What's wrong with my first sps?

[Chiefmaster30]

What's wrong with my first sps? Tanks 2 yrs old with all parameters good. Lps, rbta, everything else all looks good.

 

[Jason mack]

Following !

 

[masssnapz]

Are you referring to the brown/tan color ? How did it look when you bought it ? Were the blues on when you bought it ?

 

[prsnlty]

How stable is alk? Do you have enough fish poo to feed them? Should keep no3 at about 2.5-5ppm max. 0 no3 and po4 starves SPS unless supplements are added 1 hr after lights out.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

This is what it looked like when I first got it. Now the tip of that one side looks to me to be turning white and the polyps are gone.

 

[prsnlty]

Have you had an alk spike or unstable alk? It looks and sounds that way or or is starving

 

[nervousmonkey]

+1

 

[reefwiser]

What is your Alk level at? What lighting are you using?

 

[Chiefmaster30]

No! Alkalinity has been pretty steady at 9.3

 

[Chiefmaster30]

I have two Mars Aqua lights. Whites set around 30% and blues at 60%. I have them on a timer where blues come on first for 10hrs a day at 12am to 10pm. Whites are on for 6 hrs a day from 2pm to 8pm.

 

[prsnlty]

Ok. What are the rest of your parameters, lighting schedule, size of tank, what do you feed/ supplement and livestock. All this information may seem a little much but it helps us to pinpoint what could be causing it. Otherwise we would just be guessing without knowing your system

 

[Chiefmaster30]

Salinity 1.025
Ph 8
Mag 1150
Cal 400
Alk 9.3
Nitrate 0 nitrites 0 ammonia 0
Phosphate 0.2
Temp 78-79

 

[prsnlty]

Salinity 1.025
Ph 8
Mag 1150
Cal 400
Alk 9.3
Nitrate 0 nitrites 0 ammonia 0
Phosphate 0.2
Temp 78-79

You need a small amount of no3 and mg is low. Should be at least 1280. If you can get some outside air to your skimmer may also help to raise ph just a little, reverse sump light overnight and/Or co2 scrubber.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

It's a 120 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump. I feed frozen every other day and pellets the off days. I feed a mix of reef chili and coral frenzy 3 x a week. I have some caulerpa, dragons breath, and chaeto in my sump. The only thing I dose is nopox daily and magnesium.

 

[prsnlty]

It's a 120 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump. I feed frozen every other day and pellets the off days. I feed a mix of reef chili and coral frenzy 3 x a week. I have some caulerpa, dragons breath, and chaeto in my sump. The only thing I dose is nopox daily and magnesium.

Ok, lighten up a little in the nopox so you get a small amount of no3 or add more fish

 

[prsnlty]

For five years I couldn't get SPS to grow to save my life. My tank was too clean and my pH was a little low like yours. And all it took was adding 32 fish, an airline from my skimmer to outside and the acro's grew

 

[Chiefmaster30]

Wow! That's a lot of fish. I alcually just added 3 fish yesterday.

 

[prsnlty]

Wow! That's a lot of fish. I alcually just added 3 fish yesterday.

Lol I have a 180g i still have all but 8 chromis and 2 pj cardinals. Chromis downsize their school if they feel there isn't enough room. Of this bunch I have 3 large tangs and a yellow eye Kole tang.

 

[Jason mack]

For five years I couldn't get SPS to grow to save my life. My tank was too clean and my pH was a little low like yours. And all it took was adding 32 fish, an airline from my skimmer to outside and the acro's grew

32 fish :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::oops:........ really .......... 32 ........ fish .......:confused::confused::confused:

 

[prsnlty]

32 fish :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::oops:........ really .......... 32 ........ fish .......:confused::confused::confused:

Lol yes. Most stay small. Doesn't even look like I had* 32 fish in the tank.

Edit: I now have 25 after the loss of the chromis' and an orange shoulder a while back. I lost a diamond goby from a power outage and replaced him though. I have no plans for more fish. The pbt doesn't like newbies.