Why can I not keep SPS alive?

[am3gross]

PM me your contact info. I have things to do today, but I am available almost any day next week, or the weekend. I can also give you some easy to grow stuff as test corals so you don't have to spend money on frags that will just die. I have tons of green pocillopora that I grow in anywhere from 300 PAR all the way down to 50 PAR. If that dies, you can eliminate lights as the main problem. I also have a lot of purple digitata I can give you. It also grows in wide PAR range. Not as forgiving as pocillopora, but also grows like a weed in my tank. Once you get those to grow, I can give you some acro frags that seem very forgiving in my tank and are fast growers. I can also bring ICP test with me and you can send it off to make sure it is not heavy metal problem or some other mineral deficiency.

I really don't think lighting is your main problem, as others suggested. SPS would not die this quickly with insufficient light. Once you find and fix the main problem, and are able to keep SPS alive, then you can play with lights and add lights to get better coloration, faster growth, etc.

Contact info sent.

Turns out I have tried the Pocillopora, purple digi, and even a birdsnest, with no luck. I will have to look into the ICP test, it might be best for me to try that just to rule some things out. What is the turn around time for the ICP test usually?

 

[am3gross]

Just updating past threads.

Found the source as to why my SPS were dying. SALINITY... I decided to break down the tank and move it to a different location, while doing so I bought a cheap butt salinity checker and it said my salinity was super high. Did not believe it as I had a refractometer that was calibrated often, so I bought a digital salinity checker and had it checked before I left the store with there's and when I got home and checked it was super high. Checked again with the refractometer and it said the same as always, 1.025... Since the move and re set up, (March) I have had some die off, but that was due to my stupidity, but everything is really coming around. Just wanted to give an update as I know alot of these threads get started and there are no updates when stuff gets figured out.

 

[Ancient Mariner]

Just updating past threads.

Found the source as to why my SPS were dying. SALINITY... I decided to break down the tank and move it to a different location, while doing so I bought a cheap butt salinity checker and it said my salinity was super high. Did not believe it as I had a refractometer that was calibrated often, so I bought a digital salinity checker and had it checked before I left the store with there's and when I got home and checked it was super high. Checked again with the refractometer and it said the same as always, 1.025... Since the move and re set up, (March) I have had some die off, but that was due to my stupidity, but everything is really coming around. Just wanted to give an update as I know alot of these threads get started and there are no updates when stuff gets figured out.

So do you think your salinity was super high (how high?) since May 2021 (when this thread was started) until March 2022? And SPS kept dying until this past March when you corrected the salinity? Couldn’t the answer be that 1 year of stability finally allowed your SPS to thrive?

 

[Sumo Reef]

Just updating past threads.

Found the source as to why my SPS were dying. SALINITY... I decided to break down the tank and move it to a different location, while doing so I bought a cheap butt salinity checker and it said my salinity was super high. Did not believe it as I had a refractometer that was calibrated often, so I bought a digital salinity checker and had it checked before I left the store with there's and when I got home and checked it was super high. Checked again with the refractometer and it said the same as always, 1.025... Since the move and re set up, (March) I have had some die off, but that was due to my stupidity, but everything is really coming around. Just wanted to give an update as I know alot of these threads get started and there are no updates when stuff gets figured out.

A valuable lesson learned, lol, and sadly not one we learn right away.

Always verify tests with a second or 3rd test.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Thats awesome!!

 

[AJsReef]

How high was your salinity?

 

[am3gross]

How high was your salinity?

1.06

 

[am3gross]

So do you think your salinity was super high (how high?) since May 2021 (when this thread was started) until March 2022? And SPS kept dying until this past March when you corrected the salinity? Couldn’t the answer be that 1 year of stability finally allowed your SPS to thrive?

I dont think that the system was a stability issue. When the issues started I checked everything, went thru everything, had ICP tests done, Nothing stood out. Sure I had some Tin at one point that the ICP said was elevated, but to this day I still have Tin in the system according to ICP tests.

Once I got the salinity in check it was like a night and day difference. Stability is definitely something I learned thru this trouble, which is why I have the Apex. I have learned many things to be honest and these troubles have made me actually think and to slow down before making any radical adjustments. These issues have made me get the best of everything, because I needed to rule things out. (flow, lights, UV, etc) I thought that the refractometer was the way to go also, but maybe it got hit out of whack during the shipping.

