Coralline algae stopped growing? Sps dying.

[Zbutcher]

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

3 tests and all tests the same by 3 different people me being one of them.

 

[Shirak]

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

What are you feeding and how often? Do you feed anything specifically for the corals?

 

[Zbutcher]

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

Lol it looks like it's more for electrocuting rather then the opposite hahaha

 

[Zbutcher]

What are you feeding and how often? Do you feed anything specifically for the corals?

Well a couple weeks ago I started feeding every second day. To try and kill GHA but now I'm thinking I should bump back up to daily. Nothing specific for corals tbh. I usually feed mysis soaked in vitachem and selcon. Sometimes I'll do Nori for the tangs but with the algae I let them graze

 

[ihavecrabs]

3 tests and all tests the same by 3 different people me being one of them.

Sounds like your system is stressed from the changes then. Nutrients might be a contributing factor but the algae consuming it to dying and releasing it likely left an opening for other competition leaving the stressed corals a little worse for wear.

Hard to tell without seeing it. Any pictures you can share?

 

[gentlefish]

I mean phosphate/nitrate are not really limiting if the test was correct. If one wants to increase nutrients, drain the skimmer cup back in the tank, decrease chaeto and light and feed heavy or dose phosphate/nitrate.

 

[Zbutcher]

Sounds like your system is stressed from the changes then. Nutrients might be a contributing factor but the algae consuming it to dying and releasing it likely left an opening for other competition leaving the stressed corals a little worse for wear.

Hard to tell without seeing it. Any pictures you can share?

I think the torch is just doing it's thing. It does this every night at the same time

 

[gentlefish]

Water changes or something like Red Sea ABCD. Some use it, some feel it to be unimportant.

 

[Zbutcher]

I mean phosphate/nitrate are not really limiting if the test was correct. If one wants to increase nutrients, drain the skimmer cup back in the tank, decrease chaeto and light and feed heavy or dose phosphate/nitrate.

Yeah I got options but seeing those test results makes me thing that's not the case. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[gentlefish]

Stability has merit though. Do you know phosphate and nitrate from prior? It may just be what your tank is used to.

 

[Shirak]

I dunno not really seeing an algae issue. Rock and tank walls look pretty clean but that could be partly the lighting.

I might be inclined to try some small particulate food for SPS. Your fish would probably appreciate eating every day too. Maybe just do every day but cut back how much so instead of doubling it by going back to every day you are going 1.5x

 

[Zbutcher]

Water changes or something like Red Sea ABCD. Some use it, some feel it to be unimportant.

At that point it might be better for me to just spend the money on ICP which I'm going to do anyways. But I just don't know if there is anything anyone can think of that might be doing this. Stressing corals is one thing but the fact coralline stopped is kind of strange

 

[Shirak]

Pretty big tank too. How is the CUC? Maybe need more snails to keep the algae down on the rocks and tank.

 

[Zbutcher]

Stability has merit though. Do you know phosphate and nitrate from prior? It may just be what your tank is used to.

Unfortunately I don't. Didn't feel the need to test because tank wasn't having issues lol. But I know when I started using my trident it was reading like 13 alk, 550 calcium and like 1580 mg

 

[Shirak]

At that point it might be better for me to just spend the money on ICP which I'm going to do anyways. But I just don't know if there is anything anyone can think of that might be doing this. Stressing corals is one thing but the fact coralline stopped is kind of strange

Have you looked into potassium levels? 1340 Mg is also usually considered on the low side. Mine runs around 1450 and I have tons of coralline. My understanding is that is largely what they use to grow their skeleton.

 

[Zbutcher]

I dunno not really seeing an algae issue. Rock and tank walls look pretty clean but that could be partly the lighting.

I might be inclined to try some small particulate food for SPS. Your fish would probably appreciate eating every day too. Maybe just do every day but cut back how much so instead of doubling it by going back to every day you are going 1.5x

I'll try feeding daily again.
I'll definitely have a fair amount of hair algae on the rocks. You can see it in the first pic. The rocks are purple because it's Carib sea life rock not coralline

 

[ihavecrabs]

I think the torch is just doing it's thing. It does this every night at the same time

Rockwork looks awesome and I like the coralline I see. Tanks been going for a while so we can rule out stability issues due to a really young tank.

I noticed you have no sand though and wonder if your tank is having issues catching up with processing uneaten food and waste. Do you have any media like marine pure blocks of sphere to make up for the BB display?

I’ll be honest, if you don’t know what is causing the issues, doing some water changes with a salt mix that mixes close to your parameters is the best option. Solves for a bunch of problems that might be going undiagnosed as well. Even if you did an ICP I’d still be doing 10% WC every few days

 

[Zbutcher]

Pretty big tank too. How is the CUC? Maybe need more snails to keep the algae down on the rocks and tank.

I got like 15 or 20 trochus. 9 turbos 10 ceriths 2 mass 2 hermits. 1 cleaner shrimp and peppermint shrimp

 

[ihavecrabs]

Unfortunately I don't. Didn't feel the need to test because tank wasn't having issues lol. But I know when I started using my trident it was reading like 13 alk, 550 calcium and like 1580 mg

How long ago was this?

 

[Zbutcher]

Have you looked into potassium levels? 1340 Mg is also usually considered on the low side. Mine runs around 1450 and I have tons of coralline. My understanding is that is largely what they use to grow their skeleton.

I haven't but ICP will tell me. How do you even being that up? My mg is 1429 pretty much all the time and it never fluctuates and I don't dose. But if coralline isn't growing that explains the lack of fluctuations