Tank Trouble

[Kygo]

Just wanted to see if there was something I might be missing or if anybody had any ideas for things I should do different. Right now I have a standard 29 gallon mostly LPS tank. It's been up and running for a little over a year now and for a while in the beginning things were going pretty well. However over the past 2 months I'm not quite sure what's happened but I've seen some RTN I think is what it's called. It started with some montipora Digis. (Some background) not long after I got the frag, I accidentally broke it. However after that, the frag and the piece I broke had actually grown and done okay until about 2 months ago so I know things were ok. They both had started to bleach and really took a turn for the worst. The only change I made was adjusting my black box lights, viparspectra, about 2-3 points increased. Then after I deemed they were done for I removed them. Not long after I started to see tissue receding on an acan lord, favia, and cyphastrea. These all appeared to have stop receding but they just look rough and it's pretty disheartening not going to lie. I've always changed the water in the tank every week and a half to 2 weeks at most. I was running a Tunze 9004 for a while but took it off as I wasn't seeing any benefit from it. I removed it maybe 2 months before the Digi started dying but my nitrates weren't affected so I don't think it really mattered. My params have been steady at around
(all salifert test kits)
8.3 dKH
420 cal
1320 mag
2.5ppm No4
Temp 80.5
Salinity 1.025.
For about 5-6 months, but before this I was at 0 no3 and 0 po4
I run a hob aquaclear 70 w/ filter floss, carbon, and marine pure gems
Ai Nero 3
3152 osmolator
Blue bucket red sea salt.
I try and keep it simple, the only thing I haven't been monitoring regularly anymore is po4. I used to have a Hanna checker but i didn't like it so I got rid of it. However during the time I did have it, I always got steady numbers at around <0.05 I believe.
Also, during these last 2ish months I have some zoas who have grown a few new heads, a Duncan who also grew a new head, and an elegance who's been doing good as well a Frogspawn. The corals who have receded tissue aren't centralized to one location like it might be spreading to those directly near, it just seemed kind of random. It's strange to see my acan and favia exposing there skeleton while less than 5 or 6 inches away my Frogspawn and echinata look normal and extended.
If anyone has any suggestions I'd really appreciate it. It's been tough seeing my tank go through this after all the time, effort, and money. I was thinking of picking up a high end led light but I didn't think that would really make much of a difference and wouldn't have caused the digits to bleach and start this snowball. Also considered "tearing the tank down" and doing a soft reset in a new tank with all the same equipment and Livestock. Idk
Oh and the tank is stocked with an ocellaris
Royal gramma
Sexy shrimp
2x nausarius snails
Turbo snail
3 hermits (1 red, 2 blue leg)
And I think 1 black margarita snail.
Kind of a rant sorry, just had a lot on my mind. Thanks

 

[xxkenny90xx]

So how high are the lights turned up now? I would recommend getting a po4 test done

 

[Kygo]

20/100 haha. Mounted 12-13 inches above the tank. What would recommend po4 levels to be in an LPS system?

 

[Jekyl]

We're the corals with the issue positioned right under the lights? Those black boxes directly underneath will be over 600 par while to the sides may be only 100. There's a BRS investigates video on them showing par readings that may help you.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

We're the corals with the issue positioned right under the lights? Those black boxes directly underneath will be over 600 par while to the sides may be only 100. There's a BRS investigates video on them showing par readings that may help you.

At 20%???

 

[xxkenny90xx]

20/100 haha. Mounted 12-13 inches above the tank. What would recommend po4 levels to be in an LPS system?

Is that 20% out of 100 or 20% whites, 100% blues? Generally less than .1 phosphate is recommended but much higher can be fine for lps and softies as long as it's STABLE

 

[Jekyl]

Is that 20% out of 100 or 20% whites, 100% blues? Generally less than .1 phosphate is recommended but much higher can be fine for lps and softies as long as it's STABLE

+1

 

[ScottR]

Do you have a picture of your tank? What are you using for flow? I really highly recommend checking PO4. PO4 to me is what can crash your tank if you have too little or too much.

