Can't keep acros, what am I doing wrong?

[rawrsean]

Not sure what anecdotal evidence I can attest to this thread. I usually just lerk, but thought I’d post my 180 that was set up the beginning of August. It is heavily SPS. It was an upgrade from my 60 cube, however, the only rock that made the transfer were pieces that had corals. (Very few, most were left in the 60) I cycled the tank with 120lbs of carib sea life rock.

I’m having the most success and color than ever (of course; I’ve spared no expense and have the most incredible setup compared to my old 60). A brown sps will show color in 3-4 days.

Here’s the tank a few weeks ago, with some coral Snapshots.

 

[Monkichi]

Third times a charm?

http://lab.atiaquaristik.com/share/fdda34d6716e563e1f18

Thanks for posting this. If nothing else it seems easier to read than triton results. I tend to gloss over a bunch of stuff in the triton results people post because I have no clue what it is. This company seems to show it to us as we understand it. I like that. I think you have inspired me to get a test done by them. Thanks.

 

[madweazl]

Thanks for posting this. If nothing else it seems easier to read than triton results. I tend to gloss over a bunch of stuff in the triton results people post because I have no clue what it is. This company seems to show it to us as we understand it. I like that. I think you have inspired me to get a test done by them. Thanks.

Just pull up a periodic table of elements as you're browsing through the results until you've got them memorized.

 

[Monkichi]

Just pull up a periodic table of elements as you're browsing through the results until you've got them memorized.

Good point, you reminded me of chemistry class and balancing equations and I got a little scared.

 

[Haim]

If you buy the coral all the time from one place I recommend that you replace a vendor.

 

[spiraling]

I'm curious what part fish play in all of this. It seems when I see pictures of tanks started dry and have few fish they are having issues. The ones that have a bunch of fish seem to be doing better. Do any of you see that coincidence as well?

 

[mstockmaster]

We'll see, I got a new fish today. Maybe it'll help, either way I wanted to add to the family.

 

[drblakjak55]

Total flow should be about 2200 GPH conservatively

How do you get 2200 ph into a 40?

 

[mstockmaster]

500 GPH in return, a jebao pp4 and pp8. I'm hoping for the Michael Phelps of clownfish.

 

[jona300]

I have the same problem every sps that i add to my tank dies the same way as yours ... i think its my lights i raise tgem higher to see if it works my levels are
Kh 8.1
Mag 1350
Cal 430
Ph 8.2
Po3 5
Po4 0.04
Salinity 1.025
My tank its almost a year old has alot of life animals on the rocks .. rocks were dry when i got them

 

[madweazl]

I have the same problem every sps that i add to my tank dies the same way as yours ... i think its my lights i raise tgem higher to see if it works my levels are
Kh 8.1
Mag 1350
Cal 430
Ph 8.2
Po3 5
Po4 0.04
Salinity 1.025
My tank its almost a year old has alot of life animals on the rocks .. rocks were dry when i got them

Do you have any idea what PAR your lights are putting out? How about for the tanks the corals came from? For what it is worth, none of my corals have died in 100 PAR; some of them wont color up in that range but they all survive. In addition, I don't have any sitting in more than 200 PAR (12 hour photo-period but intensity is on a parabola so they only receive max intensity for about three minutes a day) right now and all of them display appropriate colors. This isn't to say some wont need more (not sure I'd believe that) or that more is bad.

 

[Mattrg02]

How are you maintaining alkalinity? Alkalinity seems to be the trickiest parameter to maintain properly.

 

[mstockmaster]

So update time. Since this thread slowed down I've stabilized all at about 8.5 with CA around 440 mag at 1350. My ph still reads low on salifert test kit. Closest color is approximately 7.7, and that's with skimmer line being run outside. I had been focusing on heavy feeding and am now holding nitrates around 5ppm, phosphates still undetected on salifert kit. However I've now been battling cyanobacteria. It seems that right now it's the most eager thing to absorb the additional nutrients that I've been putting into the tank. I have added some more sps (a decent sized birds nest frag, orange Monti digi, and a hydnophora). These were all black Friday purchases and are doing well, no noticeable growth but look healthy. Yesterday I picked up two frags of a tricolor acro (not tort) from a local reefer who was practically giving them away , mostly to see how they'll do.

My big issues now though seem to be that cyano is lightly covering certain corals and I'm blowing them off every day. Also for some reason all of my palys (nuke green and armor of gods) are seriously upset and are spending most of their time mostly closed. All zoas are doing fine,all are in same part of the tank. Also toadstools have been upset recently as well. Not sure the reasons for this. All LPS seems to be doing well with my frogspawn continuing to split new heads and also new growth on acans.

 

[Mattrg02]

Somethings up with the salifert ph test. Mine is always showing 7.7 as well, but my Hanna ph meter shows 7.95 to 8.01.