SPS struggles

[mseepman]

I was wondering if any of you SPS specialists had a tip for me on ways to better keep Acros.

I have a 70G mixed reef...and there are a variety of softies, LPS and SPS in the tank. My SPS usually does quite well, but I understand that mixing them with softies can make the job tougher.

Here is my issue and this only happens to my Acros. They will grow well for a while and then out of the blue, I will come down to my tank and see that the tips are growing algae. Eventually it will take over to the point where I need to trim back the coral and then things will be okay for maybe 3 weeks and it will start over.

When I get a new Acro, they might be fine for months, but then the algae on the tips happens.

I have a variety of other SPS and all of them are growing well and have been for over a year.

Here are my numbers:
water quality
SG 1.025
PH=8.2
Po4=0.01-0.05
No3=1
KH=8.5
MG=1200-1300
Ca=400

Any suggestions would be graat Thanks.

[fkshiu]

What's your flow?

[mseepman]

In the 70G (26" x 18" x 24"H) I am running a Quietone 4000 Return, 1 x 6025 Tunze nano, 1 x Vortec MP40W, 1 x Koralia3.

So I would figure lots of flow...in fact my softies aren't as thrilled with it as they could be.

The Vortech runs on random lagoon mode.

My lighting is 1 x 150W MH and 4 x 39W T5HO.

Growth is good, just suddenly the tips get algae

[fencer]

Something is burning the tips....too much nitrates / light ....try increasing your water changes and add some carbon

[mseepman]

hmm...I currently run my lighting like this:

T5HO - 8:00AM - 9:00PM
MH - 12:30PM - 7:00PM
Lunar LED 9:00PM - 7:30AM

As for nitrates...The tank is a 70G with 90lbs of rock plus(so about 50-55G) about 10G in the sump (after equipment). I change about 10G of water every 10 days in the form of two 5G water changes over that period.

I run two reactors, 1 with Carbon and 1 with GFO. Carbon is changed every 45 days and GFO is changed ever 60.

[Myka]

I don't think this will solve your troubles, but you could try using smaller amounts of carbon, and changing it out more often, like every 2-3 weeks. Your magnesium is a tad low too - should be 1350-1400 ppm.

Are there any maintenance things you do every 3 weeks or so since you're noticing the algae issues at that interval? Not necessarily immediately before the algae issue since it could take time for the corals to react.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by mseepman

Here are my numbers:
water quality
SG 1.025
PH=8.2
Po4=0.01-0.05
No3=1
KH=8.5
MG=1200-1300
Ca=400

Can you share a little more information regarding what kind of test kits you are using, how often you test, how you maintain these levels, and how stable these levels are. Quite often what you're experiencing results from low or high alkalinity, I suspect there's more to your KH=8.5.

[mseepman]

The numbers for me have been quite consistant since I started dosing 2 part.

I use Salifert test kits but I have Hagen (ugh!) backups that I confer with if I have to.

I test about every 20 - 25 days now, but before it was once per week.

I'm hoping that by moving my dosing entry point for Alk that I can stop this problem. The Acros that this has happened to were doing awesome before and it's a shame to see what's happened.

[christyf5]

Good call Marie!!

[Myka]

Ya, good call Marie! I just burned my Stylo last week by dosing into my Wavebox chamber which shoots directly at the Stylo. Dangit.