Need help with sps polyp extension

t5Nitro

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Added these corals from a previously established tank to my tank end of February. Going on 4 weeks later they've colored up but randomly have lost polyp extension in the past 1 week. First pic a strawberry shortcake and 2nd pic a blue polyp birdsnest.

Reduced my 2 part doser volumes to reduce my numbers. Currently parameters are:

Sg 1.025 to 1.026
Ca 475 (dropping about 2.5 per day, goal 440 or 450)
Alk 11.3 (dropping about 0.1 per day goal 9 to 10)
Nitrates and Phos unknown.

Will the high alk do this?


Last pic was the shortcake end of feburary. Brown but good PE.

20200324_163314.jpg 20200324_162553.jpg SmartSelect_20200324-162816_Gallery.jpg
 

Billldg

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Added these corals from a previously established tank to my tank end of February. Going on 4 weeks later they've colored up but randomly have lost polyp extension in the past 1 week. First pic a strawberry shortcake and 2and pic a blue polyp birdsnest.

Reduced my 2 part doser volumes to reduce my numbers. Currently parameters are:

Sg 1.025 to 1.026
Ca 475 (dropping about 2.5 per day, goal 440 or 450)
Alk 11.3 (dropping about 0.1 per day goal 9 to 10)
Nitrates and Phos unknown.

Will the high alk do this?


Last pic was the shortcake end of feburary. Brown but good PE.

20200324_163314.jpg 20200324_162553.jpg SmartSelect_20200324-162816_Gallery.jpg
The shock of the tank could cause them to loose PE. What is your N03 and P04? I have found that lower N03 and P04 causes them the extend their polyps's as well. SPS want stability, something I learned when I added a sulfur reactor. They don't often react well to changes. They take their sweat time to reacting to changes.
 
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t5Nitro

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The shock of the tank could cause them to loose PE. What is your N03 and P04? I have found that lower N03 and P04 causes them the extend their polyps's as well. SPS want stability, something I learned when I added a sulfur reactor. They don't often react well to changes. They take their sweat time to reacting to changes.

I should go ahead and order a Hannah phos checker and a nitrate test kit. I don't have them on hand. I think initially my water had been Alk ~9.6 which is what my reef crystals mixes to, but slowly this number climbed into the 11s.
 

Billldg

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I should go ahead and order a Hannah phos checker and a nitrate test kit. I don't have them on hand. I think initially my water had been Alk ~9.6 which is what my reef crystals mixes to, but slowly this number climbed into the 11s.
A Hanna phosphate checker, when having sps, is never a bad choice. Just make sure you get the ULM checker. Alk shock can be a big shocker for SPS, depending on what if came from originally.
 
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t5Nitro

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Thanks I will get some testers for nitrate and phos to see how those are going. Find it odd that PE was full for the first 2 weeks for sure and now diminished minimal to none. In those 2 weeks there was the change in dkh in my own tank as well as more algae growth.
 

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Let us know what the nutrients are when you get them. It looks like they were stressed even in the first pictures. The acro looks like it was struggling to grow in the previous tank from the pictures and the birdsnest had the polyps pulled in slightly. Make sure there are no bugs on that acro, red or black, I don’t see any from the pic but it’s a little out of focus and just far enough away that it might not show them.
 

CCauthers

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I would agree, stress and NO3 and PO4 can impact PE, but they may also want a different light level. I have had luck with starting them lower, and moving them up higher until you see max extension. Keep us updated!
 
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t5Nitro

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Any angels in the tank?
No angels in there. 2 clowns, 1 yellow and 1 purple tang.

I've got the hanna phosphate ULR checker and extra reagent in my cart. Looking at phosphate removers either liquid or media before I go ahead with it. So many different options out there it's a bit overwhelming haha. How often are you all needing to change phosban or rowaphos if you go that route through a media reactor?
 

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No angels in there. 2 clowns, 1 yellow and 1 purple tang.

I've got the hanna phosphate ULR checker and extra reagent in my cart. Looking at phosphate removers either liquid or media before I go ahead with it. So many different options out there it's a bit overwhelming haha. How often are you all needing to change phosban or rowaphos if you go that route through a media reactor?
I believe your alk is too high. I would get it down to 8-9. Knowing no3/po4 will help but those corals look like they’re stressed from starvation. They need more fish poop, not no3/po4. Also, what lighting are you using?? Are you adding any other products to the tank??
 
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t5Nitro

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I believe your alk is too high. I would get it down to 8-9. Knowing no3/po4 will help but those corals look like they’re stressed from starvation. They need more fish poop, not no3/po4. Also, what lighting are you using?? Are you adding any other products to the tank??
Additives: BRS 2-part doses smaller volumes 4x daily
Filtration: Somatic 90S skimmer running continuously, filter sock changed q1 week, activated carbon in overflow.
Lighting: Orphek atlantik V4 from 11:30AM to 10PM, running 90% intensity for about 8 hours and I think 100% for 4 or 5 hours.
Pumps: Varios4 return at 80%, maxispect gyre 330 running constant speed mode at 30% or it destroys the LPS in the tank.
Heaters: 2x Eheim jager 150W and 200W on inkbird controller, stays about 77F.
SG: ~1.025-1.026 by milwaukee digital refractometer, maintained by Spectrapure ATO.
Feeding: Life Spectrum pellets 1-2 times daily. Nori sheet about 2x4" daily. ~1/4-1/2" LRS reef frenzy piece about every other day, had started to rinse this before feeding.
Water changes: 5g weekly or 10g every other week. Total tank volume about 90 gallons.
 

