Acclimating SPS corals

[NanoJoe]

I am a little new to SPS corals and having some troubles keeping them alive. They always seem to die the same and this is from the base up. Just bleaching it seems not as much as RTN or STN.
I do want an SPS dominate tank.

Tank is 18 months old now with an ATI 36 inch bulb fixture 10 hours total 4 of which are all bulbs on. 4 blue plus 2 purple plus
Some coralline algae growth
ALK: 8.5 (steady)
CA: 440
Mg: 1400
NO3: 15
PO4: .08

Lots of flow i have a red sea reef wave 25 and (2) Sicce Xstream pumps. The Xstreams are on a reef crest mode while the red sea is on a random flow mode at 100%. I could probably get another wavemaker in the tank for more flow.

I feel as though maybe my acclimation to the light might be the reason. When i do get SPS corals i typically put them on the sandbed to start the light acclimation for a couple weeks. Then ill move them up to the rocks on spots i think would work, still on their frag plugs. After a few days ill glue them down if they look okay. Then the bleaching starts slowly.


What is your method from start to finish?
Should I utilize a frag rack on the side wall for acclimation?

 

[eholceker]

I am a little new to SPS corals and having some troubles keeping them alive. They always seem to die the same and this is from the base up. Just bleaching it seems not as much as RTN or STN.
I do want an SPS dominate tank.

Tank is 18 months old now with an ATI 36 inch bulb fixture 10 hours total 4 of which are all bulbs on. 4 blue plus 2 purple plus
Some coralline algae growth
ALK: 8.5 (steady)
CA: 440
Mg: 1400
NO3: 15
PO4: .08

Lots of flow i have a red sea reef wave 25 and (2) Sicce Xstream pumps. The Xstreams are on a reef crest mode while the red sea is on a random flow mode at 100%. I could probably get another wavemaker in the tank for more flow.

I feel as though maybe my acclimation to the light might be the reason. When i do get SPS corals i typically put them on the sandbed to start the light acclimation for a couple weeks. Then ill move them up to the rocks on spots i think would work, still on their frag plugs. After a few days ill glue them down if they look okay. Then the bleaching starts slowly.


What is your method from start to finish?
Should I utilize a frag rack on the side wall for acclimation?

Base up bleaching stn usually has to do with alk swings/shock. Are you sure that 8.5 is steady daily?

 

[eholceker]

I am a little new to SPS corals and having some troubles keeping them alive. They always seem to die the same and this is from the base up. Just bleaching it seems not as much as RTN or STN.
I do want an SPS dominate tank.

Tank is 18 months old now with an ATI 36 inch bulb fixture 10 hours total 4 of which are all bulbs on. 4 blue plus 2 purple plus
Some coralline algae growth
ALK: 8.5 (steady)
CA: 440
Mg: 1400
NO3: 15
PO4: .08

Lots of flow i have a red sea reef wave 25 and (2) Sicce Xstream pumps. The Xstreams are on a reef crest mode while the red sea is on a random flow mode at 100%. I could probably get another wavemaker in the tank for more flow.

I feel as though maybe my acclimation to the light might be the reason. When i do get SPS corals i typically put them on the sandbed to start the light acclimation for a couple weeks. Then ill move them up to the rocks on spots i think would work, still on their frag plugs. After a few days ill glue them down if they look okay. Then the bleaching starts slowly.


What is your method from start to finish?
Should I utilize a frag rack on the side wall for acclimation?

Also unless your pumping out insane par which you shouldn't be with the t5's don't bother with the acclimation. Just glue down and leave.

 

[iTzJu]

I would look into getting an ICP test and see a full breakdown of your tank water. Also, what fish do you currently have in the tank, might have a fish that could be eating your sps like a yellow goby.
your parameters, if rock steady looks fine to keep SPS.

I only ever acclimate my corals to temp and throw them right in the tank. I don't ever light acclimate unless I know for sure I'm a few hundred higher in PAR vs where the SPS is coming from and with T5, that's never really the case.

 

[NanoJoe]

Base up bleaching stn usually has to do with alk swings/shock. Are you sure that 8.5 is steady daily?

I test almost daily with salifert for this reason.

