Issues keeping stony coral

tgionet · Feb 21, 2017

X-post from 2 weeks ago on facebook.
Been having long term issues with stony coral mortality parameters below along with what I've tried. I'm at a total loss. LPS display poor PE. No stony coral growth. Tissue recession until death on stony corals.
Livestock: RBTA, pair of clowns, foxface, tuxedo urchin, cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp, nassarius snails, astraea snail, blue leg hermits, emerald crabs.
Known unintentional additions: collonista snails, spaghetti worms, vermitids, bristle worms.
Corals are: acan x2, encrusting montipora (dying tissue loss from center out), seriatopora (nearly dead, RTN), favites (never did well, stays retracted) Blue Caulastrea, hammer coral, elegance coral (barely extends), toadstool leather, GSP, various zoas and palythoa, 3 headed duncan (1 head opens large, no tissue extends over skeleton anymore)
Tank dimensions 36x18x21.
Been running for 13 months
Coralline growth is existent but the urchin LOVES it so it gets eaten very quickly.
Alk 151 ppm *.056 for dkh
Ca 420 ppm
Mg 1400
Ph 8.2
NO3 10ppm (been raising from undetectable over the last month and a half)
P 29 ppb *3.066/1000 for ppm PO4 (same situation as NO3)
Still finding equilibrium with NO3PO4X dosing
Salt mix is hW-MarineMix Reefer from BRS
Lighting 2 bulb T5 (1:30-7:30pm) ATI blue plus and coral plus
Kessil AP700 20% peak for 8 hours
Temp 80°F
1.5" sand bed of Fiji pink
Alk has flucuated +- 2ppm
Running BRS rox 0.8 carbon in a reactor
Dosing 1 drop KZ coral vitalizer and sponge power daily, 10ml of Coral System 1-4 on thursdays.
Feeding 15 ml Mikes Phyto, 2.5 ml Oyster Feast, LRS reef frenzy once daily. Nori on a clip for the Foxface
Flow is provided by 2 mp40s at minimum power on lagoon set to opposite cycles.
Reef Octopus Classic 152-s skimmer
Have tested for stray current. Get the same non zero reading with everything off as I do with everything on.
Only nuisance algae is bubble algae.
Planning on a Triton test when I can afford it.

Diesel · Feb 21, 2017

tgionet said:
X-post from 2 weeks ago on facebook.
Been having long term issues with stony coral mortality parameters below along with what I've tried. I'm at a total loss. LPS display poor PE. No stony coral growth. Tissue recession until death on stony corals.
Livestock: RBTA, pair of clowns, foxface, tuxedo urchin, cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp, nassarius snails, astraea snail, blue leg hermits, emerald crabs.
Known unintentional additions: collonista snails, spaghetti worms, vermitids, bristle worms.
Corals are: acan x2, encrusting montipora (dying tissue loss from center out), seriatopora (nearly dead, RTN), favites (never did well, stays retracted) Blue Caulastrea, hammer coral, elegance coral (barely extends), toadstool leather, GSP, various zoas and palythoa, 3 headed duncan (1 head opens large, no tissue extends over skeleton anymore)
Tank dimensions 36x18x21.
Been running for 13 months
Coralline growth is existent but the urchin LOVES it so it gets eaten very quickly.
Alk 151 ppm *.056 for dkh
Ca 420 ppm
Mg 1400
Ph 8.2
NO3 10ppm (been raising from undetectable over the last month and a half)
P 29 ppb *3.066/1000 for ppm PO4 (same situation as NO3)
Still finding equilibrium with NO3PO4X dosing
Salt mix is hW-MarineMix Reefer from BRS
Lighting 2 bulb T5 (1:30-7:30pm) ATI blue plus and coral plus
Kessil AP700 20% peak for 8 hours
Temp 80°F
1.5" sand bed of Fiji pink
Alk has flucuated +- 2ppm
Running BRS rox 0.8 carbon in a reactor
Dosing 1 drop KZ coral vitalizer and sponge power daily, 10ml of Coral System 1-4 on thursdays.
Feeding 15 ml Mikes Phyto, 2.5 ml Oyster Feast, LRS reef frenzy once daily. Nori on a clip for the Foxface
Flow is provided by 2 mp40s at minimum power on lagoon set to opposite cycles.
Reef Octopus Classic 152-s skimmer
Have tested for stray current. Get the same non zero reading with everything off as I do with everything on.
Only nuisance algae is bubble algae.
Planning on a Triton test when I can afford it.

Well, there are a few things here that kind off go against each other.
Let try it though.

How long was your No3 undetectable?
The same for Po4......
NO3PO4X how much do you dose?
Stop the BRS rox 0.8 carbon as it is to aggressive on the moment.
On the moment you losing a few $100 of corals and my advice is do a Triton test ASAP.
If this is going on for a while you will be in for a long recovery and more losses on your corals.
You feed nutrients and taking it out again with the redsea NO3PO4X dosing, doesn't make sence right.
If you can post some pics please do so, FTS and some close ups from troubled corals.
On the moment shut down all reactors and do a daily water change of 10% for the next two weeks.
Just feed fish and feed them a few times.
Keep testing No3 every day as ALK.
Twice a week on the Po4.
Mean while you wait on the results from your Triton test.

ebushrow · Feb 21, 2017

You really overfeed IMO....if you reduced that it wouldn't hurt....for lps they generally like more meaty foods....I usually thaw some mysis in a large cup of saltwater....turn off the flow and use the brine water to stimulate the feeding of lps....has always worked for me. The pO4 is probably a bit low, the lps would be ok...not super happy, the sps would go down hill fast if too high...so be careful getting it to 0.5.

Broadcast feeding will work ok for the leather and sps, but I find the lps need target feeding once a week or so.

As for the light, it might not be high enough for the sps and some lps ( not entirely sure with the Kessil a800) with the 360's I had them at 50% at peak....just be careful and change things with lighting sow if you decide to.