Help: SPS bleaching and STN

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by ChizerBunoi

and perhaps bump it up to a total of 6 hours next week

I didn't mean for you to boost your lighting at this point. I'm just pointing out that it's not as extreme as mine was. I'd suggest you leave it be for now, or even turn them down a bit until things recover
Then slowly, and I mean over weeks, turn them back up to where you want them. All the while watch for new signs of bleaching/color changes etc

Originally Posted by ChizerBunoi

They plug up every 8 hours

Are they poly, or felt ? I had the poly ones and had the same problem as you
Since I've switched to felt they last longer than I need before washing

Originally Posted by ChizerBunoi

I'll try lowering the water level in the sump to less than 9" to see if that helps

Perhaps you could find a way to lift the skimmer a bit, rather than remove water from the sump ? Either way, sounds like you get the idea

Originally Posted by Myka

I was just looking at your pictures again...

I see some algae growth on the back glass and the pumps, are those the only places in the tank that have algae? How long since you cleaned it off last?

The algae on the back wall is very short. I leave it on there for the lawnmower blenny and tail spot blenny to munch on. When the turbo snails go over it, it's completely clean.

I used to be on top if it by wiping it down, but when the algae started growing, I couldn't get it off. It's an acrylic backing and takes so much scraping to even remove. I do wipe that wall down almost daily, using a sponge.

Originally Posted by Myka

I notice also that you have few fish and run BB. You do feed the corals some, but what I'm getting at with these new questions is maybe the corals are starving. The nutrient level is really low.

I started running barebottom about 3 months ago. Do you remember commenting on my build thread that I would hate Oolite sand? We'll I did. The cyano started to appear on the sand bed at that time, so I siphoned a bit out with each weekly water change.

For feeding, I give my fish NLS pellets/flakes. Then I alternate on other days with Ocean Fresh Pacifica Plankton or Cyclopeeze. I try to feed every single day, but some days are skipped based on my schedule.

The nutrient levels are very low. On Thursday I performed a 4 gallon water change using IORC.

Nitrate (API) - 0
Phosphate (Hanna ULR) - 9 ppb (0.027 ppm)
Calcium (Salifert) - 475 ppm
Alkalinity (Hanna) - 7.8 dkH

I know they are not balanced. You had mentioned before. How do I get them balanced? I am not dosing in equal parts. I am currently only dosing:

Alkalinity (Arm and Hammer) - 25 ML (8 times per day)

Calcium Chloride (got it free from another member, maybe it is downflake but they don't remember the brand) - 20 ML (8 times per day)

This is dosed through an auto doser. I'll dial the Calcium down a bit.

Part of the problem I think is that the salt mix is so high in it's levels that it raises everything up. Then it slowly drops down, but doesn't ever balance as by the end of the week, I do another water change.

Originally Posted by Myka

Do you feed the Reef Roids at night when the SPS have their feeding polyps out? Are you getting a good feeding response when you feed the Reef Roids?

I dose twice a week with a heaping spoonful from the Salifert Calcium test kit. This is probably 1/4 tsp? The polyps are out but I don't see much of a response to the feeding. I turn the return pump/protein skimmer off. But leave all the Vortech's turned on (they are at 100% now BTW).

I also dose 1 drop of Pohls CV every so often. Maybe 2 times a week?

[Myka]

Originally Posted by ChizerBunoi

The algae on the back wall is very short. I leave it on there for the lawnmower blenny and tail spot blenny to munch on. [...] I do wipe that wall down almost daily, using a sponge.

If you're wiping it down that much, then there is obviously nutrients within the system, so if you continue with your coral feedings in the evenings it sounds like you're on the right track there.

I started running barebottom about 3 months ago. Do you remember commenting on my build thread that I would hate Oolite sand? We'll I did.

Haha, I didn't remember who the comment was to, but I remember now.

Calcium (Salifert) - 475 ppm
Alkalinity (Hanna) - 7.8 dkH

I know they are not balanced. You had mentioned before. How do I get them balanced?

Part of the problem I think is that the salt mix is so high in it's levels

If you're doing a 10% or 15% waterchange it really doesn't change the values within the tank very much. Just skip dosing calcium (but continue dosing alkalinity) for a day or two to allow the value to drop.

Well I feel really silly. I ripped my tank apart and now it looks like a frag tank. Pretty much all the large rocks are outside baking in the sun. OH well, at least I can rebuild a nice bonsai tree like everyone else.

All colonies were pulled and mounted on travertine tiles. I haven't found any AEFW at all, nor any eggs. I must have confused and misidentified it with rotifiers or copepods? I saw two creatures jump out of the coral when it was in an iodine dip and die. Can flat worms run around really fast? yah!!!!!!

I believe the issue was not due to water quality but actually due to low alkalinity. I replaced the regent and it was way off. I'm hoping to run my ALK much higher now at about 9dKH to ensure I don't have these issues anymore. I'm assuming with the ALK at 6.2 dKH, the tips got burnt and the STN started.

I'm going to put all 6 banks on 6500K and just grow the coral out. Once they are large enough, i'll focus on coloring them up.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by ChizerBunoi

Well I feel really silly. [...] All colonies were pulled and mounted on travertine tiles. I haven't found any AEFW at all, nor any eggs. I must have confused and misidentified it with rotifiers or copepods? I saw two creatures jump out of the coral when it was in an iodine dip and die. Can flat worms run around really fast? yah!!!!!!

AEFW are pretty big (like average 1/2" or so), other flatworms can be much smaller. All flatworms move pretty fast, but not like pods or rots.

I believe the issue was not due to water quality but actually due to low alkalinity. I replaced the regent and it was way off. I'm hoping to run my ALK much higher now at about 9dKH to ensure I don't have these issues anymore. I'm assuming with the ALK at 6.2 dKH, the tips got burnt and the STN started.

What are you using to test alkalinity? Maybe you said it already...I will go look through your thread again.

EDIT: Ah, Hanna Checker. You experienced a big difference with new reagents? That's not comforting. Do you know anyone with an Elos kit within expiry that could double check for you? Salifert reads about 1 dKH high.

[daniella3d]

Can low alkalinity burn tips? Mostly it is high alkalinity. Before I started dosing my alkalinity was often low, even lower than 6 and it never burnt any tips in my sps.

Burnt tips and STN are probably 2 different problems and that they happen at the same time probably means that there is something quite out of wack with your system, not sure what.

Originally Posted by ChizerBunoi

I'm assuming with the ALK at 6.2 dKH, the tips got burnt and the STN started.

I'm going to put all 6 banks on 6500K and just grow the coral out. Once they are large enough, i'll focus on coloring them up.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

Can low alkalinity burn tips? Mostly it is high alkalinity.

I was thinking the same thing, but OP wants to experiment.

[albert_dao]

Probiotics with a kH over 8.2 is just asking for it. Leave it between 7.0 and 8.0.

/experienced Zeovit user here.

Originally Posted by Myka

If you're wiping it down that much, then there is obviously nutrients within the system, so if you continue with your coral feedings in the evenings it sounds like you're on the right track there.

I actually wipe it down daily only to prevent it from building up into coralline algae. I hate that stuff. Sounds strange but true. Anytime I see it on the glass (including floor), I scrape it up. I don't mind it on the rocks, but would prefer if the rocks stayed white looking.

Also, wiping daily involves a simple sponge and it's a 2 minute job. If I left it to build a film up, it takes longer to scrub.