 

[john90009]

It’s good to know where your acros were in the previous tank, howling the acros were there for as well. Base to tip tissue burning would happen when I would have calcium or magnesium inaccurate tests. When I get frags I stick it to a rock and it never leaves that rock.

 

[NanoJoe]

I would look into getting an ICP test and see a full breakdown of your tank water. Also, what fish do you currently have in the tank, might have a fish that could be eating your sps like a yellow goby.
your parameters, if rock steady looks fine to keep SPS.

I only ever acclimate my corals to temp and throw them right in the tank. I don't ever light acclimate unless I know for sure I'm a few hundred higher in PAR vs where the SPS is coming from and with T5, that's never really the case

Yeah, maybe i should do the ICP. Could just be something i cant see visually in the water. Am running a 5 stage spectrapure RODI.
Stock:
Yellow eyed kole tang
Flametail blenny
Chalk bass
Clownfish (i forget which color morph, maybe frostbite?)
Flaco hawkfish

I do float the bag of which the coral comes in for 20 minutes in my sump for temp acclimate and while i prepare a dip.

 

[john90009]

What acros are you trying?

 

[NanoJoe]

What acros are you trying?

I tried acropora sephulata and acropora millipora and one Acro im not sure the ID on and i have one Montipora digitata which is looking a little less than desirable as of late. Not really extending its polyps and seems to have some tip bleaching...

 

[john90009]

I checked on your other thread and while you said you did see a few spots of coraline showing up I think there is something that’s inhibiting thier growth and likely affecting the sps growth. A icp test would help to identify if you have high tin/ or possibly aluminum. Also, before sending out your icp test, with your kits test the exact water your sending out. Compare the values of your test kit to where thier readings are. If your coraline isn’t taking over like crazy then whatever is inhibiting that from growing is keeping the acros pissed.

 

[NanoJoe]

I checked on your other thread and while you said you did see a few spots of coraline showing up I think there is something that’s inhibiting thier growth and likely affecting the sps growth. A icp test would help to identify if you have high tin/ or possibly aluminum. Also, before sending out your icp test, with your kits test the exact water your sending out. Compare the values of your test kit to where thier readings are. If your coraline isn’t taking over like crazy then whatever is inhibiting that from growing is keeping the acros pissed.

Thanks for the advice. Coraline has showed up but not taking off really... some of the spots dont seem as dark as they used to be as well. Other corals are fine and growing, like my torch and zoanthids and ricordea.

 

[john90009]

I know your tanks been up for awhile now, but what kind of rock did you start out with and have you ever dosed anything to the tank to remove something else like algea?

 

[NanoJoe]

I know your tanks been up for awhile now, but what kind of rock did you start out with and have you ever dosed anything to the tank to remove something else like algea?

I started with dry rock. It was the carib sea shapes (2) boxes worth. and no no algae removal products ever went in. Only bacteria products like MB7 and MBclean along with some dr tims bacteria. I dont like the idea of those chemicals.

 

[john90009]

Good those chemicals are really not helpful in the long run. How often do you do waterchanges?

 

[NanoJoe]

Good those chemicals are really not helpful in the long run. How often do you do waterchanges?

10% weekly so really 5 gallons. Tank is total 65 gallons but i take displacement into consideration. and 5 gallons is real easy to do lol

 

[john90009]

Probably best to do an icp test from there and post the results in here. When I transfer stuff and setup new tanks untill I see coraline starting to sprout and become thick I wouldn’t attempt to move sps over. There’s something limiting coraline then it will limit coral. I have two urchins in a biocube and they can’t outcompete the coraline growth.

 

[NanoJoe]

Probably best to do an icp test from there and post the results in here. When I transfer stuff and setup new tanks untill I see coraline starting to sprout and become thick I wouldn’t attempt to move sps over. There’s something limiting coraline then it will limit coral. I have two urchins in a biocube and they can’t outcompete the coraline growth.

Thanks for the help. I will post them when i do it.

 

[john90009]

Happen to have closeup pictures of your sps?

 

[eholceker]

Are you dosing 2 part on a doser?

 

[NanoJoe]

Happen to have closeup pictures of your sps?