didn’t know, (like cleaners etc, my tank is in my living room but also it’s connceted to the kitchen, so cleaning the kitchen make me think).
The second is trace elements. Now I dose alk, calcium, also fuel. But I don’t often do water changes, and for example almost a month ago I tested my mag and it was on. I also dose between .5ml and 1ml of noprox everyday. My corals have good color and steady consistent growth. Some better some less than depending.
I am curious as to, (bare with me) I know we should all do water changes. However, I know because of how the ocean currents work, etc the nutrients are replenished. If we add the basic trace elements to top off water would it be the same? Another example is my tank is 240, and most people say 80 gallons every two weeks. In my case lol that’s a lot of water every month. It’s not that I couldn’t afford it, but I have three 24 hr shifts a week, so (Yes I’m exhausted mainly). So curious to your input on this, and if they need to be this large and frequent on larger tanks?
Flippers4pups
Fins up since 1993
Thank you. I do water changes as a way of adding back some of those elements needed. I do 40 gallons in a month on a 180 gallon total system. Ten gallons a week. So, roughly 20% in a month.
Try 20% a month. 160 gallons a month is quite a lot. Try 60 gallons total. 15 a week. Rely on nutrient export through mechanical export and or a refugium using chaetomorpha.
