SPS Woes - thoughts?

[CoralShop]

Ok all, I have been having issues with some STN on my acros, and after noticing it on my pearlberry I quickly cut the stn part and all tissue recession halted immediately. Ditto with my watermelon millie. After this I ran some tests, calcium at 400, magnesium at 900 doh, strontium (test kit was ruined by humidity), nitrates and phosphates both undetectable with seachem kits.
No visible pests, I even looked with a macro lens to be sure.

Temp 100% stable from 79.2-79.5. Ph fluctuates from 7.9-8.3

I run my lights for 11 hours, ramping up from 0 to 100% blue, and 70% white and peaking at these levels for 4 hours mid day.

Any thoughts? Fwiw, stn always begins on the base/edges of the coral.
Could the low magnesium me causing this? I am dosing magnesium at a rate which should bring levels up by about 50ppm per day. So far, this is my prime suspect.

 

[eric b]

What is the alkalinty, phosphates and nitrates?

 

[CoralShop]

Alkalinity right at 7ish usually. N and P undetectable

 

[reefkeeper]

Led's. Hit and miss. Go back to MH's.

 

[CoralShop]

I've considered that, however, both were grown out entirely under LEDs over the last year, so I doubt that is the underlying issue in this situation.

 

[heathlindner25]

What salt brand do you use?

 

[CoralShop]

Brightwell currently

 

[heathlindner25]

Alk swing?

 

[atmercure]

i lost an entire tank with sps a year ago. water changes, changing gfo all the time, you name it, i was doing it. bought a new sump 2 months ago and changed all the plumbing. noticed in the spa flex pvc i was using was a bunch of rust looking crap inside. just the spa flex. not the hard pvc. got a bigger reeflo pump and pulled the other apart to clean it. the shaft seal bearing was very rusty. was this it, i dont know but maybe look for something besides the water parameters. good luck

 

[ringo®]

what brand of LED's? you might be blasting them.

 

[jimmystephens]

Stn because of leds? No! I would agree more with heath on alk swings or low mag. What do u have for flow?

 

[ringo®]

Might not be STN....just bleaching. How about a pic?

I would normally point at a parameter swing too.....it's already been mentioned though.

 

[ringo®]

Nevermind.....just saw where you said you've had these for a year. If it was with the same settings, that rules my idea out.

 

[seth the wine guy]

Flow. Flow. Flow.
I think your test kit is off for 900 Mg unless you are crazy dosing.
Check that.
Just my $.03

 

[ralph atl]

sorry, but there are sooo many reasons why SPS should rtn, there is no reason to validate anything....


There is no such thing as zero phates & trates...that's just your test kits that suck....

strontium? who cares? NOBODY!

Magnesium at 900? lol


So, your answer is Magnesium & phosphates & nitrates.....

get to work!

 

[snowmansnow]

renoeb;918316 wrote: Alkalinity right at 7ish usually. N and P undetectable

low but not killer low. if it is dipping down to 6 and such you may have issues with it.

 

[just josh]

Very informative post everyone- thanks!

 

[rjrgroup]

Hate to say it but I am siding with Ralph. Get a good P04 test kit.
Hold old is your RO/DI filters?
I and a few others, have been finding some "problems" related to fouled RO membranes..

 

[jennm]

You mentioned that your Strontium test kit was "ruined by humidity"... Seachem test? Powdered reagent go all "hockey puck"? Call 888-Seachem, they'll send you a replacement.

I find it best to store that reagent tightly sealed, in a cupboard, not in the case that the test comes in. Less chance of it getting moist that way.

Jenn

 

[rjrgroup]

That's good to know.I have a new calcium kit that has a hockey puck in it..m