LPS frags not surviving...

Office_Reef · Mar 30, 2026

Water Parameters
Alk 7.2kH
PH 7.9
Mg 1420
Ca 440
Phos 0.1
Nitrate 12

I have bought three LPS frags over the past month to see if I can get them going. LFS said they were hardy, but when I introduce them to the tank, after dipping they die quite quickly - after maybe 3 or 4 days. I'm obviously doing something wrong!

I have just started a 4-part red sea dosing program to get my levels higher and more stable.

Any tips? Thanks in advance.

commod0re · Mar 30, 2026

can you say more about your dipping routine? your water parameters don’t seem that bad, surely not enough to kill your corals so quickly, which leads me to suspect that it’s something else

obanarama · Mar 31, 2026

How old is the tank? And how are you making your salt water? i.e. Are you using RODI water and mixing it, or getting salt water from your local fish store?

Office_Reef · Mar 31, 2026

I used Dipx and make sure I measure it out properly.

Should gradually add tank water to the bag that the coral is in and THEN do the DipX? I was wondering if the alk levels might have been a lot higher in the LFS and then got a bit of a shock when I added it to my tank.

I did the DipX first and then did the acclimation.

Office_Reef · Mar 31, 2026

obanarama said:
How old is the tank? And how are you making your salt water? i.e. Are you using RODI water and mixing it, or getting salt water from your local fish store?

Tanks is 12 months old now. I use RODI water for top ups and buy salt water from LFS which is collected sea water.