SPS Failure

[ReefHunter006]

Preface: I have been growing SPS for a few years. I am not a guru, but I do not believe the below to be the result of inexperience for the new display tank I set up 8 months ago.

big 3:
7-8 dkh, daily swing less than .2dkh.
Cal: 450
Mg: 1350

Nutrients:
Po4: .1
NO3: 6

Tank background:
The tank has been up for about 8 months. Began adding corals 2 months ago.

All dry rock, no seeding from prior tanks.

Tanks primary nutrient control is a refugium.

Carbon dosing was used to bring down nutirents from no3 @ 80ppm and po4 @ .6 ppm in September to the amounts listed earlier. They have been stable at the above amounts listed for two months.

Tank Pictures
April 2022

June 2022

August 2022: Max nutrient load no3 @ 60+ / po4 @ .6

Nov 2022

So with all that out of the way. I went to add a handful of tester SPS frags after a couple months of strong coraline growth, and getting nutrients down.

Bali slimers, stylos, birdnests, tort, etc. I included a small handful of LpS. Elegence, Duncan, and bubble.

Over the last two months, most of the SPS frags have died. Any that are alive are just perishing slower than the other. It takes weeks for the frags to die and the STN typically starts from the center or the tips of the coral.

Frag tank:

Why did I post this:

I am throughly confused how individuals like reef cowboy and others can cycle a tank and get sps in the tank within 2 months on a full dry rock cycle. Yet, I give the new tank six months and it just can’t support anything but LpS

ICP shows no containments.

Does adding sps early, assuming big 3 and nutrient stability, allow for a favorable micro biome to develop without competition?

I can’t help but feel by waiting so long is the reason sps struggle is because the micro biome has to shift from the established environment.

I kind of want to cycle a 20 gallon and stick a slimer in it to see what happens because I am really annoyed that after all this time, the tank still seems to struggle.

 

[ninjamyst]

They do fine in your frag tank but not in your display?

 

[blaxsun]

What's missing from these variables is the actual PAR reading from your lighting.

 

[ReefHunter006]

What's missing from these variables is the actual PAR reading from your lighting.

Pretty even 400 across the top of the rock. About 160 at the edges and 250 in the center on the sand bed.

 

[Thor2j]

And we need your flow in tank and out.

 

[ReefHunter006]

They do fine in your frag tank but not in your display?

Yes, but the display was never seeded with anything from the frag tank.

 

[ReefHunter006]

And we need your flow in tank and out.

In and out?

the tank has 4 reef wave 45 and 4 mp40s. All at 90%. I have a lot of flow in that tank.

 

[blaxsun]

Pretty even 400 across the top of the rock. About 160 at the edges and 250 in the center on the sand bed.

Yes, but what is it exactly around the SPS? When I mapped out my tank most of my SPS were in the 250-300+ PAR range. As @Thor2j pointed out, flow (too much, too little) can also have a bearing.

 

[ReefHunter006]

Yes, but what is it exactly around the SPS? When I mapped out my tank most of my SPS were in the 250-300+ PAR range. As @Thor2j pointed out, flow (too much, too little) can also have a bearing.

The sps are started week 1 in 150. The racks are then moved slowly to 250, over the following two weeks.

 

[Lavey29]

Sorry for your troubles. I don't consider myself and expert but want to share my experience. I have slightly smaller set up. Around 8 months started to see some good coraline and added a few tester SPS. Simple stylo stuff. 1.5 months later they were dead. At the one year mark my tank seemed to go through an evolution. It was much more stable and predictable. Like my biome kicked into gear. Started adding SPS frags again. 1 year 8 months now and I have 37 SPS corals growing about 10 colonies now. I only lost one due to shipping stress.

Sounds like you are a diligent reefer and check everything well. Perhaps the biome which you can't check in full just is not ready to sustain SPS at 6 or 8 months?

 

[blaxsun]

The sps are started week 1 in 150. The racks are then moved slowly to 250, over the following two weeks.

