I need help keeping SPS! Im stumped!

[Miami Reef]

Thanks, could you please explain why?

If it’s to do with relative skeletal/tissue growth (as mentioned above) then does nitrate factor into this as well?

I’m sure nitrate can factor into it (but I’m not sure).

I don’t think it’s common for nitrates to be a limiting nutrient in aquariums.

 

[Miami Reef]

I find that really hard to believe. I’ve had sps, lps, gorgonians etc in 70 no3/ 0.60 Po4 before with no problems. Not much growth but zero death.

Fast forward to about the 25 min mark

Do you feel colors browned out?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Do you feel colors browned out?

Brown? No. Darker and richer
Brown, no PE and “dried out looking”means stressed.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Still no answer to my question about Alk/PO4 ratios; just lots of number quoting.

I guess it will give me something to research though. If anyone could point me to some good articles that would be appreciated.

I think it stems from the Redfield ratio..I believe dont bash me please!

 

[happyhourhero]

Invisible post #2 to support invisible post #1

 

[Discordian]

I find that really hard to believe. I’ve had sps, lps, gorgonians etc in 70 no3/ 0.60 Po4 before with no problems. Not much growth but zero death.

Fast forward to about the 25 min mark

Honestly I don't care I'd you believe me I am telling you stopping carbon dosing killed some of my favorite corals. Including a hammer I grew from one head to 3. That was the only thing that changed in my routine. Now granted I should have realized I should have backed off slowly, but instead I thought no I'll listen to this guy and power through. Ended up so bad I started dosing again. Honestly it has been months to get back on track, basically since that last post. I haven't added any corals and have been recovering from the advice you gave me.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Honestly I don't care I'd you believe me I am telling you stopping carbon dosing killed some of my favorite corals. Including a hammer I grew from one head to 3. That was the only thing that changed in my routine. Now granted I should have realized I should have backed off slowly, but instead I thought no I'll listen to this guy and power through. Ended up so bad I started dosing again. Honestly it has been months to get back on track, basically since that last post. I haven't added any corals and have been recovering from the advice you gave me.

Well I believe you think it was from that. But I don’t believe it was that. I’ve been answering sps threads and pm’s for years now and you’re the first person to say my advice wrecked havoc on their system. But fair enough. Good luck to you.

 

[Discordian]

Well I believe you think it was from that. But I don’t believe it was that. I’ve been answering sps threads and pm’s for years now and you’re the first person to say my advice wrecked havoc on their system. But fair enough. Good luck to you.

You don't believe that the instability stopping carbon dosing plus my inexperience to be able to course correct fast enough caused my problems. Man you really are in denial.

 

[sfin52]

The only reason I don't want to stop is because when I tried last time it recked havoc on my tank. I tried to follow your advice and I lost corals (this was my fault for not slowly backing off) but basically my nutrients shot up. I totally believe it is possible to manage nutrients without carbon dosing, but the reality is that is how I am currently doing it. It works well for me (and others). I honestly had no idea there was a relationship between where you have alk and nutrients. I am here to learn.

Your tank is addicted to the carbon dosing to stop you have to slowly back off. If you don't you will stress your system.

 

[131696]

Montipora start at low par and high flow

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Honestly I don't care I'd you believe me I am telling you stopping carbon dosing killed some of my favorite corals. Including a hammer I grew from one head to 3. That was the only thing that changed in my routine. Now granted I should have realized I should have backed off slowly, but instead I thought no I'll listen to this guy and power through. Ended up so bad I started dosing again. Honestly it has been months to get back on track, basically since that last post. I haven't added any corals and have been recovering from the advice you gave me.

That sux sorry that happened, allot of lessons learned i bet

 

[MaxTremors]

I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I really do have to question the judgement of anyone that would recommend to just stop carbon dosing cold turkey without slowly (over weeks/months) lowering the dose. I don’t know if that’s the advice that was actually given, but if it was, it’s not surprising that it caused issues.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I really do have to question the judgement of anyone that would recommend to just stop carbon dosing cold turkey without slowly (over weeks/months) lowering the dose. I don’t know if that’s the advice that was actually given, but if it was, it’s not surprising that it caused issues.

Definitely slow back dont cold turkey same with starting it

 

[Discordian]

That sux sorry that happened, allot of lessons learned i bet

Thank you! And yes.

 

[Discordian]

I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I really do have to question the judgement of anyone that would recommend to just stop carbon dosing cold turkey without slowly (over weeks/months) lowering the dose. I don’t know if that’s the advice that was actually given, but if it was, it’s not surprising that it caused issues.

To be fair he just said to stop dosing not how. I should have done more research and thought it through.

But I can confirm quiting carbon dosing cold turkey is a bad idea. It caused quite a few issues for me. Nitrates and phosphates both elevated fairly rapidly. Then I started to have algea issues. My problem was I kept telling myself it will turn arround if I just change the filter socks a bit more, tune the skimmer a bit, do a larger water change. But week after week it kept getting worse. Until I said you know what I'm going back to what worked for me, carbon dosing.

