Help with SPS

[Stahre]

Hello, so i wanted to try my ability to introduce some SPS corals.

I do see that they are not feeling to good. so i wanted to ask the community for opinions.



Tank is only 4 months, i think this is worth mention, and i do know it might be to early to introduce SPS. I did get them very cheap though.

60 gallon tank

Mixed reef.

Parameters:
Temp: 26 (Stable)
Salinity: 1.025 (Stable)
PH: 7.8-8.2
ammonia: 0 (Stable)
Nitrit: 0 (Stable)
Nitrate: 7.8 (have been raising last weeks)
Phosphate: 0.03 (Stable)
Alk: 9 (Stable)
Cal: 440 (Stable)
mag: 1260 (Stable)


Light:
5 36w T5s: 2 blue+ 2 Coral+ 1 Actinic
Measuring PAR with Seneye around 300 par at top of water column where sps is placed.


Flow:
This one is hard to estimate. i do run a Gyre + the return pumps. The flow "looks" good. If i increase it looks like some corals will fly away.
The SPS is not in DIRECT flow, but getting indirect flow.

I add two pictures of my Acropora Curduus (Pac man) and Montipora Setosa
The Acropora seems to be completely dead, no green color on the tips at all as it was in the beginning.
On the Setosa i can see that the tissue is starting to fade/die or something.


I would like to get some opinion on what this might be.

 

[Stahre]

Note: LPS and softies are thriving

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I think that you're going to struggle with sps in a new tank. Even though for the most part you report stable condition, there's still the biological aspect that is still in its infancy.

The pictures seem on par with what you'd expect, the monti seems to be encrusting and the acro seems to be surviving.

How long have you had them? Do you have pictures of what they looked like when you first got them?

 

[ninjamyst]

Do nothing. Parameters look good. Let tank mature. Do nothing.

 

[Stahre]

I think that you're going to struggle with sps in a new tank. Even though for the most part you report stable condition, there's still the biological aspect that is still in its infancy.

The pictures seem on par with what you'd expect, the monti seems to be encrusting and the acro seems to be surviving.

How long have you had them? Do you have pictures of what they looked like when you first got them?

Yes, here are two pictures of how they looked from the start.

(the setosa was more red, i think its a filter that made it look organge)

 

[Stahre]

Do nothing. Parameters look good. Let tank mature. Do nothing.

Yes, that sounds like a good advice. I just wanted to know if there was something that i did not think of.. and yes, its all about not having a mature enough tank.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Those before pictures definitely help. The pale tips of the acro in 1st post looked like new growth, now I can see that it's just lighting.

Are you able to get some par readings?

I honestly think that they look fine, I wouldn't start making any changes based on what I see. I wouldn't worry too much with the monti, if your lps are doing good, chances are the monti will too.

The acro doesn't look dead, I'd suspect the changes you're witnessing is the corals response to the new environment. Different lighting, different water chemistry will effect the way it looks. Over time it should start to get used to the new surroundings.

 

[Dburr1014]

Looks like they are fading away.
I agree that your tank may be to young.
Do you have actual live rock or was it a dead start?

 

[Stahre]

Looks like they are fading away.
I agree that your tank may be to young.
Do you have actual live rock or was it a dead start?

I would say that 25% was live rock, rest dead.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Hello, so i wanted to try my ability to introduce some SPS corals.

I do see that they are not feeling to good. so i wanted to ask the community for opinions.



Tank is only 4 months, i think this is worth mention, and i do know it might be to early to introduce SPS. I did get them very cheap though.

60 gallon tank

Mixed reef.

Parameters:
Temp: 26 (Stable)
Salinity: 1.025 (Stable)
PH: 7.8-8.2
ammonia: 0 (Stable)
Nitrit: 0 (Stable)
Nitrate: 7.8 (have been raising last weeks)
Phosphate: 0.03 (Stable)
Alk: 9 (Stable)
Cal: 440 (Stable)
mag: 1260 (Stable)


Light:
5 36w T5s: 2 blue+ 2 Coral+ 1 Actinic
Measuring PAR with Seneye around 300 par at top of water column where sps is placed.


Flow:
This one is hard to estimate. i do run a Gyre + the return pumps. The flow "looks" good. If i increase it looks like some corals will fly away.
The SPS is not in DIRECT flow, but getting indirect flow.

I add two pictures of my Acropora Curduus (Pac man) and Montipora Setosa
The Acropora seems to be completely dead, no green color on the tips at all as it was in the beginning.
On the Setosa i can see that the tissue is starting to fade/die or something.


I would like to get some opinion on what this might be.

get your nitrates and phosphates up and keep things stable, do 20% weekly waterchanges and I would feed liquid foods like oyster feast and phyto feast (I like those) or and frozen fish foods ( NOT AB+ !)

also watch out for this stuff looks like the start of dinos or a mix of diatoms n dinos.

add new frags from different systems periodically to keep introducing a diversity of bacteria(stay away from the bottles or not just bottle bact), soon enough everything will be thriving!

that's my opinion

 

[kin_itsu]

I think nitrates and phosphates might be your problem.Try to lift it up and be aware of the algae bloom.

 

[Stahre]

I think nitrates and phosphates might be your problem.Try to lift it up and be aware of the algae bloom.

Interesting, would not phosphate and nitrate be considered good values?
You mean I should aim lower or higher?

 

[billyocean]

Interesting, would not phosphate and nitrate be considered good values?
You mean I should aim lower or higher?

Im sure they mean Higher. At 9 your alk isn't really that high but a bit more po4 cushion would be good. .03 is ok if you know you can keep it there but .08ish would give you a buffer from bottoming out.