I still can’t keep acros apparently. Getting really frustrated.

[ycnibrc]

Plenty of successful SPS tanks started from dry rock.

I start with dry rock also because there are no more live rock to buy however I add bacteria and microorganisms to establish a diverse biology. My point is u need to add bacteria diversity to your tank because we don't have any more live rock like we use to

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I start with dry rock also because there are no more live rock to buy however I add bacteria and microorganisms to establish a diverse biology. My point is u need to add bacteria diversity to your tank because we don't have any more live rock like we use to

And you feed your fish 6-8 times a day

 

[ycnibrc]

And you feed your fish 6-8 times a day

Yes I believe in feeding fish often therefore indirectly I feed my corals all day since that's how they are in the ocean.

 

[Joedubyk]

Alk is too high and po4 too low.

Bingo. And the other issue I could see if with his Ro/DI..... I have seen/heard countless tanks going south including some of the best SPS keepers I know because of bad RO membrances/DIs..change them bad boys!

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Bingo. And the other issue I could see if with his Ro/DI..... I have seen/heard countless tanks going south including some of the best SPS keepers I know because of bad RO membrances/DIs..change them bad boys!

Absolutely. Kind of the most important variable.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Do you guys think its possible that im killing my coral with too much flow? I have two MP40 on a 65 gal. I just checked out ecotech's calculator tool, and it says that ran at the lowest setting my powerheads are almost overkill for SPS ? I've been running them at 25%. I probably should have gotten MP10s but i was reading my glass is too think for MP10...

I turned it down to the lowest setting to see what happens, do SPS show they are unhappy with too much flow by retracting polyps?

I have 2 mp 40s use the reefcrest mode at 55% on anti sync

 

[Bacon505]

I went through 5 pages of this post and not a single pic from the OP of the issue and the tank. OP, keep in mind that every tank is different and unique. You cannot take every suggestions given to you and apply those concept to your tank. Doesn't work that way.

 

[Bacon505]

Just a note on liverock: its nice to have live living rocks added to your tank. However, most people know especially the stickheads prefer/start completely deadrock. One of the reason is to avoid possibility of bad hitch hiker. They rather be patience and wait out the cycling period until their system is mature for acro rather taking a risk of pest in the system that result in a tank teardown.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I went through 5 pages of this post and not a single pic from the OP of the issue and the tank. OP, keep in mind that every tank is different and unique. You cannot take every suggestions given to you and apply those concept to your tank. Doesn't work that way.

Excellent point. Don’t take any advice from anyone that doesn’t prove (pics) their suggestions work for them as well. Many hobbyists on this site just recommend what they’ve heard is good for sps or what they “think” is on the label of a nopox bottle. I say “think” bc even nopox, a product that I hate for sps frags, clearly recommends a level of 0.08-0.12 po4 for sps FRAGS. I even emailed Red Sea about this and they replied that their research has shown that this level of po4 encourages growth and less stress introducing frags into a new environment.

Keeping them alive in the beginning is much more important than worrying about what conditions will provide the best color or reducing algae. I have a little bit of gha but it doesn’t bother me. Mainly bc I’m distracted by the corals but I know there’s a good chance I’ll stress or kill an acro if I try to kill the algae. It’s not worth it.

 

[Joe's 220 Reef]

June of 2019

Could be too new. It took me close to 2 years to get the tank stabilized. But I started with dead rock so it took some time.

 

[RCS82]

I just skimmed over this thread and several things jumped out at me that have all been mentioned. The tank is "newish" but not brand new. I dont see the need for carbon dosing and gfo with low No3 and PO4. Started with dry rock but you have some sponge growth, that as good. The Flame Angel was a good choice in getting rid of. How often do you clean your back glass of Coarline algae? Seems clean in the pic.
I would cut the carbon dosing and gfo asap. Let your nutrients creep up, hopefully. You can let your alk fall to 7 or 8. Find some more clean established rock from someone, it can't hurt. Raise your lights up some for a little more even coverage if possible. Can start running some Kalk in your ATO which could help with Coraline growth. I think Kalk is one of the most underrated tools we have for how simple and cheap it is.

Edit,
Was your first post on page 1 your new nitrate reading? And second post was your old reading?
And for what it's worth, just my opinion, you can certainly have success with 1 or 28 for a nitrate reading.

 

[RCS82]

Plenty of successful SPS tanks started from dry rock.

True but this is pretty easy to explain, at least this is the way I look at.
When keeping a SPS dominant tank, or just a reef tank. I think of it like having all these categories to score points in. And once we reach a certain amount of points we can have success. So you can score points for lighting, flow, paramaters, what rock you started with and so on. It's not cut and dry obviously but I feel the tanks started with dry rock are by people who know how to have success and scored more points elsewhere. And they cycled that rock for a year probably in most cases. Sounds dumb but it's how I look at it lol.

 

[kevin_e]

True but this is pretty easy to explain, at least this is the way I look at.
When keeping a SPS dominant tank, or just a reef tank. I think of it like having all these categories to score points in. And once we reach a certain amount of points we can have success. So you can score points for lighting, flow, paramaters, what rock you started with and so on. It's not cut and dry obviously but I feel the tanks started with dry rock are by people who know how to have success and scored more points elsewhere. And they cycled that rock for a year probably in most cases. Sounds dumb but it's how I look at it lol.

Those same people probably struggled to keep SPS at some point in the hobby. I'd say being able to keep them came with experience and trial and error more than anything. I.e. checking the boxes, as you say.

 

[RCS82]

Those same people probably struggled to keep SPS at some point in the hobby. I'd say being able to keep them came with experience and trial and error more than anything. I.e. checking the boxes, as you say.

Totally agree,
I like checking in on Aquavista99's new build. And it's taking forever but that's fine, cause I think he's been curing his rock in that tank for maybe 2 years now.

 

[kevin_e]

Totally agree,
I like checking in on Aquavista99's new build. And it's taking forever but that's fine, cause I think he's been curing his rock in that tank for maybe 2 years now.

I did that unintentionally lol. I spent 2.5 years very passively battling an algae (golden- didn't know that until recently) with low nutrients. Little did I know that low nutrients is where it thrives.

 

[wranodj]

UV light seems high. I prefer the Saxby setting. pH could increase a bit, I use kalk in my ATO. However, chasing numbers never worked out for me. Patience however did immensely.

 

[Tommypantsmagee]

sure you mean "tanks"? Almost reads as if you meant to say "people"

No, I actually mean that for some reason some tanks just cannot grow some coral

 

[CowboyCorals]

50 gallon cube
3 frozen cubes, nori, zoo and phyto per day
Skimmer
Chaeto in the sump
No activated carbon or carbon dosing
No gfo
25 no3
0.20 po4
Alk 7.5-9.5

Y’all are all trying too hard
Keep it simple ______

Did you mean .02 phosphate? .2 sounds high but maybe not if you keep it at that and your corals look that good

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Did you mean .02 phosphate? .2 sounds high but maybe not if you keep it at that and your corals look that good

0.20 po4 (65-70 ppb)