Constantly Failing At SPS What Am I Missing?

[TexasTodd]

Wow, long thread! First thoughts from the start were:
Bad water, and I agree with above, that is way too high. I could see changes in the past with high single digits before changing DI. Also agree, 2xDI is cheap and good.
Ditch the Zeovit. It's not necessary to grow corals. Add later if you want to get fancy.
Personally, I like a lot more rock than you have, put in sump if you don't want much in the tank, but I couldn't see where you had one.
Those screws. Are you sure they're stainless? ZINC is often used in sub-part screws as a protective coating! I doubt the Sicce is an issue, what brand are your power heads?
Go simple, add 3-4 porcilliapora in different locations and watch. Play with lights etc. I've always run 14 hours total with 6 or so at peak. But there's countless schedules that all grwo sps.

 

[vegamedic]

Just curious if this is a typo in your parameters and it hasn’t been mentioned yet. You show your salinity at 1.035. That’s really high actually. Most salinity is from 1.024 to 1.027. I run mine at 1.025 consistently.

Likely they meant 35 ppt, which is equal to around 1.026

 

[Peng]

Of course you can have your nutrients stay low without zeovit. It sounds like zeovit is so adddicting that you already think it’s a necessary part of the tank. No it’s not. Most of people here do not have zeovit and we are doing quite fine. 8 fish is not a lot. In fact if your NO3 is over 10 with zeovit usage it signals that your zeo isn’t quite working or something is wrong. You can manage a lower NO3 by using live rocks, a good slimmer, activated carbon, dosing nitrifying back, and water change. I’m not saying zeo is definitely your problem but I’m suspecting it could be and without removing it you don’t know. Let me just say this, I had dying, pale acros for almost a year after I set up my new tank. I was running biopellets and I was so bought by the idea of running a nutrient control thing that I stuck to it and did not want to remove my biopellet reactor even when acros were dying one by one. I lost so much money and thought everything was just against me. Eventually I pulled the plug and everything renounced, coraline started to grow and acro colors were back. I’m sure you’ve heard about WWC. They keep a “very high” NO3 in their system and nobody doubts their ability to keep thriving acros. If you can’t even keep SPS with your current nutrients which is quite fine, who cares about zeovit? One thing that’s really important about problem-solving is to go outside of the box and chanllenge the factors that you don’t normally put doubt on.

 

[Devisissy]

I had the exact same readings as you and same salt. It was my kessil. It was pinpoint frying the sps. I got rid of the kessil and the SPS began to color up almost immediately. I must also suggest your own RO/DI unit as mine has paid for itself 100 times over in both cost and effort. No more hauling water.

 

[RMS18]

Just curious if this is a typo in your parameters and it hasn’t been mentioned yet. You show your salinity at 1.035. That’s really high actually. Most salinity is from 1.024 to 1.027. I run mine at 1.025 consistently.

I meant 35ppt... It was late when I wrote this post ha.

 

[RMS18]

Of course you can have your nutrients stay low without zeovit. It sounds like zeovit is so adddicting that you already think it’s a necessary part of the tank. No it’s not. Most of people here do not have zeovit and we are doing quite fine. 8 fish is not a lot. In fact if your NO3 is over 10 with zeovit usage it signals that your zeo isn’t quite working or something is wrong. You can manage a lower NO3 by using live rocks, a good slimmer, activated carbon, dosing nitrifying back, and water change. I’m not saying zeo is definitely your problem but I’m suspecting it could be and without removing it you don’t know. Let me just say this, I had dying, pale acros for almost a year after I set up my new tank. I was running biopellets and I was so bought by the idea of running a nutrient control thing that I stuck to it and did not want to remove my biopellet reactor even when acros were dying one by one. I lost so much money and thought everything was just against me. Eventually I pulled the plug and everything renounced, coraline started to grow and acro colors were back. I’m sure you’ve heard about WWC. They keep a “very high” NO3 in their system and nobody doubts their ability to keep thriving acros. If you can’t even keep SPS with your current nutrients which is quite fine, who cares about zeovit? One thing that’s really important about problem-solving is to go outside of the box and chanllenge the factors that you don’t normally put doubt on.

All good vaild points. And I do have Zeovit on my list as other possibilities. Trust me I wouldn't mind comming off it's not a cheap way to maintain nutrients.

 

[RMS18]

I had the exact same readings as you and same salt. It was my kessil. It was pinpoint frying the sps. I got rid of the kessil and the SPS began to color up almost immediately. I must also suggest your own RO/DI unit as mine has paid for itself 100 times over in both cost and effort. No more hauling water.

