Trying to grow sps

[ou12004]

You don't have to have a lot of things to keep SPS, like sumps, reactors, dosers, coral food, 2,000 dollar LEDs, etc but some of these things help. With an ATO, I minimized swings in temp and salinity caused by me dumping in a gallon or 2 of fresh water at a time in a 29 gallon tank which was negatively affecting my SPS. If someone adds small amounts of top off water everyday, then they may not need one, but if you are losing corals and your other parameters are correct them maybe the salinity and temp swings are the problem. I didn't realize stable parameters where that controversial.

 

[jman9331]

for ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and ph I used API all the others I used salifert

 

[dankreef]

Not automating your system with at least an ato is crazy imo. Keeps your salt level from flux you can't be there 24:7 at the perfect time. Everything you can automate makes enjoying the system easier.

 

[bhuyett]

You need to throw the API Nitrate test kit away, because it isn't accurate and doesn't measure low enough.

 

[bhuyett]

Let's also talk lights and placement of your SPS corals.

How far up did you place your corals from the water surface? Then how high up are your LEDs from the surface of the water?

 

[aereaus]

If like to add my two cent and it just happens to be one thing no one else has mentioned. Dissolved organic compounds -- i have struggled with SPS in the past just like you have and gotten exactly the same results as you are experiencing. What I noticed was that the more different corals I kept the more I had issues with SPS -- namely Acropora. I started studying possible causes and nothing seemed likely. What I finally stumbled upon that really seemed to be the only possibility was a high concentration of DOCs. Even with weekly 25% water changes I had all the signs, water in the sump occasionally would look oily on the surface and have bubbles in it, pH would not go above 8.2, random patches of cyano would pop up and go away and a lot of detritus in the sump ( i thought it was somehow getting through my filter socks) what I didnt understand at that point was detritus is actually formed when DOCs become so heavy in the water they literally fall out and form detritus. To sum up, I put a bigger more effective skimmer on the tank, controlled feeding more and put two media reactors on the tank. One for GFO and one for extruded carbon, every since I have had 0 issues with Acros

 

[aereaus]

And maybe I should add that just like you Nitrates were consistently under 1ppm and p04 was never detectible although I supposed p03 could have existed but we cant test for that with hobbiest kits

 

[Squid]

At this point I wouldn't worry so much about the kh. You aren't carbon dosing so 10.5 isn't going to kill anything, and that is within range. Water changes aren't going to lower it because it's coming from the salt you are using. And manually lowering it will cause you one more swing in parameters you don't need. Like Russ said, have the lfs test your water and if their numbers match yours start testing often and work and keeping the numbers stable. Once you're confident in that start worrying about correct flow and par.

With low nutrients and high dkh, sps are more prone to burning tips and slowing/starving for nutrients. lowering the dkh responsibly won't cause some crazy Ill fated swing.

 

[bubbaque]

One rw-8 doesn't seem like enough flow to me for a 75gl. I am not sure if that would kill your coral but I would definately add more flow.

 

[mardoon]

here is my sps but takes time

 

[Russ265]

Not automating your system with at least an ato is crazy imo. Keeps your salt level from flux you can't be there 24:7 at the perfect time. Everything you can automate makes enjoying the system easier.

again... convenience.

i can grow sps with a good light
sps wont grow with a good ato. show me ONE sps tank that has awesome growth because of an ato... never will happen. ill outgrow them any day of the week.

i agree that its good to automate. However to say without an ato you will fail is disingenuous at best.

also if your 29 gallon tank evapped 3 gallons you took a 2 week vacation.

doc is quite a stretch as well. i have no skimmer and grow whatever sps i want.

i think the op is missing something else

im not trying to be a jerk... but lets get a bit more real here.

 

[aereaus]

again... convenience.

i can grow sps with a good light
sps wont grow with a good ato. show me ONE sps tank that has awesome growth because of an ato... never will happen. ill outgrow them any day of the week.

i agree that its good to automate. However to say without an ato you will fail is disingenuous at best.

also if your 29 gallon tank evapped 3 gallons you took a 2 week vacation.

all this garbage about doc is dumb too. i have no skimmer and grow whatever sps i want.

i think the op is missing something else

im not trying to be a jerk... but lets get a bit more real here. you kids on the ato or skimmer bandwagon need to get with the times.