 

[Kygo]

We're the corals with the issue positioned right under the lights? Those black boxes directly underneath will be over 600 par while to the sides may be only 100. There's a BRS investigates video on them showing par readings that may help you.

Yes they were but they had been there for a few months up to that point. I've seen that BRS video you mention and I had my lights set to 20 out of 100 for that specific reason that they can seriously cook coral.

 

[Kygo]

Is that 20% out of 100 or 20% whites, 100% blues? Generally less than .1 phosphate is recommended but much higher can be fine for lps and softies as long as it's STABLE

20 blue and 1 white. The white output really drowns out the blue so I set it low. Even considered set it to 0 to get that deep blue look. Right, okay good to know.

 

[Kygo]

Do you have a picture of your tank? What are you using for flow? I really highly recommend checking PO4. PO4 to me is what can crash your tank if you have too little or too much.

A single Nero 3 and a aquaclear 70. I just ordered a salifert kit and it should be here in a couple days so I'll have to report back on that.
Tank shot - https://ibb.co/9rJpVSQ

 

[Rubberfrog]

Everything was going fine until you changed your lights and flow?

 

[ReefdudeAdam]

You’ve no idea of your par? The only thing changed was the lighting then started seeing tissue receding?
id check your po4 & maybe see if you can rent/borrow a par meter see what numbers you’re getting around the areas you’ve had die off

 

[xxkenny90xx]

20 blue and 1 white. The white output really drowns out the blue so I set it low. Even considered set it to 0 to get that deep blue look. Right, okay good to know.

I'm not sure that that's enought light for sps and lps corals... Like @ReefdudeAdam said, a par meter could really help here. But I would think more like 20 or 30% whites, 80% blue would be suitable

 

[Kygo]

Everything was going fine until you changed your lights and flow?

Things started to go badly when I changed my lights more so. I had changed the flow for a month, maybe more, before I saw negative side effects.

 

[Kygo]

You’ve no idea of your par? The only thing changed was the lighting then started seeing tissue receding?
id check your po4 & maybe see if you can rent/borrow a par meter see what numbers you’re getting around the areas you’ve had die off

No clue, since it's a Blackbox I don't really have a reference guide. After hearing from the forum I'm guessing it had to do with low phosphate and light intensity increase? But if my phosphates are in order then I'm going to have to rethink any possible changes that may have taken place.

 

[Kygo]

I'm not sure that that's enought light for sps and lps corals... Like @ReefdudeAdam said, a par meter could really help here. But I would think more like 20 or 30% whites, 80% blue would be suitable

I'll try and get my hands on one. Either way I'm planning on picking up a better light anyway to take away some of the guess work. I appreciate the feedback, I guess at this point I'm trying to narrow down what may have caused issues and not repeat the action/actions in the future.

 

[ReefdudeAdam]

I'll try and get my hands on one. Either way I'm planning on picking up a better light anyway to take away some of the guess work. I appreciate the feedback, I guess at this point I'm trying to narrow down what may have caused issues and not repeat the action/actions in the future.

It’s still guess work whatever light you have if you’re not measuring par when setting them up. Could be 600+ in the middle and 100 in the corners - Id not invest in any expensive corals until you know your par. More light is often less in the long run.

 

[Jedi1199]

Had this same discussion on another thread not long ago. People underestimate the influence of lights. Even the smallest change to us, can have a HUGE impact on creatures that have evolved for millennia under the constant value of the sun! Imagine the sun suddenly became 10% stronger in an instant.. What would happen to the plants and animals that rely on the sun to survive? Dial back your lights to what you had before. If your tank was thriving then, why change it?

 

[Kygo]

It’s still guess work whatever light you have if you’re not measuring par when setting them up. Could be 600+ in the middle and 100 in the corners - Id not invest in any expensive corals until you know your par. More light is often less in the long run.

Hmm, well said. I've seen plenty of great looking tanks with these kinds of lights anyway. I'll be on the look out for a par meter, its also the cheaper option as far as solutions goes. I think BRS is renting them out again too so that's good. But like I said before, I was just kind of disheartened with things and I guess just wanting to point the finger at some piece of equipment. Do you always measure par when setting up a tank?