Sps dying from tips .

[Rmckoy]

Noticed since losing my hulk acro frag .
and forest fire digi some of my acro frags are dying from the tips .

it started with the digi .
The green hulk frag peeled and completely covered with algae in only a few days .

the only thing that’s changed is I started dosing alk and cal ( 2 part ) in the evening but the amount being dosed is minimal to maintain stable alk .
and I raised the light fixture up 1”
It was on boards across the top of the tank , recently installed chains to the ceiling .

230 gal
Alk 134ppm ( 7.5 dkh ) hanna
Temp 79° Hanna salinity checker
Sg : 1.024 Hanna
Cal : 425 salifert
Nitrates : 10 salifert
Phosphorus : 37ppb Hanna

Something isn’t right .....
the huge tabling acro is turning brown ,

other than the huge tabling acro and the 2 stick frags . Everything else is going great .

 

[Staghorn]

How much did Alk change when you started dosing. What’s the before and after numbers?

 

[Rmckoy]

It’s dropping 1-2 ppm per day .

it hasn’t dropped below 6.9dkh
And only once , that was almost a month ago

 

[Rmckoy]

Alk consumption seams to be all over the place .
For a few days it’s consistent at 2 ppm per day
It will only use 1ppm for 2-3 days and back to 2ppm
I’ve been testing every day trying to set up a dosing pump but can’t get consistent numbers

phosphates were higher and gradually coming down .
I have carbon and rowaphos in 2 separate phosban reactors

 

[Rmckoy]

How much did Alk change when you started dosing. What’s the before and after numbers?

6.9 dkh was the first time I noticed .

and highest it’s ever been was after water change . It went up to 7.62 dkh

before this .
it was constantly at 7.5 and stable .
calcium never moves .
Water change water is mixed at Sg is 1.025
Top off ( assuming skimmer taking too much
Dilutes a little bringing it down to 1.024 ?
if that makes sense .

 

[Staghorn]

Have you noticed any precipitation in the tank? What test kit are you using to test Alk?

 

[Staghorn]

How much rowaphos are you using? Is the phosphate dropping very rapidly?

 

[Staghorn]

In either case maybe stop the rowaphos for now and make sure your test kit is accurate. Hanna checker is very good for Alk.

 

[Staghorn]

Stripping the phosphate too quickly from a tank will hurt sps. And so will Alk swings.

 

[Rmckoy]

Using Hanna ulr phosphorus for phosphate
Hanna for alk
Salifert for everything else .
I double checked the alk with Hanna .

carbon : 1tbs per 10 gal ( 23 tbs in that reactor )
The other reactor has 13tbs rowaphos
At 1/2tbs per 10 gal
Carbon first , into rowaphos

march 31 when I added the 2 reactors
Phosphorus was 73ppb ( .224 ppm phosphates )
Nitrates were 20ppm
April 1 phosphorus 45ppb
Nitrates 15
April 5 phosphorus went back up to 50ppb

April 7 61ppb

 

[Shannon_Hill]

Using Hanna ulr phosphorus for phosphate
Hanna for alk
Salifert for everything else .
I double checked the alk with Hanna .

carbon : 1tbs per 10 gal ( 23 tbs in that reactor )
The other reactor has 13tbs rowaphos
At 1/2tbs per 10 gal
Carbon first , into rowaphos

march 31 when I added the 2 reactors
Phosphorus was 73ppb ( .224 ppm phosphates )
Nitrates were 20ppm
April 1 phosphorus 45ppb
Nitrates 15
April 5 phosphorus went back up to 50ppb

April 7 61ppb

If anything, it looks like your PO4 is way too high. Especially for acros. They will certainly struggle with PO4 above .1PPM. I would dose some Phosphat-E to get that down.

 

[Rmckoy]

If anything, it looks like your PO4 is way too high. Especially for acros. They will certainly struggle with PO4 above .1PPM. I would dose some Phosphat-E to get that down.

Thank you ..

currently running rowaphos to lower them .

 

[Staghorn]

based on that info I would try to adjust that rowaphos to maintain around that 60 ppb. It’s going to require some testing and probably adjust the flow through the reactor. I think your parameters are fine as long as you can just keep them stable.

 

[Staghorn]

You said ppb not ppm correct? 60 ppb = .06 ppm

 

[amazongb]

Alk consumption seams to be all over the place .
For a few days it’s consistent at 2 ppm per day
It will only use 1ppm for 2-3 days and back to 2ppm
I’ve been testing every day trying to set up a dosing pump but can’t get consistent numbers

phosphates were higher and gradually coming down .
I have carbon and rowaphos in 2 separate phosban reactors

Do you test ALK/CA at the same time every day? Also, what time do you dose ALK, and CA?

 

[Suohhen]

What is your magnesium at? It plays a critical role in sustaining high alk and cal levels.

 

[amazongb]

You said ppb not ppm correct? 60 ppb = .06 ppm

I think he said 37 ppb which is .11 ppm..

 

[Staghorn]

Ok so he said 61ppb phosphate= .061ppm phosphate. If it’s .61ppb phosphorus the =.187ppm phosphate. So it depends which your testing

 

[Staghorn]

I just realized it does say phosphorus. So then adjust the reactor so the level keeps lowering until you get to around 20ppb phosphorus just try to beep it steadily going down not too fast and try to avoid spikes.

 

[mikereefing]

I have similar issues when I had high phos from a dino battle and brought it back down too quickly with rowaphos. I took out the rowaphos and let everything stabilize. 37 ppb (which I read is 0.11ppm) isn't THAT high for acros. I run a tank with 8dkh and my acros will suffer tip burn at any phos lower than 0.03. I agree with above that removing rowaphos is probably a good start. Whenever I have those damaged tips, I clip the damaged areas after everything stabilizes and the tissue usually grows back over the clipped areas.