Hi,
I have a 30l IM. I got into the hobby during COVID and spent the last year learning the ropes. In that time I learned to deal with aptasia, flatworms, vermetid snails, controlling nutrients and alk, etc. About a month ago I felt sound enough in my reefing that I rearranged my tank to add 8-9 SPS frags I got through trades / buys from a local group.
Tank houses a clown pair, no other fish, just blue leg hermits. Tank throughout this has been stable 8.5 dKh, 440 calcium, 1300 mag. Phosphate and nitrate I will get to. I do a 5 gallon weekly water change religiously, I have no skimmer, UV, anything, only thing I have is filter floss I change out every 3 days and chemipure blue. I have an ATO, use RODI, I monitor parameters with a trident/Neptune DOS, I use the BRS 2 part. I dose 1 mL brightwell aminos every day throughout all of the below.
The following chronology occurred.
- I tested my existing tank setup par, found that all of my euphyllia, 3 hammers and 1 octo, all were getting between 100-125 par.
- Rearranged the rock removing corals I traded away, moving the euph to the outside of the tank, and had to add one piece of shelf rock because I had to remove an RBTA and I just ditched the whole rock to my friends tank.
- Same day - upped the light intensity such that I am getting 250-350 par in the center of the tank, 100-150 on the outside where the euphyllia in question were moved. So in theory, same intensity for those corals despite the change.
- All same weekend, add 8-9 acros/montis. All very small frags.
- For about 5 days I had trouble getting alk/calc in line because the frags were consuming it much quicker, but during this time the LPS all looked great.
- I'd say about 14 days out, I noticed my LPS not opening all the way, say 50% extension to normal. I also notice that the little bits of cyano I had are gone. Changed out my carbon. Then I realize my nitrate phosphate which is usually 10 / 0.1, is zeros across the board, so I think maybe they are starving. I started feeding reef roids daily. Kept up with the amino. Starting to see noticeable algae / slight increase in nutrient tests.
-21 days out, now not great. In the morning lights on for the normal 8 hour cycle, most open 70%, but I would say about 4 hours into the cycle all of them almost fully closed. Now goniopora in the same location, same deal 100 par, also not opening.
My light cycle is basically noon to 8 pm, with 55% intensity from 1 to 7 pm, quick ramp up and down. I use a Kessil Ap9X. I have never changed the cycle throughout this process despite intensity.
As the euhpyllia look worse and worse, by the new SPS frags look great, what is my move here? None jellying out but it feels like its going that way. Im not seeing daily improvement I'm seeing daily worsening.
- Do I just wait?
- Is it possible the light intensity threw them but for some reason it took 2 weeks for them to react, and do I lower the light intensity?
- I don't know how I could put any more nutrients in the tank I'm broadcasting a half tablespoon of reef roids daily, the other corals look ready to burst
I am at a loss because other than this the tank looks great. SPS all have poly extension, no browning everything has colored up. Overall I would say flow the SPS are getting a ton and the euph. the flow in the spot they are in is also perfect, just gentle pulse, all moving but not getting rocked. Anything else I should try?
I have a 30l IM. I got into the hobby during COVID and spent the last year learning the ropes. In that time I learned to deal with aptasia, flatworms, vermetid snails, controlling nutrients and alk, etc. About a month ago I felt sound enough in my reefing that I rearranged my tank to add 8-9 SPS frags I got through trades / buys from a local group.
Tank houses a clown pair, no other fish, just blue leg hermits. Tank throughout this has been stable 8.5 dKh, 440 calcium, 1300 mag. Phosphate and nitrate I will get to. I do a 5 gallon weekly water change religiously, I have no skimmer, UV, anything, only thing I have is filter floss I change out every 3 days and chemipure blue. I have an ATO, use RODI, I monitor parameters with a trident/Neptune DOS, I use the BRS 2 part. I dose 1 mL brightwell aminos every day throughout all of the below.
The following chronology occurred.
- I tested my existing tank setup par, found that all of my euphyllia, 3 hammers and 1 octo, all were getting between 100-125 par.
- Rearranged the rock removing corals I traded away, moving the euph to the outside of the tank, and had to add one piece of shelf rock because I had to remove an RBTA and I just ditched the whole rock to my friends tank.
- Same day - upped the light intensity such that I am getting 250-350 par in the center of the tank, 100-150 on the outside where the euphyllia in question were moved. So in theory, same intensity for those corals despite the change.
- All same weekend, add 8-9 acros/montis. All very small frags.
- For about 5 days I had trouble getting alk/calc in line because the frags were consuming it much quicker, but during this time the LPS all looked great.
- I'd say about 14 days out, I noticed my LPS not opening all the way, say 50% extension to normal. I also notice that the little bits of cyano I had are gone. Changed out my carbon. Then I realize my nitrate phosphate which is usually 10 / 0.1, is zeros across the board, so I think maybe they are starving. I started feeding reef roids daily. Kept up with the amino. Starting to see noticeable algae / slight increase in nutrient tests.
-21 days out, now not great. In the morning lights on for the normal 8 hour cycle, most open 70%, but I would say about 4 hours into the cycle all of them almost fully closed. Now goniopora in the same location, same deal 100 par, also not opening.
My light cycle is basically noon to 8 pm, with 55% intensity from 1 to 7 pm, quick ramp up and down. I use a Kessil Ap9X. I have never changed the cycle throughout this process despite intensity.
As the euhpyllia look worse and worse, by the new SPS frags look great, what is my move here? None jellying out but it feels like its going that way. Im not seeing daily improvement I'm seeing daily worsening.
- Do I just wait?
- Is it possible the light intensity threw them but for some reason it took 2 weeks for them to react, and do I lower the light intensity?
- I don't know how I could put any more nutrients in the tank I'm broadcasting a half tablespoon of reef roids daily, the other corals look ready to burst
I am at a loss because other than this the tank looks great. SPS all have poly extension, no browning everything has colored up. Overall I would say flow the SPS are getting a ton and the euph. the flow in the spot they are in is also perfect, just gentle pulse, all moving but not getting rocked. Anything else I should try?
