Just can't keep sps anymore

[keithdoc]

Interesting thread. I had no problems with an Aquapod12 for years, started with LR. When I built my current tank, I used dry rock, and went through the nastiest green hair phase around 6-9 months in - despite almost starving my fish, and having very little "testable" nitrate/phosphate. Took a LONG time for coraline to show up on the rocks (though pumps were another matter). It's almost like the dry rock is sucking in the nitrate/phosphate and then slowly releasing it = equilibrium, that LR just doesn't have to go through.

Out of curiosity - did you use some type of nitrifying bacteria to jump start it? Dr. Tim's or similar?
Also, did you seed the tank with any pods?

 

[RedneckReefer68]

Yes but not sure which one I used any more

 

[FishPersonFL]

I couldnt grow acros and most sps after I got back in to hobby as well. I also used to be able to several years ago. My issue I fell upon after reading someone with same symptoms. The pics of your acros how they look as they died looked like mine. I called it icicle-ing. They looked like icicles with the white streaks of death/necrosis. My issue might not be yours, but I have found my problem because many others had the same thing. Chloramines was my issue. I know, sounds weird. I had run double de choloramine carts. I didnt know they were burning out after a few weeks, maybe less. They actually might not have trapped the Chloros at all ever. Somehow some must have still got passed the RO and DI carts, and I must have been dosing it with the top of water, etc, even if it was a tiny amount, it was probably building up in my tank.
I now use a chloramine monster, since then boom, I can keep most anything. BTW my new tank now is all dead rock except for the liferock I used (still it's not live rock). I wanted a sterile tank b/c I wanted no hitchhikers . I have literaly 0 ppBillion phoshporous (hanna low range total Phosp) and nitrate test is totally clear on salifert. So it sounds like my tank is like yours except I run the Monster . I'm have right now several acros including small tables doing really well. I used to assume my previous carts were taking out the chloramines and other chloros. I use Hanna total chloro check ppBillion, and wont let it get over 50 ppbilion. Maybe this will help ...

 

[FishPersonFL]

BTW.. it took me 5 years of trying to figure out what was killing the corals. and i coudlnt believe it was something so basic

 

[rosshamsandwich]

If you can't keep SPS, you might be a Redneck --Foxworthy

 

[Sir Chris]

Adding pods and phyto is almost needed for sps. I watch em clean the corals and sometimes get snagged by a polyp. I imagine sps a lot like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and all the colors need balanced then u get ur gold. So light food water flow and some craziness in it. And I’m running .3 PO4 yes. Not .03 but .3 and it’s 1 or 3 so these ULN tanks are sterile 2 me. We have life in a box and if it takes crazy amount of daily work somethings wrong. I spend 5 mins a morning maybe 10 if corals got moved. My 75g is cycling dry rock but I cooked it for months In old tank change water to seed that rock

 

[RedneckReefer68]

I couldnt grow acros and most sps after I got back in to hobby as well. I also used to be able to several years ago. My issue I fell upon after reading someone with same symptoms. The pics of your acros how they look as they died looked like mine. I called it icicle-ing. They looked like icicles with the white streaks of death/necrosis. My issue might not be yours, but I have found my problem because many others had the same thing. Chloramines was my issue. I know, sounds weird. I had run double de choloramine carts. I didnt know they were burning out after a few weeks, maybe less. They actually might not have trapped the Chloros at all ever. Somehow some must have still got passed the RO and DI carts, and I must have been dosing it with the top of water, etc, even if it was a tiny amount, it was probably building up in my tank.
I now use a chloramine monster, since then boom, I can keep most anything. BTW my new tank now is all dead rock except for the liferock I used (still it's not live rock). I wanted a sterile tank b/c I wanted no hitchhikers . I have literaly 0 ppBillion phoshporous (hanna low range total Phosp) and nitrate test is totally clear on salifert. So it sounds like my tank is like yours except I run the Monster . I'm have right now several acros including small tables doing really well. I used to assume my previous carts were taking out the chloramines and other chloros. I use Hanna total chloro check ppBillion, and wont let it get over 50 ppbilion. Maybe this will help ...

My brs 6 stage ro/di cage with test strips that show zero chloramine getting through. If I test to water it shows then present

 

[whitelightning77]

I'll be following this as I have been going through almost identical issues for almost 4 years. I'm at the point of either tapping out or going fish only.

 

[rosshamsandwich]

check yoru pumps check for equipment leaching metals, check your heaters, check your RODI water, check for voltage leak... etc. etc.

 

[madweazl]

I just don't know about the dry rock theory and believe much of it to be reef fantasy (as BRS puts it). This tank was started with BRS reef saver dry rock and one piece of Fiji live (approx 5lbs). It had some ups and downs the first year but many tanks do, it takes time for everything to mature regardless. It really came into its own the past six months; lots of coralline growth, sponges, some tunicates on the piece of live rock popped up a while back, and just overall, lots more diversity. I also removed the filter socks (close to a year ago) and have a lot more "stuff" floating around the water column (even more so at the time this picture was taken because the pistol shrimp is on a mission right now). I think that actually made a big positive impact as there is always something for the polyps to extend for and catch; they have a reason to be open now.

