Trouble with SPS - Triton Test Results

[OffRoad322]

Hi All,
Having trouble with SPS coral bleaching and dying. Chalices are having trouble too. Euphyllia seems fine.

Temp: 78 F
Nitrate: 15
Alk: 8.0
Salinity: 1.025

Here are the Triton test results...it shows high salinity, but I went for 1.026 to 1.025 over a week with small water changes.

 

[Crabs McJones]

What lighting is over the tank?

 

[OffRoad322]

80gal SCA tank with two Hydra 26 HD's running BRS AB+ schedule.

 

[Juniorh2r]

It could be the lights

 

[Crabs McJones]

Do you know what sort of par numbers your corals are receiving?

 

[OffRoad322]

If it's the lights should I increase intensity? How many watts should be in the peak?

Anything stand out as a problem on the Triton test?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

BRS ab+ maxes out around 54 watts per 26 hd, so you have a total of 108 watts on an 80 gallon if I remember correctly. I have 2-52 HD’s over my sca 50 at 120 watts each, 240 total. You probably need more light. I would max them out and add some t5’s or a couple more 26’s

 

[maroun.c]

SPS would brown out most likely if lighting wasn't enough but not bleach. Also most chalices are low to medium light so I doubt light is an issue.
Are you ligth acclimating the corals? could it be that they came from underlit tanks and you're burnign them?
any pests or is it possible yuo're having alk or temps shifts taht might be affecting the corals? how old is the setup and how long have you had the corals?

 

[OffRoad322]

Chaswood79 what schedule do you run?

Maroun - most recent forest fire digitata did brown that's why I'm worried it's the lights.

What par level should SPS get at the top of the tank?

 

[Pete_the_Puma]

I think you have an issue,

Looking at the Macro elements (the stuff that makes up most of the Salinity/specific gravity) all your numbers are WAY high. Your Na is 13250 and the set point is 10700, that is 25% over the set value!!!

My guess is you are measuring specific gravity wrong and your actual SG is more like 1.030 or more. You need a good calibrated refractometer. How were you measuring SG?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Chaswood79 what schedule do you run?

Maroun - most recent forest fire digitata did brown that's why I'm worried it's the lights.

What par level should SPS get at the top of the tank?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Chaswood79 what schedule do you run?

Maroun - most recent forest fire digitata did brown that's why I'm worried it's the lights.

What par level should SPS get at the top of the tank?

 

[Twistedpro]

its not lights, your salinity is massively high which is pushing up potassium, calcium magnesium bromine, you need to reduce this with water changes that have a lower salinity. potassium at 490 will cause problems but double check salinity first

 

[OffRoad322]

I am using an Icecap Salinity pen...it's showing 1.026 specific gravity. Could there be an issue with the pen? I replaced battery and tested again and got the same result.

 

[Twistedpro]

Do you have a calibration solution? Or dissolve 35g of fresh salt in 1litre of r/o and measure that and see what you get.

 

[BestMomEver]

I am using an Icecap Salinity pen...it's showing 1.026 specific gravity. Could there be an issue with the pen? I replaced battery and tested again and got the same result.

My hubby is a chemist/quality manager at a large chemical plant. He uses pH meters, refractometers, etc every day. He says that they calibrate almost every instrument every time they use them. It’s really the only way to have totally (as much as is possible) accurate results. Get a good refractometer that you can calibrate whenever you need to.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

I would verify the pen with calibration fluid.

Edit: I type to slow.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

+1 on verifying your salinity
How are you maintaining your po4 at 0.018?

 

[bluprntguy]

My hubby is a chemist/quality manager at a large chemical plant. He uses pH meters, refractometers, etc every day. He says that they calibrate almost every instrument every time they use them. It’s really the only way to have totally (as much as is possible) accurate results. Get a good refractometer that you can calibrate whenever you need to.

Seems like overkill for a reef tank. I haven't calibrated my Hanna Salinity Checker for like 2 months. I was going to calibrate it yesterday, but decided to just check it with a bottle of calibration fluid that I have. It read 34.98 PPT. Close enough for me and I didn't have to waste a calibration sachet.

 

[OffRoad322]

+1 on verifying your salinity
How are you maintaining your po4 at 0.018?

PO4 is mainted by an algae scrubber.