Slow to No LPS Growth

AlexChef · Nov 4, 2020

I am wondering if anyone has any recommendations on why my LPS and zoas are showing very slow growth. I have a Fluval Evo with an AI prime light. I just got Seifert tests in the mail today to test all my levels.

I am currently dosing 2 part 1.25ml of B Ionic 2 part. This tank has been running for around 9 months. To make a long story short 2 months ago got water tested at LFS after adding coral and eventual demise. My salinity was at 1.021, my LPS were dwindling away slowly and my zoas and mushrooms were actual doing ok. I adjusted my salinity levels to 1.026 to get the ideal mag/calc/alk parameters out of IO Reef Mix.

Feeding: flakes Every 1-2 days, Mysis Shrimp cube 1x week, Reef Roids 2x week

Salinity:1.026
Nitrate: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
mag: 1350-1380
DKH: 10.2
Calc: 470-480
pH: ~8 (API5 in 1 test strip) \~8-8.4(Red Sea test, surprisingly difficult to read)

Stock: Hi Fin goby, Watchman Goby, Clown, Royal Gamma, Pistol Shrimp, Urchin, 8 Bumblebee snails, 2 other snails, hermit crab
Coral: Hammer, Frogspawn, 3 different zoas, Cinulara branch, GSP, RFA, 1Fully healthy BTA, 2 Shrunken dwindled almost to nothing BTA

Pics attached sorry for all the blue

Biglew11 · Nov 4, 2020

If nitrates are actually 0 ppm then they are quite low try around 5ppm, also what er your phosphates. I try to keep mine around .03 to .1 ppm

AlexChef · Nov 4, 2020

Biglew11 said:
If nitrates are actually 0 ppm then they are quite low try around 5ppm, also what er your phosphates. I try to keep mine around .03 to .1 ppm

Just tested with the API kit and got 0 again. I do not have a phosphate test. I do have a slight algae problem however

MERKEY · Nov 4, 2020

+1 to more nutrients in your water for lps health.

Different types of already come with different nutrient levels.

KevinC · Nov 4, 2020

I will assume u don’t dose aminos. Dose reef energy ab or just amino. You will see exponential growth

AlexChef · Nov 4, 2020

KevinC said:
I will assume u don’t dose aminos. Dose reef energy ab or just amino. You will see exponential growth

I am not currently dosing aminos, I do use polyp lab polyp booster for the feeding reaction

AlexChef · Nov 4, 2020

MERKEY said:
+1 to more nutrients in your water for lps health.

Different types of already come with different nutrient levels.

I forgot to mention I have a mangrove branch with leaves in my filter, might that be extracting too many nutrients?

KevinC · Nov 4, 2020

AlexChef said:
I am not currently dosing aminos, I do use polyp lab polyp booster for the feeding reaction

i think dosing amino and feeding are different lol. anyways, I for sure saw better growth dosing. i suggest reef energy, but id say you can dose the amino from aquaforest too

MERKEY · Nov 4, 2020

AlexChef said:
I forgot to mention I have a mangrove branch with leaves in my filter, might that be extracting too many nutrients?

Could be contributing to lower nutrients but I would suggest feeding more to start. Before taking it out lol

Maybe try 1/4 cube of mysis daily which would increase your feeding by about 1 cube of mysis a week. If this does not add any then perhaps bump it up to 1/2 a cube a day.

I would stay away from adding more pellets and reef roids at the moment and see if the mysis can bump it up enough.

Also get some better test kits if you can before you start adjusting too much. API is terrible

AlexChef · Nov 4, 2020

KevinC said:
i think dosing amino and feeding are different lol. anyways, I for sure saw better growth dosing. i suggest reef energy, but id say you can dose the amino from aquaforest too

This is the product. I figured it might suffice for the aminos since it’s not really a good but I will look into aminos more.
I have a bit of an algae problem a little worried about that

MERKEY · Nov 4, 2020

AlexChef said:
This is the product. I figured it might suffice for the aminos since it’s not really a good but I will look into aminos more.
I have a bit of an algae problem a little worried about that

What kind of algae? Could you post a pic?

AlexChef · Nov 4, 2020

MERKEY said:
Could be contributing to lower nutrients but I would suggest feeding more to start. Before taking it out lol

Maybe try 1/4 cube of mysis daily which would increase your feeding by about 1 cube of mysis a week. If this does not add any then perhaps bump it up to 1/2 a cube a day.

I would stay away from adding more pellets and reef roids at the moment and see if the mysis can bump it up enough.

Also get some better test kits if you can before you start adjusting too much. API is terrible

I agree I despise the API kits. I like the Seifert tests, considering buying the Hanna digital checkers