Coralline algae stopped growing? Sps dying.

[Zbutcher]

Hey everyone,

I don't know where to turn. My SPS as of late have been slowly receding and having issues.

One of the things I have noticed is my coralline has stopped growing. Which I find very strange. I used to have lots and now I don't. My assumption is that whatever is causing it is causing the issue with SPS.

So far my LPS is fine.

My tank is 5'x2'x18"
I have a low bioload of 7 fish
1 purple tang
1white tail bristletooth
2 clownfish
1 Springer damsel
1 baby mandarin
1 cleaner wrasse

My levels are as follows
35ppt
4ppm NO3
0.16ppm PO4
1340ppm magnesium
9.1dkh alkalinity
580ppm calcium

I understand my calcium is high but I also don't think that's causing the coralline to stop growing or SPS to be receding.

I run 2 hydra 32s and I run it on an AB+ spectrum with added whites.

Does anyone have any idea what's wrong with my system? Please let me know or if you have any questions I'm happy to ask. Please a s thank you!

 

[gentlefish]

Parameters look good. Any concerns re stray electricity? Any foreign material, rusting magnets? Would likely send water for icp testing.

 

[Zbutcher]

Parameters look good. Any concerns re stray electricity? Any foreign material, rusting magnets? Would likely send water for icp testing.

Hey man, thanks for helping.

Most of my equipment is brand new and I put my finger in and don't feel any electricity. Not rusting from what I can see.

Yeah I'm going to buy a test kit here for sure.

Any other possible reasons?

 

[CoralB]

Your parameters look good . High calcium wouldnt be deadly to your coral but can cause precipitation depleting mag and alk . I would try to bring it down . What’s temp ? Have you checked to see if any of your testers might be off ? Stray voltage ? Is their anything that could have got in the tank ? Any fluctuations recently ? Try to think back of anything that could have happened .

 

[CoralB]

My experience is unless you have a cut in your finger you don’t necessarily feel stray current in the water

 

[CoralB]

Not how I would test it though .

 

[Shirak]

So you posted in another forum you had a GHA outbreak so you dropped feeding down.. the GHA is dying off as you are running an oversize skimmer and an algae reactor. And you wonder why the coralline has stopped growing and your corals are receding. They are hungry IMO

 

[gentlefish]

Hey man, thanks for helping.

Most of my equipment is brand new and I put my finger in and don't feel any electricity. Not rusting from what I can see.

Yeah I'm going to buy a test kit here for sure.

Any other possible reasons?

Most of us have a titanium probe that connects to the ground of an electric outlet. 10$. Feeling electricity is uncommon. Had it with a broken heater before. Made some discomfort and trwiching. Me of cause thought it was my old age.

 

[CoralB]

Anything sprayed in the air recently

 

[Zbutcher]

Your parameters look good . High calcium wouldnt be deadly to your coral but can cause precipitation depleting mag and alk . I would try to bring it down . What’s temp ? Have you checked to see if any of your testers might be off ? Stray voltage ? Is their anything that could have got in the tank ? Any fluctuations recently ? Try to think back of anything that could have happened .

I attached my tridents temp. But it says 78.5 and the heaters digital reading says 79.1.

I have tested with two different people's test kits one being salifert and one being red sea. Both measured up with my alk and mg but my calcium is much lower. So that might be off. But my calcium makes sense being given the amount my dose pump is dosing and how little corals I have imo

Nothing that I know of been using the same water since I started my tank. Nope no crazy fluctuations.

All I think is that my tank got cleaner which makes sense because my GHA is dying. I added a bigger skimmer. I also remove I've sterilizer to make room for skimmer. Tried using filter floss as well. Those were the big changes

 

[Zbutcher]

My experience is unless you have a cut in your finger you don’t necessarily feel stray current in the water

Lol I mean I can make a cut and try?

 

[Zbutcher]

So you posted in another forum you had a GHA outbreak so you dropped feeding down.. the GHA is dying off as you are running an oversize skimmer and an algae reactor. And you wonder why the coralline has stopped growing and your corals are receding. They are hungry IMO

Wait really? But wouldn't that mean my phosphates would be 0 etc etc

 

[Zbutcher]

Most of us have a titanium probe that connects to the ground of an electric outlet. 10$. Feeling electricity is uncommon. Had it with a broken heater before. Made some discomfort and trwiching. Me of cause thought it was my old age.

Lol fair enough. So how does that work you just throw the probe in the water and attach the cord to the stand or something?

 

[Zbutcher]

Anything sprayed in the air recently

Nope it's in my office. Nothing weird.

 

[Shirak]

Wait really? But wouldn't that mean my phosphates would be 0 etc etc

They need more than nitrates and phosphate to grow. With the oversize skimmer and algae reactor you could be stripping other elements the corals need that they were previously getting through catching food but now that has been reduced.

 

[Shirak]

As far as the coralline and potentially the zooxanthellae within the corals, the algae reactor may be outcompeting them for elements such as iron. Are you doing anything for trace elements?

 

[ihavecrabs]

Lack of nutrients has some merit. Can you have someone double check your salinity? Maybe have your LFS give you a reading on it.

 

[gentlefish]

Lol fair enough. So how does that work you just throw the probe in the water and attach the cord to the stand or something?

Nope easier than that. Just a plug with 2 plastic placeholders.

 

[Zbutcher]

They need more than nitrates and phosphate to grow. With the oversize skimmer and algae reactor you could be stripping other elements the corals need that they were previously getting through catching food but now that has been reduced.

Fair point. What do you propose I do? Just feed the fish more?

 

[Zbutcher]

As far as the coralline and potentially the zooxanthellae within the corals, the algae reactor may be outcompeting them for elements such as iron. Are you doing anything for trace elements?

Nothing for trace elements. How do i fix that if it is the problem?