SPS help in upstate of South Carolina.

jeepreefer1 · Aug 20, 2021

Is there anyone in the upstate of South Carolina that is willing to help a fellow reefer with figuring out why some Acros and SPS are dark in color and polyps not extended. This is the second time I have dove into acros and I just can't make them all happy. I have no friends in this hobby to bounce things off of. I am the only hobbyist that has seen my tank. I have read and watched plenty of videos. My monties and LPS and Spongodes is happy. Anyway is there any SPS gurus in the Greenville, SC area?? I would love for another hobbyist to see my tank and give me some advice. I have sent a triton test out and the last email I received from them was that they do not know why I do not have results yet. I don't know if they lost it or what.

sunken3 · Aug 21, 2021

do you have any pics of your sps? also, tank specs? and water parameters? (prior to the triton test)..

jeepreefer1 · Aug 21, 2021

Tank is a waterbox Marine 65 with sump, Skimmer, algae scrubber, 2 Aquaillumination Prime 16HD lights over it, I use Hanna Alk checker and it has been steady 8.0-8.5 but never changing quickly all summer. Calcium stays at 450, Mag I do not know, Nitrates between 8-13 all summer, Phosphate is 0.08. I dose Tropic Marin's All For Reef about 3.1 Ml per day in 11 different doses all day. I put Kalkwasser in my ATO to keep PH up. PH stays around 8.0-8.1.

jeepreefer1 · Aug 22, 2021

1st pic Pink Cadillac, 2nd Elkhorn Montipora, 3rd another Pink Cadillac, 4th TSA Tesla, 5th Pikachu. Polyps out on Elkhorn but nothing else. Pikachu is supposed to be yellow but instead gray/green dark.

eraser2001 · Aug 22, 2021

Hi
I'm in north Charleston. Sometimes corals take time to get their colors. I moved from Houston to here, when I moved my corals to tank's friend, they change colors, when I move to here, same happen.
I have a few questions
How often do you check Alk?
How do you put the kalkwasser in your Ato?
I saw the pictures and look like the have polyps. I have the Pikachu and is green with some light and change it when it starts growing.

am3gross · Aug 22, 2021

How long has the tank been setup? I have had alot of issues with my tank and the most common advice I have gotten has been to be patient and let it mature for a while.

jeepreefer1 · Aug 22, 2021

eraser2001 said:
Hi
I'm in north Charleston. Sometimes corals take time to get their colors. I moved from Houston to here, when I moved my corals to tank's friend, they change colors, when I move to here, same happen.
I have a few questions
How often do you check Alk?
How do you put the kalkwasser in your Ato?
I saw the pictures and look like the have polyps. I have the Pikachu and is green with some light and change it when it starts growing.

I check ALK 2 times a day. The tank is 13 months old. I premix half teaspoon in a gallon pitcher then pour it in.Pikachu has been in the tank 8 weeks so I thought the color would come back and polyps would come out by now.

jeepreefer1 · Aug 22, 2021

am3gross said:
How long has the tank been setup? I have had alot of issues with my tank and the most common advice I have gotten has been to be patient and let it mature for a while.

Tank been running 13 months.

jeepreefer1 · Aug 22, 2021

sunken3 · Aug 22, 2021

I am not sure about the element Mo and it's effects.. I am guessing it's getting overdosed in your supplement (but it may have no effect.. not sure). Your water parameters came out good. That really leaves tank stability, flow, and lighting (well and critters in the tank).. i once had a few fish that seemed to bug the SPS and their polyps never came out during the day.. I moved the fish and now I see extension.

Not sure about flow, but your lighting is likely not enough. You should check your PAR where the SPS are. 2 primes are probably good for a 20G tank, but I think would be a stretch for a 65G (unless those guys are directly under the light). I have a 250G with 2x 250W MH, 3x AI Hydra 64HD, 4x 24W T5's and my SPS is pretty high in the tank. LEDs can over blast coral if not dialed in, but they also lack the spread of MD and T5's so you usually need more and then dialed down.

and to others points.. some corals take forever to "take off". I have likely 50 all clumped in a section - some have gone crazy, some slow (a couple died for whatever reason, which is also terrible), but some have almost no change. But the color usually comes back or enhances over time when the coral gets established. stability is your friend here.

jeepreefer1 · Aug 22, 2021

Thank you, I have been suspecting not enough light but did not want to go cranking them up before ruling out other things. I have been trying to get my local fish shop to rent me their Par meter so I can check. I don't think it's flow, because I have 2 nero 3's on opposite sides crashing together with random flow. BTW my tank is a 65 but 20 of that is sump, so display is about 44. I think you are right, not enough light. I will let you know. I plan to adjust them up in slight increments.