I'm thinking the lower PAR for 2 weeks could be an issue (but that's just a guess). When new SPS go into my tank I don't acclimate - they go straight to the lighting/zone I've designated.

 

[ReefHunter006]

Sorry for your troubles. I don't consider myself and expert but want to share my experience. I have slightly smaller set up. Around 8 months started to see some good coraline and added a few tester SPS. Simple stylo stuff. 1.5 months later they were dead. At the one year mark my tank seemed to go through an evolution. It was much more stable and predictable. Like my biome kicked into gear. Started adding SPS frags again. 1 year 8 months now and I have 37 SPS corals growing about 10 colonies now. I only lost one due to shipping stress.

Sounds like you are a diligent reefer and check everything well. Perhaps the biome which you can't check in full just is not ready to sustain SPS at 6 or 8 months?

That’s what I suspect, but for the individuals that can start with sps within the first two months, they much do something that can be repeated. I would hope. I just don’t know what it is.

 

[Lavey29]

That’s what I suspect, but for the individuals that can start with sps within the first two months, they much do something that can be repeated. I would hope. I just don’t know what it is.

Not sure either. Very experienced reefers are able to drop coral early on and get them to sustain. I don't think they get much growth though but the corals often don't die either. Experts in any hobby can do things better then the majority mass of novices though so reefing is not unique there.

 

[Lavey29]

I'm thinking the lower PAR for 2 weeks could be an issue (but that's just a guess). When new SPS go into my tank I don't acclimate - they go straight to the lighting/zone I've designated.

This is what I do also

 

[Pridedcloth3]

Sorry for your troubles. I don't consider myself and expert but want to share my experience. I have slightly smaller set up. Around 8 months started to see some good coraline and added a few tester SPS. Simple stylo stuff. 1.5 months later they were dead. At the one year mark my tank seemed to go through an evolution. It was much more stable and predictable. Like my biome kicked into gear. Started adding SPS frags again. 1 year 8 months now and I have 37 SPS corals growing about 10 colonies now. I only lost one due to shipping stress.

Sounds like you are a diligent reefer and check everything well. Perhaps the biome which you can't check in full just is not ready to sustain SPS at 6 or 8 months?

I'm right with you, took a year of actual activity for sps to survive in my tank. In the beginning I lost the few montis I had. Now I'm growing acros, birdsnest, chalice, and a pavona frag that's getting out of hand now.

 

[Lavey29]

I'm right with you, took a year of actual activity for sps to survive in my tank. In the beginning I lost the few montis I had. Now I'm growing acros, birdsnest, chalice, and a pavona frag that's getting out of hand now.

It's wierd how everything all of a sudden seems to thrive. Even my LPS and softs as well. I really haven't changed my approach much at all either.

 

[Pridedcloth3]

It's wierd how everything all of a sudden seems to thrive. Even my LPS and softs as well. I really haven't changed my approach much at all either.

Pretty much everything I started with died minus the kenya tree....... nothing can kill a kenya tree.

 

[MamaMolo]

Your set up looks similar to mine. I have my lights at 70% intensity 8 hr t5 and 5 hour led peak with the rest only blues similar to wwc. It’s about 350 par at top of the rocks. My tank is 11months old. I put coral in at 2 months. Not sure how long you are running your lights for. Also, I have 4 mp40 and reef wave. None are over 50%. Hope this helps…

 

[Lavey29]

Pretty much everything I started with died minus the kenya tree....... nothing can kill a kenya tree.

Oh yea, early on lost LPS too but I didn't add corals until 4 month mark.

 

[Lavey29]

Your set up looks similar to mine. I have my lights at 70% intensity 8 hr t5 and 5 hour led peak with the rest only blues similar to wwc. It’s about 350 par at top of the rocks. My tank is 11months old. I put coral in at 2 months. Not sure how long you are running your lights for. Also, I have 4 mp40 and reef wave. None are over 50%. Hope this helps…

Beautiful, are those fans in the back wall?