Need HELP, trouble keeping corals, sps and lps

azulikit · #1 02-11-2010, 09:20 PM

Hello,

I'm new to salt and have been running a tank for about 10 months now. I'm having troubles keeping corals and could use some advise.

My sps that I got a month back are turning white from the light brown color they used to be. They are positioned about mid tank level, about 10 inches from the light. The heads on my frogspawn branches (think that's the name) are dying off and the tips are white. These branches are positioned mid to top of the tank level, about 14 inches from the light. I got these branches a couple weeks back and they were in perfect condition.

My equipment set-up is as follows:

90 bowfront, Coralife 48" PC, 2-65 watt Actinic 03 Blue, 2-65 watt 10,000K daylights (aquarium lid is on) and running 8 hrs a day, both sets on, Rena XP3, Deltec MCE 600, inline heater, 9 watt UV sterilizer, 4 Hydor's with Wavemaker controller running at 70% max output to 30% minimum.

Water parameters are as follows:

PH 8.4
Cal 460
Phos 1.0 - I understand it should be lower and I'm working on that. It has never been higher than this number.
Nitrate (NO3) 0
Nitrite (NO2) 0
Ammonia 0
KH 11 dKH
Mg - no test kit
Temp 79
Using Reef Crystals and daily dose of Coral Snow and Coral Vitalizer.

I do weekly or biweekly water changes. I have no problems keeping fish and have never lost any yet. I'm leaning towards the lighting not being sufficient but would like some quality advise on this situation. Hopefully this is enough information for someone to take a stab at it.

Thanks

nlreefguy · #2 02-11-2010, 09:34 PM

well, first that phosphate level is extremely high for SPS. What you're describing sounds like bleaching, in the absence of a photo to prove it, and it could be caused by any of a number of factors including water quality. In the case of light not being sufficient, what you would generally notice is that the corals otherwise appear healthy but are getting browner in color, not lighter. Also, the alk is a bit on the high side, prob not enough to cause what you're describing if everything else were perfect, but it's not, so..... Any chance you could take a photo for us?

Marlin65 · #3 02-11-2010, 09:39 PM

What test kits do you use are you sure you have no Nitrite, and Nitrate?
How old is your tank. What about flow is there enough flow/oxygen in your tank? Does not sound like a light problem to me. You PO4 is a bit high but should not kill things.

ickmagnet · #4 02-11-2010, 10:22 PM

No expert but lighting seems a bit weak

Jessie55 · #5 02-11-2010, 10:28 PM

no expert but my sps is growing and from what you posted i would agree phos is high and you need more light also imo higher quality bulbs than the stock ones seems to have made a difference for me

azulikit · #6 02-11-2010, 10:31 PM

Photo attached...... Bleaching sounds like the right word for what is happening to this SPS. Thanks for your comments.

Marlin65 · #7 02-11-2010, 10:33 PM

Thats a lot of fish for a 90 are you sure you have no NO3
I only have 3 fish small ones in my 75 and I show 0.2 of NO3

burrows14 · #8 02-11-2010, 10:37 PM

Are you sure your lights are T5's? 65w sounds like PC to me.

azulikit · #9 02-11-2010, 10:38 PM

I have tested for both Nitrate and Nitrite, results zero. The tank is about 8-9 months old. There is lots of flow and I believe there is lots of oxygen. I will try to continue to get the Phos down. Jessie55 - are you running the same light ballast as me? Deluxe series, double linear strip T5's from Coralife or something similar in a compact?

Marlin65 · #10 02-11-2010, 10:39 PM

Does not look like bleaching to me it looks like a water quality issue.
How old and what kind of test kits do you run? I think your problem is there it is unusual to have that high a PO4 and no NO3