SPS browning / losing tissue and then bleaching....why?

[chuckfu5]

Hey guys,

I've been struggling to figure out what is going on but have not been able to put my finger on it. I'm looking for help from you guys. Here is a run down on what has been happening.

Tank has been set up since February. Cycled with Dr Tims Ammonia via fish less cycle. Tank has done very well with fish but coral is another issue.

My equipment list is.

SCA 135 gallon cube with apron 40 gallon sump

2 ecotech radions GEN 4 pro running coral lab AB+ program at 25% ( More on this later )

Aquatic life T5 LED retro kit ( day 2 )

2 MP40's for flow throughout the middle of the tank

2 250 Gyres for flow at the top of the tank

SCA skimmer

ATO

UV Sterilizer

Refigium lit with Kessil grow light

Reef OCTO calcium reactor

Levels are as follow:

Alkalinity 9.5
Calcium 425
Magnesium 1325
Phosphates .02
Nitrates 32 ( dosing NOPOX with water changes to bring down )
PH 8.0 - 8.05
Temp 79
Salinity 35ppm

What usually happens frag comes in looking great ( frags from @Battlecorals , @jasonfox , ) these are acros, montis, so on. For a couple weeks frags maintain colors and then slowly turn brown, tissue starts sloughing off and then bleach. LPS also have been struggling as well.

I was running my alk around 10.3 to help maintain a higher PH but have read that while dosing carbon it is better to maintain a alk around 8. I am slowly working to bring it down.

When first setting up this tank I was running the light around 75% intensity speaking with several people this is much to high. Using my par meter I have found that 25% intensity gives me about 300 highest par in my tank.

I'm lost and need some help with this situation. Im losing so many SPS / LPS and need some help.

Please let me know your thoughts.

 

[Diesel]

Imo, you should do a ICP test.
All looks good but I’m never a advocate of nopox, have seen too much bad stuff about it.

 

[Jason mack]

I agree with a icp/ triton test .. I’m thinking something awry with trace elements !!

 

[ycnibrc]

If u have problem with lps and Sps then check your phosphate it might be too low. 6 months old tank is still new to consider Sps but lps should have no problem.

 

[KrisReef]

I presume you have tested for ammonia lately? With nitrates that high, it makes me wonder if the young tank is still struggling to balance metabolic waste bacteria>

Do you have sand & COC or bare bottomed tank?

 

[Alfrareef]

Can you post a FTS and let us know your test schedule and how those value have evolve in the last months?

 

[chuckfu5]

Imo, you should do a ICP test.
All looks good but I’m never a advocate of nopox, have seen too much bad stuff about it.

ICP was sent off yesterday.

 

[chuckfu5]

I presume you have tested for ammonia lately? With nitrates that high, it makes me wonder if the young tank is still struggling to balance metabolic waste bacteria>

Do you have sand & COC or bare bottomed tank?

Ammonia and nitrites are at 0.

CUC with fine sugar sand.

 

[Diesel]

ICP was sent off yesterday.

Let’s see what comes out of that.

 

[chuckfu5]

 

[chuckfu5]

I test every Sunday for everything. Thursday’s I test alkalinity.

 

[OMGitsManBearPig]

Don’t have anything to add until water tests come back - but following along to learn something.
Thanks for sharing!

Maybe we can all put our heads together and solve this one.

 

[chuckfu5]

 

[Diesel]

Numbers all over the place.
Why you had a Alk drop in a few hrs from almost 10 to almost 7 and back up to 10+

 

[chuckfu5]

Numbers all over the place.
Why you had a Alk drop in a few hrs from almost 10 to almost 7 and back up to 10+

This is over the entire set up and testing of the tank which goes back to May 5th to yesterday August 25th.

 

[chuckfu5]

Anyone have any thought?

 

[Jason mack]

When dealing with sps ... stability is everything...

 

[Jason mack]

its A slow process to find the problem .. only by eliminating every possible source .. wait for your test results ... if they are good .. then work on getting stability in your parameters ... if they are bad sort them out then work on stability .. is my suggestion!

 

[Jason mack]

Something different maybe .. but what is your lighting schedule.. ?

 

[chuckfu5]

Something different maybe .. but what is your lighting schedule.. ?

Coral lab AB plus with aquatic life t5 retro kit.

LED’s turn on at 12 and off at 9. T5’s turn on at 3 and off at 7. LED’s are at 25% intensity.