The definition of insanity

[AvastYe]

I started my latest 180 gallon peninsula reef Feb 2020 using a mix of live rock and Marco rock. I cycled it for about 3 months added 11f ish over time and then tried corals about the 9 month range. I'm now on try 5 for sps corals and seeing the same lack of results. THOUSAND$ down the drain. Fish are all happy. I'm killing more things in this tank than my previous sps 20 gal nano. Easy stuff too, like birds nests, caps, slimers...The corals appear OK for about 2 weeks and then decline. I've never had one of the corals in this tank show any encrusting. Sometimes I see meso-filaments. Colors gradually fade, white tips appear, and then brown algae, and the coral STN's from that point until finally RTN sets in. Coraline grows but slowly. All rocks look like old live rock. I'm starting to wonder why I keep trying. Frustrated.

Also recently lost all of my torch corals. They did the polyp bailout at about 4 months after placement. I assumed it was because the tank was a higher current/higher light tank.

THINGS IVE CHECKED:
RO Water-no TDS detected, 6 stage filter.
Salinity 1.025-tested frequently with digital pen meter. Tested meter against calibration fluid.
KH-KH Director Titration system set to automatic control 8.4dKH, 12 tests per day. Controls two part doser in 1ML doses. Tested against Hannah checker to .1dkH. Swings about .3 dkH per day. Also run Kalk reactor.
pH Apex 8.1-8.4 swing per 24hrs
test Phosphate every few days with Hannah .05-.15 ppm dependent upon feeding. Control phosphate by dosing Brightwell Phosphat-e in 1mL increments daily to skimmer body.
test Nitrate Weekly 10-25 ppm
Mag 1400 test infrequently
Lights-Radion Gen5's and T5's par tested to 200-300's at coral placement. Light cycle is 10hrs. Refugium light Kessil H380 on opposite cycle.
Stray Voltage-tested with a multimeter-nothing.
Heavy Metals-Nothing evident on Triton test.
Pests-Nothing evident under magnification.

FILTRATION
Filter Socks
Refugium
Ceramic filter blocks in sump
Reef Octo 250 skimmer

FLOW
2x Gyre 350
2x Vortech MP60
1x Octopulse

ROUTINE
Change water 20 gallons 1x week
Clean Skimmer 1x week
Prune Chaeto refugium 1x week
Change Sock 2x week
Change Carbon 1x month
Feed 2x daily mix of frozen, sometimes chroma-bost pellets, Nori a few times a week.
Clean Pumps Monthly

LIVESTOCK
Zooanthids-slow growing but alive
Photosynthetic Gorgonians-Happy and have grown
Cleaner Shrimp
Clear Wrasse
Powder Blue Tang
Kohl Tang
Regal Tang
Foxface Lo
3x Lyretail Anthias
Yellow Tang
Melanerus Wrasse
Timor Wrasse
Pintail Wrasse

 

[DrZoidburg]

Pretty decent ph swing, and long photo period? Could be how your dipping/ acclimating frags too. I don't know really. Those are the first things that pop in my head. Maybe the gorgonians are ticking them off.

 

[MaxTremors]

The only two suggestions I have is to lower nitrates to 3-5ppm, and to wait until it’s been established for a year and a half or two years. IME, for whatever reason, I never have any luck with SPS until the tank is 1.5-2 years old (assuming all parameters are in acceptable range). Every time I’ve added SPS before the 1.5-2 year mark (with a few exceptions, monti caps being the most successful), they won’t grow and have general failure to thrive and eventually waste away. I know plenty of people have success with SPS in tanks that are just a few months old, but for whatever reason, I’ve just never had SPS do well until the tank is well-established and mature.

 

[TheDragonsReef]

Sounds like you've done your research and hit all the big areas already. From what you've provided the tank should easily sustain corals.

Only few things come to mind,

Are you buying all these coral from the same source or different sources?

What is your process for adding these corals? Do you dip, do you acclimate?

And lastly, it could be a bacterial issue, something affecting the tank on a microscopic scale. An aqua biomics test would be my next go to.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

The most blaring issue is that you started your tank with dead rock. It takes ages for such tanks to mature and reach stability, something corals and especially SPS thrives on.
Personally I would seed the tank with some high quality live rock to increase biodiversity in the tank.