Having no luck with SPS -- What is wrong?

ps2cho

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
Messages
876
Reaction score
268
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So I have a 30x31x15 60g Shallow Reef /w 20L sump. About 70g total water volume.

Stats:
Tank is 3 months old
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 79F
pH 8.05
Nitrates: Undetectable
Phosphates: No idea -- brown algae masking it
Calcium: 450
Alk: 9.0
Magnesium: 1320

Equipment
Display: Custom Shallow 60g (30" x 31" x 15")
Overflow: Large internal overflow box to maximize surface skimming. Two 1" drains - one primary, one emergency.
Sump: Standard 20g long /w baffles.
Biological Filtration: ~50lbs sand, ~50lbs live rock in DT and ~10lbs live rock in sump
Lighting: Reefbreeders Value LED
Protein Skimmer: SCA 302 skimmer
Controller: Apex Lite. Just need pH Probe.
Heater: 250w Jaeger (primary) and 150W Cobalt Neotherm (backup)

Cooling: Walmart fan
Water Movement: 1x Jebao WP-25 and 1x Eco-Tech Vortech MP10ES + return
ATO: autotopoff.com DS1 Dual Float unit powered by Aqualifter

RODI 0tds water.


Issue: All of my SPS are either really brown, or white/disclored/bleached. The frogspawn, hammer and birdsnest are doing ok, the rest are blah...

I don't really understand what I am doing wrong. I am afraid of adding more frags since I am struggling with my current ones.

Should I let the tank mature further? Why am I struggling?

April14-2.jpg
 

b_rad_G

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 3, 2013
Messages
175
Reaction score
1
Location
the natural state
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Time. 3 months is hardly cycled in my book. Your tank is still very young and needs to mature further.

Also it can take more than 3 months for s frag to color up anyways. That amount of time is like s second in sps .
 
OP
OP
P

ps2cho

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
Messages
876
Reaction score
268
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I transferred the rocks from a prior tank, so I didn't have a cycle really. Stats have been stable minus the PO4 since week 3. I am dosing B-Ionic about 7ml alk and 3ml ca per day.

Should I even consider adding more frags, or just chill for now?

I currently have 2 clowns, 1 royal gramma, 1 kole tang and 2 cleaner shrimp amongst my reefcleaners CUC and all of them are doing ok so far. I feed every other day a mix of mysis, flake and NLS. I haven't been feeding the Tang any seaweed since he seems to be eating the algae in the tank (is this ok?).
 
OP
OP
P

ps2cho

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
Messages
876
Reaction score
268
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
No edit button?

I meant to say with the PO4, my Salifert kit shows undetectable PO4...but I know I have some since there is a layer of brown algae on the rocks that are exposed to the light. Can't get a good reading because of this.
 

arnel0387

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 18, 2013
Messages
220
Reaction score
43
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Wait a few more months. Test and record your calcium, alk, mag, ph, nitrate, and phosphate levels and when you get consistency for at least 1 month, then add birdsnests and montiporas. If you can't can't keep these happy, then something is definitely off.
 

ryecoon

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
1,231
Reaction score
49
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
is your SPS turning brown from the bottom up or starting from the top going down?
 

ryecoon

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
1,231
Reaction score
49
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I had this exact same trouble keeping SPS with almost the same parameters. I kept at it and checked daily made adjustments and finally keeping acros which are thriving. I want to help you. But definitely true about consistency and stability. Even if your numbers are off or a little high/low. The goal is to keep it at that number consistently and make little adjustments at a time and wait for that to take effect. Then monitor. The alk swings kill SPS big time.
 
OP
OP
P

ps2cho

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
Messages
876
Reaction score
268
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Here are some photos....

Some are brown, some are white. I guess I just don't really know how to ID how "happy" they are, or what is amiss...

sps1.jpg
sps2.jpg


Any advice on what you see? I also have a hard time with taking photo's too...My Nikon D5000 I can't get a good focus for crap, and this basic Point and Shoot doesn't exactly get great quality.
 

jcdeng

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Messages
1,475
Reaction score
431
Location
NYC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
SPS are happy if you see PE, brown and bleach might be due to light issue. Brown is not enough, bleach is too much.
 

coralcrazy

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2012
Messages
239
Reaction score
10
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Sps usually browns out because nutrient levels are to high in the tank. This would include phosphate a nitrate among others. Water needs to be clean to have Sps.

Refugium helps, bio pellets, vodka dosing, prodibio all aid in reducing nutrients. But in low nutrient environments lps won't grow that well.
 

LAX Noob Reef

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
831
Reaction score
152
Location
Fried Chicken
Rating - 0%
0   1   0
Sps usually browns out because nutrient levels are to high in the tank. This would include phosphate a nitrate among others. Water needs to be clean to have Sps.

Refugium helps, bio pellets, vodka dosing, prodibio all aid in reducing nutrients. But in low nutrient environments lps won't grow that well.

You know you can keep growing LPS with 0 PO4 right? It's call direct Feeding, and "nutrient Export."
 
OP
OP
P

ps2cho

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
Messages
876
Reaction score
268
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am doing mostly SPS, but I just wanted a frogspawn and one hammer as I figured they would be ok.

I also wonder if I have too much rock...I have all that in the DT, then another maybe 1/3rd of the DT in the sump. Although I guess I probably should remove some over time, not at once.
 

LAX Noob Reef

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 22, 2013
Messages
831
Reaction score
152
Location
Fried Chicken
Rating - 0%
0   1   0
No, the more rock = more filteration. I'm going to add another tank which plumb into my 80 system for more live rock holding.
 

coralcrazy

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2012
Messages
239
Reaction score
10
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
You know you can keep growing LPS with 0 PO4 right? It's call direct Feeding, and "nutrient Export."

True, but don't expect the same growth that dirtier water provides. Some coral species wither away in a LNS environment regardless of feeding. They just stop eating.
 

ryecoon

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2014
Messages
1,231
Reaction score
49
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
ive noticed that SPS dont like it too clean also. i keep my GFO on a timer. 4 hours a day.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 64 36.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 33.9%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 14.4%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 14.9%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top