Help: SPS bleaching and STN

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?