Cannot keep SPS no matter what I do! Please help.

[Larry L]

You might want to send off a water sample to Triton for analysis, just to rule out anything weird. I had been having trouble keeping SPS alive in a fairly well-established tank where my parameters were really stable and the softies seemed fine. The SPS would just stop extending polyps, and gradually dwindle and turn white and die. I couldn't figure out why and it was driving me crazy. Got my Triton results back and it turned out all my numbers were fine except Chromium, which was off the charts (way into toxic levels). The tests cost a little money but probably less than what you've spent on frags that have died, so at least worth a try.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Try out a lux meter for light. It measures the intensity. You can determine par pretty closely with it. $13.99 on Amazon.
And yes flow. I have with some sticks had success with a slower but more constant flow but that may be species specific. Or a fluke. Check out YouTube for flow it's helped me learn it. Once you see vid of a Millie in a hurricane with totall happy PE it'll change the way you think and approach a mixed reef.