Struggling to keep LPS

[Blue80]

All,

I can't keep any lps in my tank to save my life. I am not sure what the issue is as my softies do just fine. I currently have a 180 gallon aquarium with an icecap 36XL sump and the tank has been set up well over a year with plenty of coraline algae growth in the tank. I fight green hair algae, but it has been minimal for a little while now.

I have 3 mp 40s, two on one end of the tank, one on the other (run in lps mode maxing out around 48%). I also struggle to grow any algae in my refugium (chaeto, caulerpa, etc.). I have switched between the innovative marine 9 watt grow light and a simple 29 watt fluorescent light without much luck. As needed, I run carbon and gfo and test my water weekly. I have 4 ai hydra 32 lights over the tank and run them from 7am to 5 pm. I run filter socks in the aquarium and a reef octopus protein skimmer, which pulls out a lot of junk. These are the numbers I get based on the apogee par meter.





My last test showed phosphates at around .02, but it can get as high as .1. My nitrates were right around 15 but have been as high as 19. I keep my alk between 8.4 and 9 and calcium is 420 and magnesium is 1330. The salinity is 1.025 and tank temp is kept at 78 degrees. I also sent in an icp test a couple of days ago to see if there are issues there, but a previous icp test showed nothing out of the ordinary. I use BRS for alk, calcium and magnesium.

I do a water change every two weeks with ro/di water. I have around 15 or so fish and a decent clean up crew. I stupidly had an air freshener in the room, one of the glade plug ins that I recently removed, not sure if that was creating this issue or how much effect it may have had.

I welcome all questions and suggestions on what I might be doing wrong, so I can reverse this lps trend and how I can also fix my refugium issue.

Thanks in advance!

 

[maleks.reef]

Everything seems good. Maybe your lights or flow?

 

[Muffin87]

I'd say either too much flow or too much light and possibly phosphate a bit low when it's 0.02.

Feed the LPS Reef Roids to keep PO4 a bit higher and directly feed the corals, and dose Korallen Zucht AminoAcid LPS? The latter does seem to help LPS.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Only thing to me possibly phosphates keep bottoming out .02 is very low. Would also explain why macro algae doesn’t do well , can’t see anything else wrong besides stray voltage or metals

 

[Biokabe]

How much do you feed the tank / corals?

 

[mindme]

All,

I can't keep any lps in my tank to save my life. I am not sure what the issue is as my softies do just fine. I currently have a 180 gallon aquarium with an icecap 36XL sump and the tank has been set up well over a year with plenty of coraline algae growth in the tank. I fight green hair algae, but it has been minimal for a little while now.

I have 3 mp 40s, two on one end of the tank, one on the other (run in lps mode maxing out around 48%). I also struggle to grow any algae in my refugium (chaeto, caulerpa, etc.). I have switched between the innovative marine 9 watt grow light and a simple 29 watt fluorescent light without much luck. As needed, I run carbon and gfo and test my water weekly. I have 4 ai hydra 32 lights over the tank and run them from 7am to 5 pm. I run filter socks in the aquarium and a reef octopus protein skimmer, which pulls out a lot of junk. These are the numbers I get based on the apogee par meter.





My last test showed phosphates at around .02, but it can get as high as .1. My nitrates were right around 15 but have been as high as 19. I keep my alk between 8.4 and 9 and calcium is 420 and magnesium is 1330. The salinity is 1.025 and tank temp is kept at 78 degrees. I also sent in an icp test a couple of days ago to see if there are issues there, but a previous icp test showed nothing out of the ordinary. I use BRS for alk, calcium and magnesium.

I do a water change every two weeks with ro/di water. I have around 15 or so fish and a decent clean up crew. I stupidly had an air freshener in the room, one of the glade plug ins that I recently removed, not sure if that was creating this issue or how much effect it may have had.

I welcome all questions and suggestions on what I might be doing wrong, so I can reverse this lps trend and how I can also fix my refugium issue.

Thanks in advance!

can you post your icp test?

What do you do for trace elements?

 

[SilvermistInc]

What LPS are we talking about here? Because light and flow aren't the problem here, any your parameters all look fine for LPS.

 

[Blue80]

How much do you feed the tank / corals?

I spot feed ab+ twice a week currently.

 

[Blue80]

What LPS are we talking about here? Because light and flow aren't the problem here, any your parameters all look fine for LPS.

I have trouble with acans, candy canes, frog spawn, plating corals (fungia), and had a little trouble with hammers, lost some heads, but the hammers seem to be doing well now.

 

[Biokabe]

I spot feed ab+ twice a week currently.

Do you feed any solids (frozen/LPS pellets)? LPS like meaty foods, more than just liquids.

 

[Blue80]

can you post your icp test?

What do you do for trace elements?

I will definitely post the icp test results when I get them hopefully later this week. The previous test was done months ago. I only do alkalinity, calcium and magnesium currently and I use tropic marin pro salt.

 

[Blue80]

Do you feed any solids (frozen/LPS pellets)? LPS like meaty foods, more than just liquids.

I was just doing the ab+, but I will definitely start including some others. I tend to feed the fish healthily and pretty sure the corals grab some of it as well.

 

[Blue80]

I'd say either too much flow or too much light and possibly phosphate a bit low when it's 0.02.

Feed the LPS Reef Roids to keep PO4 a bit higher and directly feed the corals, and dose Korallen Zucht AminoAcid LPS? The latter does seem to help LPS.

I will definitely try the korallen zucht and reef roids. Usually the PO4 sits between .04 and .06, it was just a low day when I tested apparently.

 

[Blue80]

Only thing to me possibly phosphates keep bottoming out .02 is very low. Would also explain why macro algae doesn’t do well , can’t see anything else wrong besides stray voltage or metals

Yeah I am hoping when I get the icp results it will reveal something. I do have some of the marine pure bio filter media balls, but they did not seem to be a problem during the last icp test.

 

[Blue80]

Here is the icp test from August of last year. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.

 

[DHill6]

Try LRF frozen fir the fish and coral. I soften it up with tank water stir and dump in. Everyone gets something. I also use KZ LPS sparingly a couple times a week. Corals are very vivid. I won’t use Reefroids, too much algae and coral wasn’t thriving. My opinion of course.

 

[maleks.reef]

Food is not the issue here. LPS do not need to be fed. They are photosynthetic so they are not dying due to lack of food, especially when he is feeding AB+ already.

 

[DHill6]

My opinion differs, if the scolys, blastos, acans don’t get food they don’t look good! Besides the frozen LRF nano they also get pellets fed directly to them once a week, yes it’s food. They also get KZ LPS coral Food. The frozen food hits the water all LPS fluff up to grab some. Also a good reaction to the KZ LPS. Everyone has their own opinions, I see the proof.

 

[maleks.reef]

My opinion differs, if the scolys, blastos, acans don’t get food they don’t look good! Besides the frozen LRF nano they also get pellets fed directly to them once a week, yes it’s food. They also get KZ LPS coral Food. The frozen food hits the water all LPS fluff up to grab some. Also a good reaction to the KZ LPS. Everyone has their own opinions, I see the proof.

I agree with you, feeding can make them look better as you said, but is it the difference between life and death of the coral? I wouldn't say so. There is something wrong with the OP's water that is killing his LPS. I am kind of on the same boat as the OP and I always feed frozen and reef roids.

 

[DHill6]

Okay, I stopped RedSea AB, didn’t like th