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Additives: BRS 2-part doses smaller volumes 4x daily
Filtration: Somatic 90S skimmer running continuously, filter sock changed q1 week, activated carbon in overflow.
Lighting: Orphek atlantik V4 from 11:30AM to 10PM, running 90% intensity for about 8 hours and I think 100% for 4 or 5 hours.
Pumps: Varios4 return at 80%, maxispect gyre 330 running constant speed mode at 30% or it destroys the LPS in the tank.
Heaters: 2x Eheim jager 150W and 200W on inkbird controller, stays about 77F.
SG: ~1.025-1.026 by milwaukee digital refractometer, maintained by Spectrapure ATO.
Feeding: Life Spectrum pellets 1-2 times daily. Nori sheet about 2x4" daily. ~1/4-1/2" LRS reef frenzy piece about every other day, had started to rinse this before feeding.
Water changes: 5g weekly or 10g every other week. Total tank volume about 90 gallons.
I’m not familiar with Orpheks but those settings sound pretty high for montis. Is it mounted at the suggested 16” above the water?? I also think you’re over stripping the fish poop with your skimmer and activated carbon. I only use activated carbon if I mess with my palys and zoas, and I only run it for 12-24 hours max. Get your alk down, sooner is better than later, with a better salt like Red Sea blue or tropic marin pro and try to get your hands on a par meter.
 
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t5Nitro

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I've got the orphek mounted using their tank bracket which looks about 16" off the surface. Tank itself is 20" high with the sps all located about halfway up so maybe they're about 26" below the light.

I can do another 5g water change with RC this batch has been mixing up to dkh 9.6. Itll lower it by 0.5 again if same as last time.
 

CCauthers

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If youre going to bring your alk down, make sure to do it very slowly, so you do not stress the coral any more than it already is.
 
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t5Nitro

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Dkh today by hanna checker 10.7. Anticipated it would be 11.1.

Edit: Meant to add I run the heavy clouds setting for 4 hours during peak 100% intensity so it's 15 minutes on full brightness followed by 5 minutes of "clouds" and alternates that way for those 4 hours.
 
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Charlie’s Frags

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Dkh today by hanna checker 10.7. Anticipated it would be 11.1.

Edit: Meant to add I run the heavy clouds setting for 4 hours during peak 100% intensity so it's 15 minutes on full brightness followed by 5 minutes of "clouds" and alternates that way for those 4 hours.
Par readings are recommended if you plan on keeping more sps. I still think you should bring alk down to 8-9. I’m not a member of the alk swing paranoia in this hobby. I’ve had a doser malfunction that caused my alk to over 40 dKh from 8.5. I did massive water changes and brought it down to 12 in less than 12 hours and then brought it back down to 8.5 a couple days later. I only lost 1 frag during this disaster. I’m not saying let your alk swing all over but bringing down to a lower level is better than keeping it in the high range for too long.
My alk swings between 8 and 9 everyday
DDABC86D-728E-437C-8931-585ACA4B9038.png
No3 10-25
Po4 0.09-0.20 (30-70 ppb)



I have 15 fish in my 50 gallon cube and feed 2 cubes of frozen and a sheet of nori everyday
 
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t5Nitro

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Par readings are recommended if you plan on keeping more sps. I still think you should bring alk down to 8-9. I’m not a member of the alk swing paranoia in this hobby. I’ve had a doser malfunction that caused my alk to over 40 dKh from 8.5. I did massive water changes and brought it down to 12 in less than 12 hours and then brought it back down to 8.5 a couple days later. I only lost 1 frag during this disaster. I’m not saying let your alk swing all over but bringing down to a lower level is better than keeping it in the high range for too long.
My alk swings between 8 and 9 everyday
DDABC86D-728E-437C-8931-585ACA4B9038.png
No3 10-25
Po4 0.09-0.20 (30-70 ppb)



I have 15 fish in my 50 gallon cube and feed 2 cubes of frozen and a sheet of nori everyday

Your coral look so good! So I will drop my dkh and pull the activated carbon for now as well as increase feeding frequency, maybe reef frenzy twice daily? Should be ok to keep the skimmer going? I ordered the phos hanna meter. Any particular NO3 test brands? Seems just pick one and go with it.

This is the kind of algae I've got going on. Should add that I'm using RODI water as well.

20200325_191627.jpg
 

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Your coral look so good! So I will drop my dkh and pull the activated carbon for now as well as increase feeding frequency, maybe reef frenzy twice daily? Should be ok to keep the skimmer going? I ordered the phos hanna meter. Any particular NO3 test brands? Seems just pick one and go with it.

This is the kind of algae I've got going on. Should add that I'm using RODI water as well.

20200325_191627.jpg
How long has the tank been set up?
 
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t5Nitro

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3mo now. Shortcake is losing some tissue today and the birdsnest polyps are further retracted. Think this battle is lost.

Alk 10.7 --> 10.3
Ca is now 465 slowly came down from 480.
 
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t5Nitro

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Changed the light intensity as you said they maybe also getting blasted. Here are my current trial settings.

SmartSelect_20200326-162331_Gallery.jpg
 

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