What's wrong with my first sps?

[Chiefmaster30]

What's wrong with my first sps? Tanks 2 yrs old with all parameters good. Lps, rbta, everything else all looks good.

 

[Jason mack]

Following !

 

[masssnapz]

Are you referring to the brown/tan color ? How did it look when you bought it ? Were the blues on when you bought it ?

 

[prsnlty]

How stable is alk? Do you have enough fish poo to feed them? Should keep no3 at about 2.5-5ppm max. 0 no3 and po4 starves SPS unless supplements are added 1 hr after lights out.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

This is what it looked like when I first got it. Now the tip of that one side looks to me to be turning white and the polyps are gone.

 

[prsnlty]

Have you had an alk spike or unstable alk? It looks and sounds that way or or is starving

 

[nervousmonkey]

+1

 

[reefwiser]

What is your Alk level at? What lighting are you using?

 

[Chiefmaster30]

No! Alkalinity has been pretty steady at 9.3

 

[Chiefmaster30]

I have two Mars Aqua lights. Whites set around 30% and blues at 60%. I have them on a timer where blues come on first for 10hrs a day at 12am to 10pm. Whites are on for 6 hrs a day from 2pm to 8pm.

 

[prsnlty]

Ok. What are the rest of your parameters, lighting schedule, size of tank, what do you feed/ supplement and livestock. All this information may seem a little much but it helps us to pinpoint what could be causing it. Otherwise we would just be guessing without knowing your system

 

[Chiefmaster30]

Salinity 1.025
Ph 8
Mag 1150
Cal 400
Alk 9.3
Nitrate 0 nitrites 0 ammonia 0
Phosphate 0.2
Temp 78-79

 

[prsnlty]

Salinity 1.025
Ph 8
Mag 1150
Cal 400
Alk 9.3
Nitrate 0 nitrites 0 ammonia 0
Phosphate 0.2
Temp 78-79

You need a small amount of no3 and mg is low. Should be at least 1280. If you can get some outside air to your skimmer may also help to raise ph just a little, reverse sump light overnight and/Or co2 scrubber.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

It's a 120 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump. I feed frozen every other day and pellets the off days. I feed a mix of reef chili and coral frenzy 3 x a week. I have some caulerpa, dragons breath, and chaeto in my sump. The only thing I dose is nopox daily and magnesium.

 

[prsnlty]

It's a 120 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump. I feed frozen every other day and pellets the off days. I feed a mix of reef chili and coral frenzy 3 x a week. I have some caulerpa, dragons breath, and chaeto in my sump. The only thing I dose is nopox daily and magnesium.

Ok, lighten up a little in the nopox so you get a small amount of no3 or add more fish

 

[prsnlty]

For five years I couldn't get SPS to grow to save my life. My tank was too clean and my pH was a little low like yours. And all it took was adding 32 fish, an airline from my skimmer to outside and the acro's grew

 

[Chiefmaster30]

Wow! That's a lot of fish. I alcually just added 3 fish yesterday.

 

[prsnlty]

Wow! That's a lot of fish. I alcually just added 3 fish yesterday.

Lol I have a 180g i still have all but 8 chromis and 2 pj cardinals. Chromis downsize their school if they feel there isn't enough room. Of this bunch I have 3 large tangs and a yellow eye Kole tang.

 

[Jason mack]

For five years I couldn't get SPS to grow to save my life. My tank was too clean and my pH was a little low like yours. And all it took was adding 32 fish, an airline from my skimmer to outside and the acro's grew

32 fish ........ really .......... 32 ........ fish .......

 

[prsnlty]

32 fish ........ really .......... 32 ........ fish .......

Lol yes. Most stay small. Doesn't even look like I had* 32 fish in the tank.

Edit: I now have 25 after the loss of the chromis' and an orange shoulder a while back. I lost a diamond goby from a power outage and replaced him though. I have no plans for more fish. The pbt doesn't like newbies.