Maybe not trying but you are still succeeding in being one. Next time I have something I feel may be useful to the conversation Ill make sure to pass it by you and Kirby.

 

[jman9331]

Let's also talk lights and placement of your SPS corals.

How far up did you place your corals from the water surface? Then how high up are your LEDs from the surface of the water?

I had them on top of the Rock and the lights running at 65/70

 

[Russ265]

I had them on top of the Rock and the lights running at 65/70

not your lights. i can PROMISE you. this is just internet reader stuff.

 

[Russ265]

Maybe not trying but you are still succeeding in being one. Next time I have something I feel may be useful to the conversation Ill make sure to pass it by you and Kirby.

just make sure you show me sps polyp extension or that extra 1/4 because of an ato...

wont ever happen.

if you want to "prove" this in a growoff i will oblige.

ask how all those skimmer kids are feeling right about now....(and in my opinion they make more of an impact than your lowly ato)

i hate disinformation with a passion.

if old boy is taking a hand at sps for the very first time, he is gonna make sure water didnt evap like a kid who doesnt look at his tank for a week or so.

 

[aereaus]

Thats part of the issue in this hobby -- someone genuinely has a problem people try to help and some self righteous ****** comes along that just knows so much better than everyone else that they not only have to give their opinion but also argue against other peoples opinions. Lol, it isnt a contest friend -- its a hobby. There are a lot of well intentioned people who simply want to share their opinion and leave it at that. They might be wrong and they might be right however its up to the OP to decide which steps he may want to consider.

 

[Russ265]

Thats part of the issue in this hobby -- someone genuinely has a problem people try to help and some self righteous ****** comes along that just knows so much better than everyone else that they not only have to give their opinion but also argue against other peoples opinions. Lol, it isnt a contest friend -- its a hobby. There are a lot of well intentioned people who simply want to share their opinion and leave it at that. They might be wrong and they might be right however its up to the OP to decide which steps he may want to consider.

call me whatever you want. ato's dont save corals. much less grow them. guy has water param issues. could be his salinity is too high. but that is NOT because he doesnt have an ato.

crawl back under the rock where the skimmer kids lie. they are reeling at my sps growth and no skimmer.

maybe show me this magic ato process where polyps extend and growth magnifies. it doesnt make a difference if the quality isnt there. ato doesnt even improve quality. it just hydrates.

now go look up internet memes to your heart's content but you are not helping this guy.

and yes. im coming off as a jerk... but dear lord, you guys act like you just started reefing yesterday.

 

[aereaus]

I never said ATOs did anything but if ran correctly they can certainly help keep parameters solid along with a great dosing plan. I dont mean to get the thread off track so Im not gonna respond to you again. Have a good one buddy and make sure to write a book -- from the sounds of it youd make Sprung and Paletta jealous with knowledge!

 

[Russ265]

I never said ATOs did anything but if ran correctly they can certainly help keep parameters solid along with a great dosing plan. I dont mean to get the thread off track so Im not gonna respond to you again. Have a good one buddy and make sure to write a book -- from the sounds of it youd make Sprung and Paletta jealous with knowledge!

from the look of it. my actions prove what i say. ive fought this battle with kids on youtube thinking skimmers were necessary. how do you think you'll feel when i destroy kids with atos.

im not invalidating ato's convenience. oh boy and they are convenient. HOWEVER! sps do not thrive on atos.

give me a decent light over an ato any day.

lets not run this guy astray.

from my "limited" experience he has a water quality issue. not an ato issue. could salinity be too high? sure. is it what caused his melt down.... doubtful at best.

telling the guy "well if you had an ato he would have grown 10 extra branches" at the next frag expo is dumb

what do i know op? i am "crazy"

 

[aereaus]

Actually what I originally posted was to do with DOCs which you also called dumb but was the source of my problem before as even though all my levels were perfect I had a very high TDS in the tank and alot of dissolved organics as indicated by a number of things. If you dont believe having high levels of dissolved organics can cause issues then I would suggest researching that. It has been linked to ALOT of maladies.