SPS Not Growing

[strike2867]

7.5 ALK
426 CA
1532 MG
.19 Phosphate (raised up over the last week, use to be around 0)
2.5 Nitrate
1.025 Salinity
58 gallons

Lighting 4x AI Prime HD. Slowly raising the white intensity. Currently running 8 hours of 54% White and all Blue type lights 100%+. Long photoperiod with only blues (16 hours total, but ramped).

Flow is 2 Gyres 330 going up to 40% on opposite sides of the tank. Switching between which one is on every 10 seconds. Good surface agitation.

Acros mostly green, even a few inches below the water line. WD for example is almost all green. Pink Cadillac looks like it's starting to get a more florescent green, with blue tips.
Some of the montis have had growth. Forest fire is very slowly encrusting, no upwards growth.

I'm dosing Iodine every 3 days. Acro Power and random minerals once a week.

Maybe related, the water looks greenish at night.

At my wits end here :(

 

[Jack Wang]

7.5 ALK
426 CA
1532 MG
.19 Phosphate (raised up over the last week, use to be around 0)
2.5 Nitrate
1.025 Salinity
58 gallons

Lighting 4x AI Prime HD. Slowly raising the white intensity. Currently running 8 hours of 54% White and all Blue type lights 100%+. Long photoperiod with only blues (16 hours total, but ramped).

Flow is 2 Gyres 330 going up to 40% on opposite sides of the tank. Switching between which one is on every 10 seconds. Good surface agitation.

Acros mostly green, even a few inches below the water line. WD for example is almost all green. Pink Cadillac looks like it's starting to get a more florescent green, with blue tips.
Some of the montis have had growth. Forest fire is very slowly encrusting, no upwards growth.

I'm dosing Iodine every 3 days. Acro Power and random minerals once a week.

Maybe related, the water looks greenish at night.

At my wits end here :(

how long have you had the corals?

 

[strike2867]

how long have you had the corals?

Oldest is maybe 3 months.

 

[uhupong]

Phos higher than 0.1 will slow dps growth in my opinion

 

[Strad12]

What’s your pH?

 

[strike2867]

Phos higher than 0.1 will slow dps growth in my opinion

I kept hearing opinions all over the place on that. My phosphate had been at basically 0 for the entire time. So I figured I'd try something new. Salifert couldn't detect any Phosphates whatsoever. After I started loading it up, it took me a few days to get to .08 on the Hanna. Now at .19 I'm at about the 1 to 16 ratio to Nitrates, so I've stopped adding it. Haven't seen much difference on the tank.

 

[strike2867]

What’s your pH?

 

[Jack Wang]

Oldest is maybe 3 months.

Ok, that's not too long. It'll probably take a couple more months before they really take off under the assumptions your parameter are stable and not just on target. Several issues could be contributing to the lack of growth based on your info. One is lighting. It's not just about how high you can jack up the PAR. The reality is LEDs are much slower at growing SPS's. In addition, it's true that your parameters are within the target, but as I said earlier, stability should be more emphasized. Not sure how often you test. Also, if your corals are not growing, stop dosing supplements. If your acros are not consuming them, excessive trace elements and amino's are counter intuitive..

 

[stephj03]

If 3 mo of what you describe is enough to put you at your wit's end, you may want to consider a different type of coral to center your reef hobby around.

Sounds to me like you're actually having a good go of it considering you previously had ultra low PO4 and chose to raise it rapidly.

If going from 0-.19 in a WK isn't enough to stress or kill some of the Acros in your tank, then overall your system is in a good place.

Regardless of whatever tanks you think you've seen that turn 3/4" into 2" frags in 3mo, the actual SPS hobby is about waiting all yr for most.

 

[strike2867]

Ok, that's not too long. It'll probably take a couple more months before they really take off under the assumptions your parameter are stable and not just on target. Several issues could be contributing to the lack of growth based on your info. One is lighting. It's not just about how high you can jack up the PAR. The reality is LEDs are much slower at growing SPS's. In addition, it's true that your parameters are within the target, but as I said earlier, stability should be more emphasized. Not sure how often you test. Also, if your corals are not growing, stop dosing supplements. If your acros are not consuming them, excessive trace elements and amino's are counter intuitive..

