Polyps on SPS corals not extended

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1776Ken

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Apr 11, 2006
Messages
6
Location
Mineral VA
I have a 75 gal tank (startup3/1/06), 100 lb rock, (2) 150W HQ,(2)96W actinic,3 powerheads and a Seio 820, 7 small fish, 15 hermits, 6 astreas, SPS (all in the upper part of the water column),LPS, soft corals, sponges,fanworms, & macro algae. A 15 gal mud refugium on a reverse cycle,96W VHO and filled with Cheato algae, and 15 gal sump with filter fiber, an ASM protein skimmer, and main pump. Dosing 1/2 gal Kalkwasser per day and 1 gal fresh RO per 3 days. Feed fish 1/16 teas pellet and 1/2 block of mysid shrimp per day; Zoo and Phyto plankton 1/ week. Temp 78 deg, pH 8-8.1, Calcium 410 ppm, Total alkalinity 2.7 meq/L, Magnesium 11-1200 mg/L, Nitrate 10 ppm, Phos (PO4) .1ppm, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0.
Aout 3 months ago I noticed a big difference between my SPS and those at the LFS; the polyps on many of my SPS were not extending during the day or at night. LFS made several suggestions. Tried increasing alkalinity to 3.5 meq/L and pH to 8.3. No help. The polyps on my Seriatpora, porites, Hydnophora, and Pavona Maldiveousa seem to be fully extended (and fast growing) while the polyps on the Stylophora, Youngei, Blue Tort and other acropora never show themselves (and they are slow growing if not dying). If fact, three days after bringing a frag home the polyps quit extending. My green encrusting capricornis has no polyps showing yet it grows like a weed. Any ideas as to the reason for this ?
 
What size tank do you have? Is the tank deep? If so, we will start with dual 150's is not enough. Unless your SPS are high near the light, dual 250's is better for a good SPS load.

Second when you keep SPS you really need nitrates low. 10 is not to bad but you should try to get them lower.

What size tank is also important so I can see ho much flow we have going on here.

Are you running carbon?

Now besides Kalk what are you dosing?

Why are you doing so much kalk. I dose lime water at 1 teaspoon per
gallon of RO??

You my be able to bring alk up with water changes but try this link to help:

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

FYI, here is a great place for chemistry help:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=102605
 
Tank is 48"L X 20" deep X 17" W. SPS are all located within 5-8" from surface. I replace
1/2 cup of Carbon and Rowa Phos each month w/ a 20% water change. I add 2 teaspoons of Kalk to each gallon of RO water and drip 1/2 gal of this solution (excluding any sediment ) into tank each night. I also have to occasionally add Seachem Reef Complete to raise Calcium...especially after water changes. Maybe it is important to note that over the last two weeks my refugium has a cynobacteria outbreak...if this helps.
 
You got to drip that kalk slow...use 1 teaspoon per gallon.

Randys recipe is much better and cheaper than what you are using for CA but you need to use two part and raise ALK. That is one fo your problems you are raising CA and not ALK. You have to both or the other will drop.

Also check Magnesium

IMPORTANT: what size are your other powerheads?

What test kits are you using?

What salt are you using?

Here is for dosing:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php

Now, I am not a fan of 150's for an SPS tank with some depth to it. I have been keeping SPS a while and a 250 upgrade is a must for long term success. I do have 150's with 14k Phoenix on my frag tank, however it is very very shallow.

Here is a link for light and spectrum comparisson:

http://www.reeflightinginfo.arvixe.com/


Retro kits will dave you a lot of cash, try hellolights.com

Also, is there any tissue rescesion? Here is a good article forRTN

http://www.reefs.org/library/article/rtn.html
 
power heads ...size / type unknown... 2 small one is large
Magnesium 11-1200 mg/l.
Salt.... Instant Ocean
Test kits...Ca,Mg,Alk Seachem The rest are Salifert. Also a digital pH monitor.
Some tissue ression on the undersides of branches. Mostly just slow growth.
 
Your flow may be an issue here. Realize that SPS need high flow to thrive. In my 90 SPS I ahve over 2300 GPH of flow using tunze and 1 Maxi Mod that pumps 1500GPH

Besides lighting please remember about testing before you dose anything. Always a good rule of thumb to not dose something you do not test.

If you raise CA, you may have to raise ALK. You ALK is to low and I would bring up MAG a little.

A rule of thumb for MG is it should be roughly 3 and 1/2 times what your CA is.

And lastly I think your lighting is a little low for higher light demanding SPS. Keep them up high.

What kind of SPS do you have also?
 
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