SPS TANK NIGHTMARE, about to throw in towel!!

[Lavey29]

For now it’s a whole lot of fish poop. That’s why I started with a lot of fish and went with my “treat it as a fish tank first philosophy.” I do have an ATS on the tank. It was stripping faster than I liked so I dialed it back to 5 hours a day. An ICP showed I was getting low on trace elements (which the scrubber removes en masse) so I dosed Brightwell Restore. Once my levels were back to normal and the ATS was tuned down, I stopped dosing the trace elements and stuck with water changes; unless ofcourse I start to see the issues again.

I treat additives in bottles as tools to be used when I need to fix. I never rely on them for daily doses. In the end, I know a large water change is more in balance than playing mad scientist with elements that are already scarce in seawater to begin with. I don’t see myself needing to use an amino acid supplement (if at all) for a few years as the tank grows in and I can’t feed the fish enough anymore compared to the coral load. But, before that happens I’ll always tune down the skimmer, remove the ATS or even take the skimmer offline half the day before I resort to bottles.

So no basic phytoplankton dose either?

 

[JMetaxas]

Zinc levels would worry me. Triton sells a Heavy Metal remover, which I used for copper in the past. I’d focus on that, and monitor with regular ICP tests. I trust the Triton tests too.

 

[njreefkeeper]

So no basic phytoplankton dose either?

Never have…never will. A mature system will always produce its’ own. It comes in on corals, grows in refugiums, on ATS, in our sand beds, etc. that nice green dusting on the glass that most reefers despise? Well I await its arrival every two days. Like Julian Sprung, I too believe that a healthy feeding of phytoplankton to your system is achieved simply by putting the magnet over your glass panels every few days. It’s a system in balance. Adding more than the system is producing to me seems like flirting with trouble. Phytoplankton feeds pods. Pods help feed corals. An excessive dosing of live phytoplankton can run the risk of consuming more nutrients that your corals need. If it’s in balance with your feeding and filtration and develops on its own it’s just always a safer bet to have the system mature to that point when it’s ready. Forcing Mother Nature to speed her up (like anywhere else) is never a route I’ve found productive and rewarding.

 

[Lavey29]

Never have…never will. A mature system will always produce its’ own. It comes in on corals, grows in refugiums, on ATS, in our sand beds, etc. that nice green dusting on the glass that most reefers despise? Well I await its arrival every two days. Like Julian Sprung, I too believe that a healthy feeding of phytoplankton to your system is achieved simply by putting the magnet over your glass panels every few days. It’s a system in balance. Adding more than the system is producing to me seems like flirting with trouble. Phytoplankton feeds pods. Pods help feed corals. An excessive dosing of live phytoplankton can run the risk of consuming more nutrients that your corals need. If it’s in balance with your feeding and filtration and develops on its own it’s just always a safer bet to have the system mature to that point when it’s ready. Forcing Mother Nature to speed her up (like anywhere else) is never a route I’ve found productive and rewarding.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[homer1475]

I see a whole lot of BS posting in this thread. High alk high nutrients, low ALK low nutrients, Pure BS and people really need to stop watching BRS videos.

Heavy in, heavy out, with a decent fish load(bioload) and decent lighting is all thats needed to keep SPS.

People tend to over complicate these things.

 

[njreefkeeper]

I see a whole lot of BS posting in this thread. High alk high nutrients, low ALK low nutrients, Pure BS and people really need to stop watching BRS videos.

Heavy in, heavy out, with a decent fish load(bioload) and decent lighting is all thats needed to keep SPS.

People tend to over complicate these things.

LOL…how’s it BS if someone’s doing it repeatedly for years?

MANY are doing these methods, but your comments are exactly why many veterans of the hobby don’t post much anymore. Instead of welcoming conjecture and a healthy discussion you choose to ridicule and stifle it.

 

[homer1475]

LOL…how’s it BS if someone’s doing it repeatedly for years?