I'm in the process of setting up a 150g and plan to use roughly 50% dry and live; I just think there are way too many positives with live rock but I also cant say that dry rock alone is the problem many people face. It would be interesting to see a poll regarding success with SPS in the first year using dry or live rock; I have a feeling the results are pretty consistent with both.

 

[whitelightning77]

Return pump is new, have 2 mp40s (problem existed before), a couple media reactors, and a skimmer. Did triton testing and there was no copper, tin, or other heavy metals detected. Mag was pretty high, over 1650 and iodine was testing 0 where they recommend ug/l.

 

[RedneckReefer68]

I just don't know about the dry rock theory and believe much of it to be reef fantasy (as BRS puts it). This tank was started with BRS reef saver dry rock and one piece of Fiji live (approx 5lbs). It had some ups and downs the first year but many tanks do, it takes time for everything to mature regardless. It really came into its own the past six months; lots of coralline growth, sponges, some tunicates on the piece of live rock popped up a while back, and just overall, lots more diversity. I also removed the filter socks (close to a year ago) and have a lot more "stuff" floating around the water column (even more so at the time this picture was taken because the pistol shrimp is on a mission right now). I think that actually made a big positive impact as there is always something for the polyps to extend for and catch; they have a reason to be open now.

I'm in the process of setting up a 150g and plan to use roughly 50% dry and live; I just think there are way too many positives with live rock but I also cant say that dry rock alone is the problem many people face. It would be interesting to see a poll regarding success with SPS in the first year using dry or live rock; I have a feeling the results are pretty consistent with both.

Well my tank was 3 yrs old when I added the live rock and the change since then is a100% complete turnaround. I had no Coraline, no nutrients, no pods even after seeing them a couple of times and now I have all of what I just mentioned. Many people use dry rock with no problems and many people use dry rock and do. Just because it worked for you doeent mean it doesn't exist. Like many things in this hobby there are too many variables to say it doesn't exist when I and many others experienced it. I know for a fact I will not be using dry rock again and chancing it after seeing with my own eyes.

 

[whitelightning77]

Return pump is new, have 2 mp40s (problem existed before), a couple media reactors, and a skimmer. Did triton testing and there was no copper, tin, or other heavy metals detected. Mag was pretty high, over 1650 and iodine was testing 0 where they recommend ug/l.

*60 ug/l

 

[madweazl]

Well my tank was 3 yrs old when I added the live rock and the change since then is a100% complete turnaround. I had no Coraline, no nutrients, no pods even after seeing them a couple of times and now I have all of what I just mentioned. Many people use dry rock with no problems and many people use dry rock and do. Just because it worked for you doeent mean it doesn't exist. Like many things in this hobby there are too many variables to say it doesn't exist when I and many others experienced it. I know for a fact I will not be using dry rock again and chancing it after seeing with my own eyes.

And just because it didnt work for you means is doesnt? You cant say for a fact anything regarding either method.

 

[RedneckReefer68]

And just because it didnt work for you means is doesnt? You cant say for a fact anything regarding either method.

Where did I say it doesn't work? No where in this thread I say it doesn't work. You even quoted me saying many people use it and it works. All I'm saying is I know for a fact I won't be taking the chance again. I seen that there's a chance it wont work. Your the one who stated you thought it was bs.

 

[heifinator]

Always hear similar stories with people that setup with dry rock. I've personally never used dry rock so I'm not 100% on the effects. Just hear a lot of people talking about acros and sps not growing when they've used dry rock. In a healthy reef tank there should be a micro/macro ecosystem of life. Using dry rock you cut out a lot of the good bacteria.

I used dry rock on my most recent tank and it took almost 2 years before I could keep acros. Now they grow and are colored well... Go figure.

 

[TheReefKeeper]

No po4 and no No3?

Cal and mag are low for sps

Get alk to 8-8.5

Tank is too clean feed more and keep the routine.

Or

Do more water Changes and take all cleaning stuff out feed and bring up the no3 a bit to 5-10

My newest tank has been running 16 months and I have great growth and all LE’s including Jaw Dropper and Bleeding avengers without fears and started with dead rock.

I grab pods or anything live at the store and add it at night probably once every other month.

So all I do is water change’s and dose!

I feed once a day.

Keep it simple I’ve been in the hobby keeping sps 23 years don’t fall for all the adds and catchy labels they get a lot of people.

When I started their was Kalk,then reactors,then B-ionic think I’d been using that stuff 20 years now and still dose only bionic Ca,Mag,ALK

Hope some of this helps ya

UC Shortcake 10 months of growth from a skinny stick I got at RAP Ny last year below

 

[TheReefKeeper]