Help! Another SPS Fading Thread....

[truetricia]

So I'm sorry to post a thread that just adds to the million of SPS fading threads. I've read a bunch, and I'm still stumped on what to do, if anything.

Current Readings on a 120g BB tank that's been up for 9 months:
Alk: 8.7 dkh
CA: 500+ (accidentally overdosed one day and hasn't come back down since)
Nitrate: 10ppm (was 20ppm a few days ago, did 20% WC to bring it down)
PO4: 0.06ppm

Bioload and filtration:
2 x small juvenile CB Poma angels
1 x CB yellow tang
1 x CB ORA clown
1 x Tuxedo urchin
3 x shrimp
Skimmer
Algae reactor
Klir Filter

Lighting:
1 x XR15 (left side) AB+
1 x AI 52HD (right side) AB+

I've been having some issues with my reef parameters. I think this is due to three reasons: Klir filter erros, auto feeder, and cyano issues.

First, my Klir filter hasn't been working great, and so it's not rotating properly resulting in the used filter staying in the water column longer than normal, and possibly impacting levels. Second, my AutoFeeder system adds a little too much food to the system on its lowest setting, which, singularly, might not have been an issue, but in aggregate, probably was. I'm now hand feeding instead except when gone on weekends.

Over the last couple of months, I've battled green hair algae and some red cyano. I've combatted the green hair algae with Vibrant, other bacteria additives, and of course, the herbivores. For the cyano, I used one of the chemiclean products. I followed the directions including the water change, and it mostly went away. But I saw an immediate effect on my corals. I'm having significant polyp retraction on all corals (softies, LPS and SPS), but now having some very slow STN on my bridsnests, stylos, montis, and anacorpora. I lost my cyphastrea and chalices (small frags). My SPS has faded in color (I've thought a few pieces were dead, but the color and polyps are present, just very very light). I lowered the light and started dosing aminos daily to help.

Then my nitrate spiked at 20+ and a phosphate reading of 0.11. Probably due to all of the above including daily aminos.

I've now done some water changes and gotten the nitrate and phosphate back down in the last 48 hours. I'm ok with the 10/0.06 readings generally and don't want to go chasing numbers, but I also don't want to continue to lose my SPS to STN. But is there anything I should do? Increase lights again? (I'm at around 55% with both lights right now). Give it a couple weeks? Dip STN corals in iodine dip?

 

[Rick5]

Over the last couple of months, I've battled green hair algae and some red cyano. I've combatted the green hair algae with Vibrant, other bacteria additives, and of course, the herbivores. For the cyano, I used one of the chemiclean products. I followed the directions including the water change, and it mostly went away. But I saw an immediate effect on my corals. I'm having significant polyp retraction on all corals (softies, LPS and SPS), but now having some very slow STN on my bridsnests, stylos, montis, and anacorpora. I lost my cyphastrea and chalices (small frags). My SPS has faded in color (I've thought a few pieces were dead, but the color and polyps are present, just very very light). I lowered the light and started dosing aminos daily to help.

Then my nitrate spiked at 20+ and a phosphate reading of 0.11. Probably due to all of the above including daily aminos.

I've now done some water changes and gotten the nitrate and phosphate back down in the last 48 hours.

I think the above quoted portions of your original post likely explain the issues you're having. You've got algae potentially throwing off your nutrient readings. You've dosed Vibrant, ChemiClean and bacterial additives. You had a nutrient swing and you've toggled amino acids. If the algae isn't overwhelming (i.e. epic proportions) I'd suggest slowly controlling it without the use of additives and get things back to a stable condition (i.e. stop adding chemicals and eliminate any kind of further swings). Cyano and a little algae never killed my SPS.

This is hardly scientific, but I think you're doing too much.

 

[ycnibrc]

You can read this thread and may be it can help you. If you start your tank with dry rock and don’t supplement with any additional bacteria then your tank might lacking of beneficial bacteria which needed to keep the tank healthy and especially sps alive

Why cant u keep sps?

I wanted to order the zeo products but somehow managed to forget about it. And then I’ve ordered mb7. Now I don’t know what to do:/ Just use it. It provides some bacteria; use it until it's done and don't over do it.

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