Alk+CA+MG are tridented and have been at this number for the entire time. Nitrates I test every few weeks. They use to be 0, so I turned down the light over the Chaeto to get them up. They haven't been past 5. Phosphate has always been 0ish. Only recently started dosing it and testing. Should I stop all trace elements, including iodine, and just keep my parameters stable for a while?

 

[strike2867]

If 3 mo of what you describe is enough to put you at your wit's end, you may want yo consider a different type of coral to center your reef hobby around.

Sounds to me like you're actually having a good go of it considering you previously had ultra low PO4 and chose to raise it rapidly.

If going from 0-.19 in a WK isn't enough to stress or kill some of the Acros in your tank, then overall your system is in a good place.

Regardless of whatever tanks you think you've seen that turn 3/4" into 2" frags in 3mo, the actual SPS hobby is about waiting all yr for most.

This is a small part of my old 210, it was absolutely filled with SPS grown for nonexistant frags. This 58 gallon tank is driving me up the wall.

 

[Jack Wang]

Alk+CA+MG are tridented and have been at this number for the entire time. Nitrates I test every few weeks. They use to be 0, so I turned down the light over the Chaeto to get them up. They haven't been past 5. Phosphate has always been 0ish. Only recently started dosing it and testing. Should I stop all trace elements, including iodine, and just keep my parameters stable for a while?

ya, i think that's the best route to take for now. I guess it's understandable that you are frustrated with your current tank's growth especially when you were used to how fat your corals grew in your 210.

 

[strike2867]

ya, i think that's the best route to take for now. I guess it's understandable that you are frustrated with your current tank's growth especially when you were used to how fat your corals grew in your 210.

Thank you. Will give it a shot. Otherwise I'll keep parameters as is, try and open a window to get the pH up a bit. Slowly keep raising the light intensity.

One other interesting thing is the Millie I have in the tank has absolutely 0 polyp extension. Never seen anything like it. I don't see any pest signs on any acros.

 

[Jack Wang]

Thank you. Will give it a shot. Otherwise I'll keep parameters as is, try and open a window to get the pH up a bit. Slowly keep raising the light intensity.

One other interesting thing is the Millie I have in the tank has absolutely 0 polyp extension. Never seen anything like it. I don't see any pest signs on any acros.

That's not uncommon. I have a big Aussie colony that never had any polyp extension when the lights are on. Take a peek at night to see if there is. Even if Ii doesn't, as long other acro's are normal, I wouldn't make too big of a change just because one is ticked at something

 

[blasterman]

Iodine is like steroids for soft corals and some LPS. Ive not seen it do a darn thing for SPS. It actually causes a bit of a brown up in my experience.

Montipora and birdsnests seem to like phosphate. Ive not seen it benefit acros higher than trace levels.

 

[Strad12]

Get that pH up! 8.1 is good, but 8.3-8.4 is the best. Don’t worry about nitrates or phosphates until you remedy pH. Kalkwasser is your friend.

 

[Strad12]

Accidental double post

 

[strike2867]

Get that pH up! 8.1 is good, but 8.3-8.4 is the best. Don’t worry about nitrates or phosphates until you remedy pH. Kalkwasser is your friend.

The most I've ever had is 8.3, in the fall when I'm able to have the windows wide open. I think I also baked the baking soda for dkh additions. I'm not running a protein skimmer, so that may be why it's lower.

Also I have a low fish load for a 58. 2xclowns, Starry Blenny, Mandarin, Pygmy Hawk and a Damsel.

 

[strike2867]

That's not uncommon. I have a big Aussie colony that never had any polyp extension when the lights are on. Take a peek at night to see if there is. Even if Ii doesn't, as long other acro's are normal, I wouldn't make too big of a change just because one is ticked at something

I've just checked in the middle of the night, 0 polyps.

 

[homer1475]

No angels in the tank? Only the occupants you listed above?

FWIW, SPS will typically "base out" before they actually start to grow. Meaning, they lay down a very strong base(encrust onto your rockwork) to support the eventual long branches. Also some corals can go dormant for months before actually starting to grow. I've had many acro's do nothing(not even polyp extension) for months, to wake up one day to it being furry and adding skeleton(white tips).