Tank age and SPS sucess.

[Casey Gore]

Hi there. I am not new but not super experienced either. I have a 120 gallon mixed reef that is about 6 months old. I have lots of soft corls and hard corals that seem to be doing great. However every time I put an SPS in my tank it will bleach within about a week or two. I have no idea what I am doing wrong. I do water changes and dose alk and calcium. I test my water ever time they are bleaching and my results are listed below. They always seem to bleach from the base up and never the tips so I don't think it is my lighting schedule. All of my fish are reef safe too. Do you think it could be my flow or maybe the tank is just to young for me to try sps. Also I feed frozen food. Or maybe I need more lighting. I have killed like 3 so far and it is really starting to bum me out.

Phosphates 0
Nitrates 0
Alk 9
Calcium - 350ppm

Temp 79
2-hydor Koralia Evolution 1050/1150
1- Current USA 1900GPH Sump to tank main pump
1- large refugium
1- Protein Skimmer

2- RedSea LED 90s that ramp to 100% for 5 hours on an 11 hour cycle

 

[Joedubyk]

I think there is another issue outside of tank age. Usually, anecdotally, people can keep SPS in new tanks, but they don't thrive. Bleaching in two weeks or less is another issue.

Moreover, SPS need to be FED. If you have super low phos and nitrates, they may not be getting enough nutrition and then die out.

Lighting could be another issue that's compounding with low nutrients

Edit you need SIX HOURS MAX for SPS on your lighting schedule. I would run at least 12 hours with ramp up, ramp down.

 

[Joedubyk]

Also, try some SPS that have been around for GERNERATIONS E.G. ORA Red planet, green slimer, etc. Try some monti's as well.

 

[Steve180]

My tank is 8 months old and I have over 30 sps frags and all are thriving. I’d say put all your new frags at the bottom n slowly work there way up slowly to allow them to adjust to your lights

 

[Casey Gore]

Also, try some SPS that have been around for GERNERATIONS E.G. ORA Red planet, green slimer, etc. Try some monti's as well.

I just killed a monti lol. But that makes sense. I keep a uber clean tank so maybe that is what is going on. Gosh So far i have killed a monty, birdsnest, and a whole cauliflower coral colony

 

[ihavecrabs]

I think there is another issue outside of tank age. Usually, anecdotally, people can keep SPS in new tanks, but they don't thrive. Bleaching in two weeks or less is another issue.

Moreover, SPS need to be FED. If you have super low phos and nitrates, they may not be getting enough nutrition and then die out.

Lighting could be another issue that's compounding with low nutrients

Edit you need SIX HOURS MAX for SPS on your lighting schedule. I would run at least 12 hours with ramp up, ramp down.

Can you expand on " SIX HOURS MAX for SPS"?

Did you mean minimum time to have the light on or have the light at the max intensity for that timeframe?

Agreed on the rest though!

 

[Casey Gore]

Also, try some SPS that have been around for GERNERATIONS E.G. ORA Red planet, green slimer, etc. Try some monti's as well.

I also added a photo of my light schedule I double checked and mine are at max for 5 hours.

 

[Joedubyk]

Can you expand on " SIX HOURS MAX for SPS"?

Did you mean minimum?

Agreed on the rest though!

yes! 6 hours minimum of max output on lighting schedule!

 

[BeejReef]

Those parameters shouldn't be killing sps frags.
To nitpick, you could boost your calcium up a touch to the low 400's.
0 N and 0 P could be keeping them from thriving, but shouldn't kill them outright.
Still, I'd try to get them into the detectable range through some combination of reduced filtration or heavier feeding.

Light and flow are possible variables, ofc. You might just push up the flow until your lps or softies don't like it, go one notch back, and see if that helps.

Beyond that, you may have to dig deep. Par meter, icp test....

Did you start with dry rock or live rock? If it's a matter of tank maturity, that can matter. Plenty of peeps are able to keep sps in young tanks, but I've found it pretty tricky as well.

What kind of frags are you killing? A nice pavona, stylo, or digitada might be a good starting point.

Also, though the parameters are pretty good, that doesn't mean you have great stability. Do you run an ato? Have your parameters been like that for months, or is it a moving target you have to fight to hold in a range. Change kills em faster than anything.

 

[Joedubyk]

I just killed a monti lol. But that makes sense. I keep a uber clean tank so maybe that is what is going on. Gosh So far i have killed a monty, birdsnest, and a whole cauliflower coral colony

What kind of par are they getting at the top? REALLY helps to get a par meter. LEDs suck in terms of getting them right. There is a huge learning curve as opposed to T5s.

