Stylopora dieing and parameters need your advise

[PhishFriends]

I've had this Stylo for a month now. It seemed happy for a few weeks and recently has been receding fast. I'm also new to sps.
I've had issues keeping my nitrates and phosphates up, and that's probably the real post here. I use Salifert tests. Here's my spread;
Nitrates - 0.2
Phosphates - 0ish
Ph- 8.05
Alkalinity -8.9
Magnesium- never changed color! 0?
Alright found another problem while making this post. What do you recommend to get magnesium levels back up? Recently used a small amount of Kalkwasser in my Ato, could that have made it plummet?
Calcium is right around 500. Feeling like Kalkwasser was a bad idea right now.

I've been holding off on doing a water change for a few weeks trying to bring my nitrates and phosphates up a bit, but I'm going to do one to try and rectify my other 3 parameters.
As for nitrates and phosphates, I have 2 clowns and a starry blenny (not much algae to eat obv) who loves frozen and pellets. I feed them all a quarter frozen cube in the morning, and pellets they eat for a minute/minute and a half in the evening. I also use AB+ and reef chili every second or 3rd day. And nitrates and phosphates won't budge..
I obviously need some expertise here

 

[dstockwell]

What salt are you using. What tester did you use for mag, maybe a false reading and need to check again. Neophos will raise phosphate, or feed more.

 

[PhishFriends]

All tests were Salifert. I ran it twice, and got nothing. Just did a 15% water change and the titration happens right at the end of the test.. what would consume Mg like that? I use Reef Crystals salt.
My fish seem like little fatties, feeding more than what I do would be fine? I've never been able to get nitrates and phosphates up. I do have alot of rock for my tank, then also some rock in my fuge.. which I have chaeto in. So it's my fault I realize. I've just tried avoiding the algae blooms, but now I'm on the other end of it.

 

[Duffer]

magnesium not changing color does not mean zero, what it is actually telling you is above 1400, which may not be a bad thing..that does look like stn...phosphates have to come up, either dose phosphates or feed reef roids..

 

[dstockwell]

I tried the feeding more, didn't work So I now use Sodium Nitrate if needed.

 

[Duffer]

add more reagent and keep on testing till change color...than add the numbers up..

 

[PhishFriends]

Your right. I panicy looked at it backwards. Last test was at 1470. So mags high and calcium is high.. is that bad or just stop using Kalk and wait it out.
Reef roids will bump up my phosphates?

 

[Duffer]

Your right. I panicy looked at it backwards. Last test was at 1470. So mags high and calcium is high.. is that bad or just stop using Kalk and wait it out.
Reef roids will bump up my phosphates?

reef roids will definitely get phosphates up...mag and calcium are a little high but not that high i see that would cause that issue...where the whit is,do you see any polp or is it completely white(bleached)..stlylo have a tendency at the base to be white,

 

[PhishFriends]

reef roids will definitely get phosphates up...mag and calcium are a little high but not that high i see that would cause that issue...where the whit is,do you see any polp or is it completely white(bleached)..stlylo have a tendency at the base to be white,

Most of it is bleach white, so I can just barely see polyps. It started whitening on the underside of branches at first and thought I should just move it up my rockwork. I did that, but hasn't done anything good..
Should I try and fix parameters and see if I can save it, or frag what's left while trying to fix parameters?

 

[Duffer]

Most of it is bleach white, so I can just barely see polyps. It started whitening on the underside of branches at first and thought I should just move it up my rockwork. I did that, but hasn't done anything good..
Should I try and fix parameters and see if I can save it, or frag what's left while trying to fix parameters?

me personally i would frag the good areas...but thats me...i'm hoping some others will chime in and help you before you frag..

 

[PhishFriends]

Alright. Also never fragged before, but it seems relatively easy.

 

[PhishFriends]

Two questions now. Are reef roids and reef chili basically the same and I should just up my feeding? And do we think it's the nitrate phosphates levels that are killing the Stylo, or the high Ca Mg?

 

[exnisstech]

Following. I have one quite a bit larger that is doing the same thing and has been for several months but still seems to be growing. I thought maybe the lower part was getting shaded but not really sure as I'm pretty new to SPS.

 

[PhishFriends]

Following. I have one quite a bit larger that is doing the same thing and has been for several months but still seems to be growing. I thought maybe the lower part was getting shaded but not really sure as I'm pretty new to SPS.

Mine was acting more like yours is and seemed like it was just shading. In the past two days it turned into a brighter white and seems far less happy. I'd heard that styos base often go white from my lfs shopkeep. But then I looked in his display and that was not the case.. I'm gonna frag tomorrow.
You don't happen to have near zero nitrate phosphates do you?

 

[Spare time]

Dose the reef energy daily and possibly in a higher amount. That will alleviate possible issues of 0 nitrate

 

[exnisstech]

You don't happen to have near zero nitrate phosphates do you?

Not in this tank. But to be honest the tank has been up for a few years and stable so the only think I test regularly is alk because I drip kalk and dose a small amount of 2 part. I target 8dkh.