Yes definitely looking forward to my own rodi..hated making trips to lfs for water... it finally arrived yesterday but it was missing part of it... Just not having good luck but BRS is 2 day air the part for Thursday.

 

[RMS18]

Wow, long thread! First thoughts from the start were:
Bad water, and I agree with above, that is way too high. I could see changes in the past with high single digits before changing DI. Also agree, 2xDI is cheap and good.
Ditch the Zeovit. It's not necessary to grow corals. Add later if you want to get fancy.
Personally, I like a lot more rock than you have, put in sump if you don't want much in the tank, but I couldn't see where you had one.
Those screws. Are you sure they're stainless? ZINC is often used in sub-part screws as a protective coating! I doubt the Sicce is an issue, what brand are your power heads?
Go simple, add 3-4 porcilliapora in different locations and watch. Play with lights etc. I've always run 14 hours total with 6 or so at peak. But there's countless schedules that all grwo sps.

Don't Know about the screws they were in a skimz skimmer. I replaced them with SS from home depot that night I posted the pic. Funny thing my porcillipora that has been fine is now starting to bleach at tips. Only change made was lighting reduction. Rodi isn't in yet, still using lfs water for top off. I do have Zeovit on my list as a possible issue. I think if I do not see any Improvement after big water changes and after cleansing the water of metals I will pull Zeovit and pray for no repercussions.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Seems obvious, and probably been said, but I would give that new water system (once the part comes) a few weeks to see if there is any improvement. Then I would start tweaking other things. One variable at a time, right? You did reduce lighting, now water, then decide on Zeovit and other possibilities. Nice and slow.

 

[TexasTodd]

Pic of porcillipora? Burning or just lightening? Alk still good?

Glad you replaced the screws.

 

[RMS18]

Seems obvious, and probably been said, but I would give that new water system (once the part comes) a few weeks to see if there is any improvement. Then I would start tweaking other things. One variable at a time, right? You did reduce lighting, now water, then decide on Zeovit and other possibilities. Nice and slow.

Yes sir.. I agree one thing at a time. I did reduce the LEDs a bit par went from 250-350 now to 200-300. I thinking 25% water change 2x a week. Plus the Panta Rhei Panta clense.

 

[RMS18]

Pic of porcillipora? Burning or just lightening? Alk still good?

Glad you replaced the screws.

I'll take a pic when I'm home later and show you. The went completely white no polyps all skeleton.

 

[RMS18]

Pic of porcillipora? Burning or just lightening? Alk still good?

Glad you replaced the screws.

 

[TexasTodd]

What's your alk right now? I didn't read the link on what zinc can do, so not sure there. But, my observance over the years is usually tip down is alk, bottom up is phosphates too high. However, with all the other things here I don't know. I think you're on the right track with new RO/DI and get contaminates out and lowering light intensity. Corals can live a long time with "not enough light".

Have you looked for any pests? I don't think it is, but I'd still look really close.

 

[RMS18]

What's your alk right now? I didn't read the link on what zinc can do, so not sure there. But, my observance over the years is usually tip down is alk, bottom up is phosphates too high. However, with all the other things here I don't know. I think you're on the right track with new RO/DI and get contaminates out and lowering light intensity. Corals can live a long time with "not enough light".

Have you looked for any pests? I don't think it is, but I'd still look really close.

Yes no pests.. all corals got dips... But definitely no pests are causing this.

 

[TexasTodd]

So strange. Hopefully the RO/DI will help.

 

[RMS18]

Slight update... After finally getting the rodi system I did a 15 gallon water change. First thing I noticed the following day(s) I had no brownish flim on my sand.

Previously after a water change not sure if it was Dino's or Diatoms, I'd get a brownish patch on low flow spots on the sand. But sand is pure white.

 

[rtparty]

Slight update... After finally getting the rodi system I did a 15 gallon water change. First thing I noticed the following day(s) I had no brownish flim on my sand.

Previously after a water change not sure if it was Dino's or Diatoms, I'd get a brownish patch on low flow spots on the sand. But sand is pure white.

Hopefully your fix is this simple. Makes the hobby a lot more fun and easy!

 

[TexasTodd]

Fantastic, hopefully it all shapes up now.

 

[North Borders]

I'll take a pic when I'm home later and show you. The went completely white no polyps all skeleton.

Hah, they probably did polyp bail out and in about a month you're going to have pocillapora babies EVERYWHERE. (Have had this happen to me)