Do you have a lot of fish? Feed them more. IME, HEAVY input of feeding corals/fish and heavy export is the best way to do SPS.

 

[Joedubyk]

Those parameters shouldn't be killing sps frags.
To nitpick, you could boost your calcium up a touch to the low 400's.
0 N and 0 P could be keeping them from thriving, but shouldn't kill them outright.
Still, I'd try to get them into the detectable range through some combination of reduced filtration or heavier feeding.

Light and flow are possible variables, ofc. You might just push up the flow until your lps or softies don't like it, go one notch back, and see if that helps.

Beyond that, you may have to dig deep. Par meter, icp test....

Did you start with dry rock or live rock? If it's a matter of tank maturity, that can matter. Plenty of peeps are able to keep sps in young tanks, but I've found it pretty tricky as well.

What kind of frags are you killing? A nice pavona, stylo, or digitada might be a good starting point.

Yeah it could be multiple things... Not enough light, not enough nutrition, etc.

 

[ihavecrabs]

yes! 6 hours minimum of max output on lighting schedule!

Ah OK, makes sense. Thanks!

I will clarify that it definitely depends on the PAR output of the light. If I maxed out my lights, I'd bleach everything in my tank; however, I have zero experience with the OPs light to know what the PAR output is for it.

 

[Joedubyk]

Ah OK, makes sense. Thanks!

I will clarify that it definitely depends on the PAR output of the light. If I maxed out my lights, I'd bleach everything in my tank; however, I have zero experience with the OPs light to know what the PAR output is for it.

Right. and I hope that is just assumed by OP. LEDs just make it so much more difficult to figure out lighting....

 

[Casey Gore]

What kind of par are they getting at the top? REALLY helps to get a par meter. LEDs suck in terms of getting them right. There is a huge learning curve as opposed to T5s.

Do you have a lot of fish? Feed them more. IME, HEAVY input of feeding corals/fish and heavy export is the best way to do SPS.

I have 4 fish so far and I feed 1 cube of frozen a day and then feed my corals twice a week.
I have two felt microsocks in my sump and filter floss. Do you think I should take them out to try and raise nutrients in the water?

 

[Casey Gore]

Ah OK, makes sense. Thanks!

I will clarify that it definitely depends on the PAR output of the light. If I maxed out my lights, I'd bleach everything in my tank; however, I have zero experience with the OPs light to know what the PAR output is for it.

If my lights were too strong wouldn't it bleach from the top down?

 

[Joedubyk]

I have 4 fish so far and I feed 1 cube of frozen a day and then feed my corals twice a week.
I have two felt microsocks in my sump and filter floss. Do you think I should take them out to try and raise nutrients in the water?

Keep the socks but 4 fish and 1 cube a day is nothing

 

[Casey Gore]

Keep the socks but 4 fish and 1 cube a day is nothing

I will try and add more fish! Dang starving my tank was the last thing on my mind.

 

[BeejReef]

that is a light bioload if you're trying to get your levels to detectable. How hard do you run your refugium. I'd think 7-9 hours should be plenty, if not more than enough.

 

[Joedubyk]

I will try and add more fish! Dang starving my tank was the last thing on my mind.

yeah add some more fish,especially some anthias , they love to constantly eat.

I feed my tank benepellets every other day, still havee 2.5 nitrates and .01 phosphates. I also use Poly labs plus at night. I feed a lot export a lot

 

[ScottB]

As repeatedly suggested, more nutrient and more Ca. But something else is going on if they are dying quickly.

How many wrasses do you have and what type? I ask because tissue loss from the base I often associate with AEFW.

Where are you sourcing these sticks? Do you know the parameters of the grow out tank roughly?
What is your dipping and acclimation method?

Once my SPS tank was big and old, I attributed most losses to poor acclimation method and resulting stress. Here is how I minimize that:

1) drop the bag in my dark sump to temp acclimate. 30-60 minutes.
2) quick visual inspection under magnification, then into my LPS tank with PAR 150ish
3) give them a days to a week to settle down then dip. (Bayer 25%, basted 10 minutes.) Back into LPS. Repeat a week later.
4) If the dip reveals anything I will repeat again, otherwize into a lower light section (250 PAR) of SPS tank.

This has helped immensely.

Anytime I see tissue loss on the base of anything, it goes back through the process again.

Oh, and wrasses galore. Coris, melanurus, 4-6-12 lines.