Trouble with some SPS. (need experts!)

[A.ocellaris]

Hi Team!!

 

My tank has been running for 5 months already ( ) and  have had ups and downs, mainly with SPS corals. I try to have all the parameters on point but something is not right and I can't figure out what it is. Anemones (three) are doing fantastic (they found a way to move around and stay very close to each other), LPSs are doing fine, except not a crazy growth or expansion. 

 

The problem is that some SPS (not all montis) are losing their color, getting super pale and then I believe, bleaching. A chalise  is also losing it's color and becoming pale and it's located at the bottom of the tank. When I tried to set up my lights to the AB+ Spectrum, I lost 2 Acroporas at the top and had to lower intensity even though I used the acclimation feature for 20 days. With he AB+, using 2 Al Prime HD, I did not get impressive PAR readings:

 

 

I am not longer simulating the AB+ settings. I lowered the intensity. My parameters are very stable except the Phosphates that varies between .02-.07 (Hanna phosphate meter meter with an accuracy of more or less .04). Nitrates are always at 1ppm. Calcium is normal and Mg as well. I try to keep kH at 8.7-9.1dkH.

 

Also, something curious is that I have not seen coralline algae in 5 months, even though adding  spores and some small rocks and snails with algae on them. I use RO/DI to filter my water and have with 0TDS.  I perform 15% wc every two weeks and sometimes dose Korallen Amminoacids for SPS.

 

Any suggestions? I think it has to be something with the lights.

 

This is the current 2 Al Prime HD settings:

 

 

Edited September 5, 2018 by A.ocellaris

[overklok]

Your water is too clean

[A.ocellaris]

I do have algae grow in some rocks and glass.

[sen5241b]

If you ever dove on an ocean reef down to about 20 feet the first thing you might notice is how dim the light is compared to a typical tank. The red circles are PAR? PAR on that sand bed seems high. I wonder if a low light coral like cyphastrea could grow anywhere in that tank.

[A.ocellaris]

Yes, Red circles are PAR that I measured with the PAR meter I borrow from  here. 

[madweazl]

The PAR levels are fine (did you add the 1.32 correction factor to your measured results?) for keeping SPS alive and your nutrient levels are also fine (more than enough available though you state 1ppm NO3 in the first post but your latest AquaticLog shows 0). Starting with dry rock, it took the better part of a year before I got some good coralline growth and at about 18 months, it took off (now it's a nuisance). Any idea what your flow rate within the tank is (e.g. 20x, 30x, etc.)? I'm up around 50x right now with healthy SPS but I don't believe this to be a magic number. 

Edited September 5, 2018 by madweazl

[A.ocellaris]

The PAR levels are fine (did you add the 1.32 correction factor to your measured results?) for keeping SPS alive and your nutrient levels are also fine (more than enough available though you state 1ppm NO3 in the first post but your latest AquaticLog shows 0). Starting with dry rock, it took the better part of a year before I got some good coralline growth and at about 18 months, it took off (now it's a nuisance). Any idea what your flow rate within the tank is (e.g. 20x, 30x, etc.)? I'm up around 50x right now with healthy SPS but I don't believe this to be a magic number. 

 

The log of 0 was probably a typo, but there was a period when I had .50 and .25ppm. I did start with dry rock and also adjusted the measures with the 1.32 correction. Also, note that those readings were with the AB+ settings, and I reduced this 3 weeks ago, so I should have lower PAR. Regarding flow, I have a MP10 in Pulse mode with 50% of  intensity, in addition to that, the return pump from the IM40, which is around 450gph.

Edited September 5, 2018 by A.ocellaris

[madweazl]

OK, that is a flow rate of about 20x which I would consider quite low for SPS. In regard to nitrates, anything measurable is enough for SPS so I still don't believe that to be of any relevance. I've had best results with alkalinity levels closer to 7 dKh but there are many people successfully keeping acroporas much higher than this. Pale and bleaching are tough terms to interpret; typically, pale conditions are due to low light levels and the condition happens over a long period of time. Bleaching usually happens fairly rapidly if due to high light levels (not something I believe to be an issue for your tank). 

 

Can you provide more input on the specific SPS? Monti  caps typically due best under 250 PAR (mine will bleach pretty rapidly above that). Many acroporas will survive in 100 PAR so I don't believe light to be the main cause of your issues. 

[A.ocellaris]

I am going to start taking some pics and compare with some originals from the store I got them. 

[marinap]

Try feeding with Coral Sprint from Fauna Marin.

[jhOU]

I have a very similar issue, but think i’m on the path to recovery now. What’s your PH? My PH was really low, like 7.7-7.8. And my SPS were paling, and basically stopped growing. I added a co2 scrubber and now my PH stays 8-8.2. Within a month my 2 part dosing demand went from 20ml to 60ml. I also started feeding reef chili frequently. Colors are coming back and growing well.

Not sure if PH or nutrients were the root of the issue, but seems to have helped a lot. Following for others advice.

 

 

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[madweazl]

I have a very similar issue, but think i’m on the path to recovery now. What’s your PH? My PH was really low, like 7.7-7.8. And my SPS were paling, and basically stopped growing. I added a co2 scrubber and now my PH stays 8-8.2. Within a month my 2 part dosing demand went from 20ml to 60ml. I also started feeding reef chili frequently. Colors are coming back and growing well.

Not sure if PH or nutrients were the root of the issue, but seems to have helped a lot. Following for others advice.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

What were your nutrient levels prior to adding the Reef Chili? For what it's worth, my pH was down in that range frequently and I've never noticed a difference (considerably higher at the new place for some reason). 

[jhOU]

What were your nutrient levels prior to adding the Reef Chili? For what it's worth, my pH was down in that range frequently and I've never noticed a difference (considerably higher at the new place for some reason).

My phosphates did hit 0 for a bit, but nitrate was around 10. Now they are more balanced at po4 .03 no3 2-5ish. Dealing with some hair algae now, but corals are doing much better.

 

 

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[madweazl]

Looking again at your history, I don't think phosphate ever actually hit 0 (test or operator error). If you have nuisance algae, find a critter to take care of it; clean up crews exist for a reason. Dont shy away from feeding your fish, this is a major source of nutrition for your corals. Dont make 180° corrections based off a single test result. If you're using a Hanna ULR for phosphates, use a syringe to measure the water with and alway orient the the vial with the "10ml" mark facing the front as the calibration can make a difference. My advice, dont sweat anything right now and just let it go provided everything is within the "norm."

[gmerek2]

Tank too young I had a lot of acro problems until my tank got older I couldn’t even explain why. Every tank is different but I couldn’t keep acros till month 6 Or7. Nutrients look good just keep them detectable