People talk about this "magical" 1 year mark, "after a year, everything will come together", Personally I think is kinda crap. How many reefers do you see that set up a tank this weekend and have stuff growing the next with success? Dont get me wrong, I know that the longer the tank is established, the more beneficial the bacteria will be so on and so on. But if you dont skimp out on the equipment I think your life would be much easier. And like said, double and triple checking the test results just for confirmation is the one key everyone should do if they are having issues.

 

[131696]

All perimeters are wrong ,not enough calcium,no nitrates ,phos to high for no nitrates ,you need to get a stable tank for at least 6 months then try sps. Need stability and a tank at least 1 years old for sps to make sure tank can keep them alive .there's no hurry, why hurry?

 

[ryshark]

1.06

Whoa! I think that could have definitely been the issue. The conversion to ppt is 79, so that’s more than twice as high as it should be around 34-35ppt. I’m glad you found the issue. This should have come up in the ICP one way or another depending on the brand.

 

[AJsReef]

1.06

Is this a typo? 1.06 would be super low salinity. Did you have fish? I’m not sure fish would survive very long at 1.06

 

[ryshark]

Is this a typo? 1.06 would be super low salinity. Did you have fish? I’m not sure fish would survive very long at 1.06

1.060 is not low, it's super high. Normal is 1.025

 

[AJsReef]

1.060 is not low, it's super high. Normal is 1.025

You’re right, misread.

Still no issues with fish or other livestock experienced?

 

[ABQ_CHRIS]

Thanks for the update @am3gross. I have learned a valuable lesson.

 

[Tiki_Reef]

You’re right, misread.

Still no issues with fish or other livestock experienced?

Yeah I have a hard time believing fish were living in 1.06 salinity.

 

[Rmckoy]

Is this a typo? 1.06 would be super low salinity. Did you have fish? I’m not sure fish would survive very long at 1.06

I’m going to assume testing error .

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

1.06

Whoa... what ever it actually was doesn't matter its a personal hurdle you got over, congratulations and you probably don't even realize all the experience you gained by that. Now it's time to turn up the heat and race to the next issue to concur!!

 

[Treefer32]

Was the lfs selling you saltwater too high in salinity? I have a glass salinity checker. I siphon 5 gallons from the display into a Becket then place the checker in the bucket. Wait a couple hours for temp to come down then check the salinity. I check it against my refrac. To make sure. My refrac is low by .0015 sg. I can't calibrate it further to adjust for that difference.

Just updating past threads.

Found the source as to why my SPS were dying. SALINITY... I decided to break down the tank and move it to a different location, while doing so I bought a cheap butt salinity checker and it said my salinity was super high. Did not believe it as I had a refractometer that was calibrated often, so I bought a digital salinity checker and had it checked before I left the store with there's and when I got home and checked it was super high. Checked again with the refractometer and it said the same as always, 1.025... Since the move and re set up, (March) I have had some die off, but that was due to my stupidity, but everything is really coming around. Just wanted to give an update as I know alot of these threads get started and there are no updates when stuff gets figured out.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Was the lfs selling you saltwater too high in salinity? I have a glass salinity checker. I siphon 5 gallons from the display into a Becket then place the checker in the bucket. Wait a couple hours for temp to come down then check the salinity. I check it against my refrac. To make sure. My refrac is low by .0015 sg. I can't calibrate it further to adjust for that difference.

What do you let you temperature come down to?

 

[Hermie]

Just updating past threads.

Found the source as to why my SPS were dying. SALINITY... I decided to break down the tank and move it to a different location, while doing so I bought a cheap butt salinity checker and it said my salinity was super high. Did not believe it as I had a refractometer that was calibrated often, so I bought a digital salinity checker and had it checked before I left the store with there's and when I got home and checked it was super high. Checked again with the refractometer and it said the same as always, 1.025... Since the move and re set up, (March) I have had some die off, but that was due to my stupidity, but everything is really coming around. Just wanted to give an update as I know alot of these threads get started and there are no updates when stuff gets figured out.

Same thing happened to me... (used a swing arm and refractometer)

Now I use the glass hydrometer and never have the problem anymore.