Most of my SPS is dying

[Roggio]

Almost every coral has white tips. There was a little variation when o added a calcium reactor but I have been professional and tested my alkalinity daily. I never had a swing of over one point. My ALK was at 9.3 before the reactor but I’ve brought it down because I carbon dose. It’s been consistently at 8.3 for the last two weeks. I test my tank daily. I had 3-4 days where my nitrate hit 0 (Red Sea) and my phosphate has been running at 0.03 (Hanna and Red Sea) there was two days where it hit 0 but the Chaeto in my fuge has been growing faster than I’ve ever seen. I ran the effluent line from the calcium reactor into the fuge. I lowered my vodka dosing to 10ml a day on a 600g system.


ALK 8.3
CAL 420
pH 7.8-8.1 (no swings more than 2 a day)
Phosphate 0-0.04
Nitrate 0-5 usually (2-5)

What could be causing this? I haven’t changed the lighting. All SPS is in 280-400 par.

I’ve already lost hundreds of dollars in coral

 

[Anirban]

Can we have some pictures please. My guess will be burned tips due to high light and low nutrient. May be others can hep too #reefsquad

 

[Crabs McJones]

What @Anirban said. What light are you using, and what is your light schedule, and how far off the waters surface do you have the lights? Your parameters seem to be fine.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Agreed.
With low nutrients I’d stop the carbon dosing immediately.

 

[Roggio]

Can we have some pictures please. My guess will be burned tips due to high light and low nutrient. May be others can hep too #reefsquad

What @Anirban said. What light are you using, and what is your light schedule, and how far off the waters surface do you have the lights? Your parameters seem to be fine.

Agreed.
With low nutrients I’d stop the carbon dosing immediately.

I’m running two radion XR30’s (9 inches, 12 hours) and the Aquatic life 36” light (two blue+, two actinic) 6 hours

I stopped dosing a few days ago. There’s 7 giant tangs, two moray eels and 20+ small fish in this system. Nutrients have stayed low. Is there any hope for the coral with white tips?

Let’s me know if I can provide anything else. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for your help!

 

[Crabs McJones]

I’m running two radion XR30’s (9 inches, 12 hours) and the Aquatic life 36” light (two blue+, two actinic) 6 hours

I stopped dosing a few days ago. There’s 7 giant tangs, two moray eels and 20+ small fish in this system. Nutrients have stayed low. Is there any hope for the coral with white tips?

There absolutely is, as the rest of the coral looks ok. So if i'm reading your light schedule right, you have the lights at your set max intensity for 7 hours? Do you have a general idea of how much par you're pushing out at the corals? just with the radions brs did an investigation on them, and these were the par levels they were pushing at 6" below the waters surface, at a mounting height of 12" I believe.

 

[pirate2876]

How long has the tank been running with livestock? What are you using to test ALK?

 

[Crabs McJones]

This goes with my post above, it wouldn't let me add it lol.

 

[happyhourhero]

I agree its high light/alk with low nutrients.

If you clip the tips, everything should recover as long as the stress event has truly passed.

I lost some frags when this happened to me but some are bouncing back and some were not affected.

 

[Roggio]

There absolutely is, as the rest of the coral looks ok. So if i'm reading your light schedule right, you have the lights at max intensity for 7 hours? Do you have a general idea of how much par you're pushing out at the corals? just with the radions brs did an investigation on them, and these were the par levels they were pushing at 6" below the waters surface, at a mounting height of 12" I believe.

How long has the tank been running with livestock? What are you using to test ALK?

With both lights on the par on the Blue Tort is 400. The par on most SPS is 300+. Am I blasting them? What's your suggestion? Should I raise or lower the timeframe of the T5's?

The 250 gallon cube has been running since August 2017 with most of the fish placed in there soon after. The 150 gallon tank shares a sump but has only been running since October. I had mangroves grow to the point where they broke all the rocks and I had to overhaul the tank. I donated over 10 fish to Seaworld and kept the eels and large tangs I couldn't part with. I sped up the cycle by using a lot of ammonia in the begging and keeping the nitrates down with vodka dosing. Prior to a 1.5 weeks ago everything was looking healthy and growing.

I'm using Hanna and Red Sea test kits to test ALK. I test daily. I run a steady stream instead of a drip from the reactor. The ALK from the reactor is at 10.2. The PH in the reactor is kept from 7.0-7.2. I use Reborn media.

Thank you so much

 

[Mal11224]

I'm still looking for the 7 giant tangs. But, I definitely think your max intensity period is kind of long. I assume you had it this way for some time. good thing you have stopped the carbon dosing as that may have accelerated the stress along with your calcium reactor addition. The need for nutrients is essential with such a long max intensity period with T5s as well. There is hope as others have mentioned. Hopefully the stress is not too severe.

 

[Roggio]

I'm still looking for the 7 giant tangs. But, I definitely think your max intensity period is kind of long. I assume you had it this way for some time. good thing you have stopped the carbon dosing as that may have accelerated the stress along with your calcium reactor addition. The need for nutrients is essential with such a long max intensity period with T5s as well. There is hope as others have mentioned. Hopefully the stress is not too severe.

The large tangs are in the tank on the other side of the wall that shares the sump. What should I let the nutrients climb to? How should I adjust the lighting. Most of the SPS hasnt been in there for longer than a month.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

IMO, use the acclimation mode for a bit.
Feed the fish a little extra for a few days.

Just shorten the peak time for an hour once you get the numbers up.

 

[Mal11224]

The large tangs are in the tank on the other side of the wall that shares the sump. What should I let the nutrients climb to? How should I adjust the lighting. Most of the SPS hasnt been in there for longer than a month.

Well, I'm no expert but I can make suggestions. You have to look at what you are doing to control nutrients and perhaps make some adjustments, i.e.: refugium, carbon dosing, etc... and slowly try to get your nutrients up a little. I personally like 5ppm for nitrates but these are aspects that make it work. Also, your corals are new and sometimes if you are going to make a change like adding a calcium reactor it may throw things off and technically, you did have an alk swing. it is not necessary to have your LEDs run at high intensity for so long. I think the corals may be starving a bit and you can probably get away with a 4 hour max intensity on the LEDs especially since you have T5s as an added boost and perhaps raise the height of the light a bit to maybe 10 inches. Your alkalinity should also coincide with your nutrient level.

 

[Roggio]

IMO, use the acclimation mode for a bit.
Feed the fish a little extra for a few days.

Just shorten the peak time for an hour once you get the numbers up.

So I should only be at peak for an hour?

 

[Crabs McJones]

So I should only be at peak for an hour?

4 to 5 hours is average.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

4 to 5 hours is average.

So I should only be at peak for an hour?

Mine is six. But I run a lower peak par.

 

[Roggio]

4 to 5 hours is average.

Mine is six. But I run a lower peak par.

I’m very greatful for you help. This hobby means a lot to me.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

You’re welcome!
It means a lot to us too.

 

[McMullen]

I run my LEDs, both channels, at 100% each. It's not the lights. It's nutrients. Now, will lowering lighting help while nutrients are zero? Probably.

No idea my PAR but lux is 120k