 

[MaxTremors]

To be fair he just said to stop dosing not how. I should have done more research and thought it through.

But I can confirm quiting carbon dosing cold turkey is a bad idea. It caused quite a few issues for me. Nitrates and phosphates both elevated fairly rapidly. Then I started to have algea issues. My problem was I kept telling myself it will turn arround if I just change the filter socks a bit more, tune the skimmer a bit, do a larger water change. But week after week it kept getting worse. Until I said you know what I'm going back to what worked for me, carbon dosing.

Fair enough, i always try to explain any advice like I’m talking to someone who is brand new to the hobby, and I’m sure some people find it obnoxious, but given the stakes, I don’t want to be misunderstood or leave info out.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

You don't believe that the instability stopping carbon dosing plus my inexperience to be able to course correct fast enough caused my problems. Man you really are in denial.

I am not in denial. I don’t know why your hammer died. Or your other corals, that you didn’t posts about until now btw, bc I don’t keep hammers or really any other lps, so I don’t attempt to give advice on them. This is the sps forum and I’ll tell anyone the same advice with your tank circumstances. Carbon dosing makes sps harder to keep, especially frags in young tanks. I don’t care what anyone says (most of them keep montis and stylos and then give advice like they’re experts). Scroll through this section and see how many death threads there are that involve carbon dosing, gfo, vibrant, flucozanole etc. Then take note of how many there are from ppl that don’t use those methods and see what is what.

Your original thread was bc you couldn’t understand what you were doing wrong, took my advice, allegedly, but it didn’t work for you. So you said you were going back to what worked before….carbon dosing. Now you’re back, stumped, bc you still can’t keep sps alive. And I’m the one in denial?


No wonder most of the sps gurus rarely post here anymore.

Good luck, good night and good bye sps help line.

 

[Discordian]

I am not in denial. I don’t know why your hammer died. Or your other corals, that you didn’t posts about until now btw, bc I don’t keep hammers or really any other lps, so I don’t attempt to give advice on them. This is the sps forum and I’ll tell anyone the same advice with your tank circumstances. Carbon dosing makes sps harder to keep, especially frags in young tanks. I don’t care what anyone says (most of them keep montis and stylos and then give advice like they’re experts). Scroll through this section and see how many death threads there are that involve carbon dosing, gfo, vibrant, flucozanole etc. Then take note of how many there are from ppl that don’t use those methods and see what is what.

Your original thread was bc you couldn’t understand what you were doing wrong, took my advice, allegedly, but it didn’t work for you. So you said you were going back to what worked before….carbon dosing. Now you’re back, stumped, bc you still can’t keep sps alive. And I’m the one in denial?


No wonder most of the sps gurus rarely post here anymore.

Good luck, good night and good bye sps help line.

You know I've been reefing for a year, and you are the first true ******* I've meet. I came here asking for help. And you've done nothing but make me feel bad. I might not know anywhere near as much as you. But if there is one thing I've learned is there is more than one way to run a reef tank. Plenty of successful reefers use all of those methods/products and make it work. Your way is not the only way. Get off your high horse.

Honestly this will be the last time I use reef 2 reef ask a question or buy anything. I will be deleting my account. The reefers in my local Facebook group are kind, supportive, and honesty have much more experience and have better looking tanks than you.

Maybe you should stop offering reefing advice!

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

You know I've been reefing for a year, and you are the first true ******* I've meet. I came here asking for help. And you've done nothing but make me feel bad. I might not know anywhere near as much as you. But if there is one thing I've learned is there is more than one way to run a reef tank. Plenty of successful reefers use all of those methods/products and make it work. Your way is not the only way. Get off your high horse.

Honestly this will be the last time I use reef 2 reef ask a question or buy anything. I will be deleting my account. The reefers in my local Facebook group are kind, supportive, and honesty have much more experience and have better looking tanks than you.

Maybe you should stop offering reefing advice!

Sometimes you just gotta do your own thing, this social media world we live in ruins personal goals...making this hobby into an Instagram or business can take all the enjoyment away..ive had tanks b4 MySpace and it never swayed my hobby this is a personal journey, you can't be mad because you didn't get the advice you wanted...don't give up and try to start very small and slow and anything can be achieved, give it another try im sure you can do it, don't let others, or the misunderstanding of others throw you off from what you enjoy. Been there its not the way to go..

 

[Discordian]

Sometimes you just gotta do your own thing, this social media world we live in ruins personal goals...making this hobby into an Instagram or business can take all the enjoyment away..ive had tanks b4 MySpace and it never swayed my hobby this is a personal journey, you can't be mad because you didn't get the advice you wanted...don't give up and try to start very small and slow and anything can be achieved, give it another try im sure you can do it, don't let others, or the misunderstanding of others throw you off from what you enjoy. Been there its not the way to go..

I'm not doing that. I'm leaving reef 2 reef, not reefing!