Can’t seem to keep any SPS

cdunn

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When stuff like this happens, it pays to have a ICP test done. Just do it so you can know for sure whats in your water that you might be missing. For me it was tin, had a crap ton of tin in my water and it was affecting my growth. Got rid of the tin, started dosing No3 and BOOM, my sps are taking off.

Also vendors... I love _____(don't want to give them a bad rep, because they are a good overall vendor) but their Acros were really bad a couple months ago. I lost 4 Acros to RTN/STN after a week of dropping them in my tank. I swicthed vendors for Acros and I haven't seen any losses yet. Just a thought.
how much tin did you have ? how did you remove the tin? my icp test came back at a tin level of 298
 

Crashnt24

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how much tin did you have ? how did you remove the tin? my icp test came back at a tin level of 298

Mine came in at 9.066 ug/L. So I first found out what was leeching tin into my system (rusty hose clamp) and removed it. I then started the process of doing 50% water changes every two weeks for a couple months. Currently waiting on the next ICP test to see what the current levels are.
 

Charlie’s Frags

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Mine came in at 9.066 ug/L. So I first found out what was leeching tin into my system (rusty hose clamp) and removed it. I then started the process of doing 50% water changes every two weeks for a couple months. Currently waiting on the next ICP test to see what the current levels are.
Rusty hose clamp in or out of the tank?
 

cdunn

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so far can't find any corrosion,some on a cabinet hinge , aluminum screen frame 1 month old
 

Crashnt24

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so far can't find any corrosion,some on a cabinet hinge , aluminum screen frame 1 month old

Could of been from contaminated salt or top off water. Could've been in the rocks/sand. Tough to say if you dont have any exposed metal.

Did you check your heater? sometimes they will crack and let water in/out. Also pumps and power heads if their seal lost it's integrity.

Either way, I would search long and hard. That high of tin levels could be toxic to corals and fish. If you still cant find anything, start doing large water changes to bring it down. After several water changes, get another test done.
 

MissyTwitch

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Key points for successful sps:
- stability is key.....not a spot check and this is where I’m at today
- Alk is important. It doesn’t matter if its 7-12 as long as thats what they’re used to and that where they grow at
- The higher the alk the faster the coral bones will grow. Such that if your phosphate/nitrates are too low its bones will out grow the skin and it will die. Lower Alks ~7 is more important for low nutrient systems in which you want your phosphate and nitrates lower
- As far as lighting w/ LEDs you’ll want your PAR 250-500, but you can keep most between 250-350. Consistent Lighting is also important.....I had done a big water change after a month and killed some corals cause my PAR had jumped from 300=>500 cause the water was much clearer. Its the little things
- If you run a calcium reactor and keep your all stable, calcium tends to not be an issue, but your parameters there weren’t horrible
- Med to High flow is also important, but don’t blast the coral on one setting, mix it up with the flow of your tank. SPS are pretty picky about flow/light if they aren’t doing well and your parameters are perfect then move them to a different spot.
- Potassium is something that I believe hasn’t been mentioned. If your potassium is less than 400 it leads to RTN and the SPS will die.
- Once a coral starts to bleach out/RTN parasites get in there and finish it off. One way around this is a UV light, its saved me a colony from time to time if I forgot to check the potassium and it dropped below <400.
- Even if you do everything right, SPS will still die. I have two tanks and keep back up frags of the SPS I like just in case something weird happens in the tank

Below is my proof that it works. Yet, everything in reefing is what it is....each person has what works for them....yet, stability with less fluctuation in your parameters with appropriate lighting and flow will lead you to success.
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C4E226AC-2FEB-4555-9ADF-9AE8FDA300EE.jpeg
F465189D-1FAA-45F4-93A8-0CCE69E279B0.jpeg
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