Trouble with SPS, birdsnest and candy cane

[gobeach]

I've been trying to add some SPS corals to my tank and have not yet had one survive beyond a month or so.

I'll put my water parameters below and maintenance schedule also. But will explain what happens first.

I've put 2 birdsnest in the tank, the last one, I dipped with CoralRX per directions and the polyp extension when I added it to the tank was great. Over time, the extension disappeared and now there appear to be algae growing on parts of the coral. I looked with a magnifying glass last night and did not see any critters.

I also put in a small frag candy cane in, now it appears that the tissue (?) is receding.

These are my latest attempts, the previous ones I won't go into too much detail as my water was not in good shape so I'm not surprised things didn't go we'll.

I have some LPS that are doing very well, frogspawn, torches, octopus, bubble. All of my softies are thriving.

Livestock: Blue tang and Yellow tang, 4 clowns, sm 6-stripe wrasse, 2-spot goby, tiger goby, neon cleaner goby, 2 cleaner shrimp, sand sifting star, 3 nasarius (sp?) snails

System and water parameters
Tank: 48 x 24 x 20 (100g) rimless
Salinity: 1.025
Cal: 400(API)
Nitrate: 3 (Red Sea)
Phosphate: 0.04 (Halifert)
d/Kh: 9.2 (Red Sea), 7 (API)
Mg: 1480 (Red Sea)
ph: 7.82 - 8.05 (Apex - calibrated 12/8/12)

- LEDs, Sunbrite F00015 series, running max 40%
- ATO- tunze osmilator w/1tsp Kalk per gal in ATO reservoir
- CAD Lights skimmer
- 2 vortex MP 40 on the ends, w/3 small rios on the back wall
- BRS double canister w/carbon and GFO. Change carbon bi-weekly and GFO monthly
- bio pellets, up to 300ml, added 100ml at a time and allowed a month in between adding the next round of pellets. Using two little fishes NPX pellets with output close to input of skimmer.

Started with 70lbs live rock and 100lbs of live sand. I've dealt with some hit hikers (mantis shrimp) and there's at least 1 crab I see ever once in awhile but he doesn't seem to be doing any damage.

I'm going to see if I can put some photos of the birdsnest and candy cane here. (Will follow up w/photos, tapatalk doesn't have access to my photo lib and I don't want to lose this text...)

Thanks in advance for the help.
Cheryl





Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[gobeach]

Some photos

Candy cane, before and now. The before photo shows some recession on the side already. You can also see some of the birdsnest in the before photo.

The birdsnest before and now.

 

[yort265]

I'll be following this...I'm really hoping you get to the root cause of the problem cause your setup sounds about identical to what I'm in the process of building. Hope someone's able to help! Sorry I can't tho!

 

[fjpod]

Not much to go on, but I am think nitrates high? Did you way what your water change schedule is? Try a couple of 20% changes a few days apart.

 

[always reefin]

Need to know what alk is 7-9.2 is a big variance. If 7 it's too low. Might want to invest in a hanna checker for alk, that way you will know exactly what your alk really is.

 

[Steviereefs]

+1 alkalinity

 

[Starblenny]

gobeach... must be a CSULB student eh?

I think running GFO + Biopellets is too much. You might be overstripping your water

 

[gobeach]

Not much to go on, but I am think nitrates high? Did you way what your water change schedule is? Try a couple of 20% changes a few days apart.

Nitrates are at 3ppm

Water change, 10% weekly

 

[gobeach]

gobeach... must be a CSULB student eh?

I think running GFO + Biopellets is too much. You might be overstripping your water

No, I live close to CSULB, GoBeach is my Geocaching name.

Before I was running Biopellets, I couldn't get my nitrates below 20 and Phosphates were stable at 1.25.

 

[7Reefer]

PH is low. You want it to be over 8

 

[dankreef]

Just by the fact that you didn't post your Alk reading. I have 98% confidience that is your issue right there. Alk must stay stable for sps. Also those aptasia will sting sps BADLY.

this >> I have some LPS that are doing very well, frogspawn, torches, octopus, bubble. All of my softies are thriving. gives it away.

 

[gobeach]

Just by the fact that you didn't post your Alk reading. I have 98% confidience that is your issue right there. Alk must stay stable for sps. Also those aptasia will sting sps BADLY.

this >> I have some LPS that are doing very well, frogspawn, torches, octopus, bubble. All of my softies are thriving. gives it away.

I did post my alk

"d/Kh: 9.2 (Red Sea), 7 (API)"

 

[dankreef]

Sorry I missed it somehow when I scanned over. If its reading 7 on the low end try bumping it up slowly and see if you notice any changes. From my observations and personal experiences sps will look like that from either bugs, too high of light, or low alk. I would also remove the carbon and do once a month water changes. Never used pellets either. Just my advice on what I would do. Good luck Carbon & too many water changes will strip too much corals can starve.

 

[ritter6788]

If it was my tank, I'd start by removing everything you absolutely don't need. Kalk, GFO, bio pellets, anything else you are dosing. Do weekly water changes for a while and let everything settle. Test, test, test mainly alkalinity at first. If your alk drops then start some type of dosing program. Don't add anything you don't need to. Your tank shouldn't use much calcium and alk unless you have fast growing sps or clams. The GFO and bio pellets probably don't need to be used together and only if absolutely needed. Get back to the basics and see how your sps do then. Only add something if needed. If alk drops dose for alk. If calcium drops dose for calcium. If phosphates get high use GFO or bio pellets but not at the same time. Don't worry about pH. Keep salinity, calcium,alkalinity and magnesium stable and your pH will follow. Skim well and have good water flow.

 

[always reefin]

If it was my tank, I'd start by removing everything you absolutely don't need. Kalk, GFO, bio pellets, anything else you are dosing. Do weekly water changes for a while and let everything settle. Test, test, test mainly alkalinity at first. If your alk drops then start some type of dosing program. Don't add anything you don't need to. Your tank shouldn't use much calcium and alk unless you have fast growing sps or clams. The GFO and bio pellets probably don't need to be used together and only if absolutely needed. Get back to the basics and see how your sps do then. Only add something if needed. If alk drops dose for alk. If calcium drops dose for calcium. If phosphates get high use GFO or bio pellets but not at the same time. Don't worry about pH. Keep salinity, calcium,alkalinity and magnesium stable and your pH will follow. Skim well and have good water flow.

Agree, very well put

 

[gobeach]

Ok, now I feel like an idiot! It's water testing night, doing the alk first. A light bulb went off and I realized that I was reading the Red Sea kit wrong. I was looking at the fluid level and not the plunger location. The notes remind you to look at plunger rather than liquid.

So, I have an alk problem, it's about 7. I'll start manual dosing tonight with the "B" foundation that came with the Red Sea kit. What a dork.