MANY are doing these methods, but your comments are exactly why many veterans of the hobby don’t post much anymore. Instead of welcoming conjecture and a healthy discussion you choose to ridicule and stifle it.

I wasn't referring to your posts, I actually agree with you. And yes I am a 20 year vet of this hobby also.

I was referring to all the posts about high nutrients, need high alk, and vice versus. It's pure BS.

 

[njreefkeeper]

I wasn't referring to your posts, I actually agree with you. And yes I am a 20 year vet of this hobby also.

I was referring to all the posts about high nutrients, need high alk, and vice versus. It's pure BS.

Those are actually my posts. I do it all the time; especially when a tank is new with frags. As the system matures the alkalinty comes down naturally but I usually always hover between 9 and 10 dkh. It’s easier to keep nutrients higher in a new tank as there’s less consumption as bacterial beds colonize, stabilize and the corals start growing. Eventually the tank stabilizes and the corals become the primary nutrient sink as filtration is lessened for lack of need.

 

[homer1475]

So your trying to tell me in my SPS dominate system where I run my ALK 7.0 to 7.5 and nutrients in the 15 to 20 PPM nitrates, and anywhere between .1 and .2 phosphates is wrong?

 

[homer1475]

I personally think that the current trend of high ALK is what causes most people problems. I've never run a tank anything over 8.5.

 

[Falc!]

Hate saying it but some people just cant grow acros ...... Just like some people are natural green thumbs and others cant keep plants alive

 

[njreefkeeper]

So you’re trying to tell me in my SPS dominate system where I run my ALK 7.0 to 7.5 and nutrients in the 15 to 20 PPM nitrates, and anywhere between .1 and .2 phosphates is wrong?

LOL…not at all. Many do. A mature system can easily run those levels once it’s stabilized. Are you running +550 par with 350 minimum on your sand bed? A higher alkalinty with your nutrients in a mature system would increase growth. That growth in and of itself consumes more nutrients and it’s harder to keep the nutrients up. That’s the whole crux of my posts here. We already know higher alkalinty increases growth. Is that what’s up for debate? But with that increased alkalinty there needs to be a higher nutrient load to avoid the burnt tips and recession.

Nowhere did I mention that other alkalinty levels don’t grow coral. I think you’re misunderstanding. It was about matching flow, lighting, nutrient levels and element levels. That was it.

And I said nothing about not proposing heavy in and heavy out. I listed that I skim and have an algae turf scrubber and still keep my nutrients on the high side. That doesn’t mean I don’t do water changes too; which I also didn’t say.

I’m trying to understand why you’re at such odds with what I’ve written.

 

[njreefkeeper]

Hate saying it but some people just cant grow acros ...... Just like some people are natural green thumbs and others cant keep plants alive

Well that’s another issue altogether.

 

[ReefHunter006]

Hate saying it but some people just cant grow acros ...... Just like some people are natural green thumbs and others cant keep plants alive

I can grow sticks in my frag tank but not my display currently.

anybody reading comments like this, just move on to more helpful advice.

 

[homer1475]

LOL…not at all. Many do. A mature system can easily run those levels once it’s stabilized. Are you running +550 par with 350 minimum on your sand bed? A higher alkalinty with your nutrients in a mature system would increase growth. That growth in and of itself consumes more nutrients and it’s harder to keep the nutrients up. That’s the whole crux of my posts here. We already know higher alkalinty increases growth. Is that what’s up for debate? But with that increased alkalinty there needs to be a higher nutrient load to avoid the burnt tips and recession.

Nowhere did I mention that other alkalinty levels don’t grow coral. I think you’re misunderstanding. It was about matching flow, lighting, nutrient levels and element levels. That was it.

And I said nothing about not proposing heavy in and heavy out. I listed that I skim and have an algae turf scrubber and still keep my nutrients on the high side. That doesn’t mean I don’t do water changes too; which I also didn’t say.

I’m trying to understand why you’re at such odds with what I’ve written.

I think we are just misunderstanding each other. LOL

I completely, 100% agree with every thing you said in the above post(high alk, high nutrients to avoid "burnt tips") .

What I was referring to is the whole "the OP NEEDS to lower his nutrients, and that is why his SPS are suffering.

I have over the years, have had much better success with SPS in general at a lower ALK level.

 

[ReefHunter006]

I personally think that the current trend of high ALK is what causes most people problems. I've never run a tank anything over 8.5.

It’s already been proven countless times that people are successful under a variety of parameters. I lean towards your method as well but it doesn’t mean it’s the only way.

 

[homer1475]

I can grow sticks in my frag tank but not my display currently.

anybody reading comments like this, just move on to more helpful advice.

In this tank(going on 5 years now) I can't grow acans to save my life. Anything else, inclusind acros grow just fine.

 

[ReefHunter006]

In this tank(going on 5 years now) I can't grow acans to save my life. Anything else, inclusind acros grow just fine.

I’m not sure I see the point you’re trying to make.

My response showed two tank environments, where both tanks have the same routines. Sticks will eventually make it into that tank and survive. It’s not some green thumb, because I clearly have the skill to grow them elsewhere.

Saying some some people can’t do it just because is neither good for the hobby or this forum in my opinion.(that’s what the person I was responding to said to which you replied)

You've come across very direct in all your responses. I’m not sure why you’ve chosen to respond like you have but I have found it unhelpful for anyone following.

Have a good one, I’m not arguing over the internet.

 

[njreefkeeper]

I think we are just misunderstanding each other. LOL

I completely, 100% agree with every thing you said in the above post(high alk, high nutrients to avoid "burnt tips") .

What I was referring to is the whole "the OP NEEDS to lower his nutrients, and that is why his SPS are suffering.

I have over the years, have had much better success with SPS in general at a lower ALK level.

It’s all good. I know my alkalinty will fall in time. Trying to keep it where it is now would cost a fortune in carx media in two years if I try. Once the tank is grown in and the corals are consuming nutrients, I’d be riding on the edge of nutrients fall too low with a high alkalinty.

Most people today seem to have it mixed up. They get a few fish, grow some coralline and start dumping money into sticks. I remember even when we were all using quality live rock that the norm was “start with some lps and move on to SPS after a year or so.” And that was with LIVE roads and 6 week cycles!!!!! Now people want to throw in dry rock, dry sand, toss in a bottle of bacteria and are perplexed in a few months why their corals look like @&$”. Then you see they dumped a lot of money on corals and have a few fish swimming around that are sparsely fed….but they’re already lookikg to add coral food, aminos and anything else that’s hot today.

Instagram is a powerful drug.

To all new reefers. you have it harder today. There’s so much bad information out there and yes…it’s harder today with dry rock and dry sand; not because you can’t do it….but because fundamentals get lost in the noise and patience is thrown out the window. If anyone paid attention to my earlier posts, I said my wife and I moved to our house a year ago when I set up the tank. It got fed like a fish tank from August of 21 to August of 22 with no corals in it. My ASD Rainbow Mille is a progression shot from this past September until now. That’s a full year without coral in the tank at all.

A whole lot of patience goes a loooooong way and saves a lot of money. Enjoy the journey and let the tank do its thing. It’s a marathon not a race.

 

[branbray07]

OKKK guys let just get along. Lets remember we are here to figure out what the heck is going on with my system lmaooo. Anyways i just got some metasorb in, and just placed in the the sump. Lets see if it helps. Although i strongly agree with the fact that high alk and no nutrients , and low par will kill your sticks, this is not the case imo. Also i have always ran alk low, with higher than normal nutrients and never had any issues , on the contrary crazy pe, growth, and color as some of you guys have pointed out. Anything above 7.5 is to high for my liking. That saId, this is driving me nuts