Over the last couple months my SPS has been slowly dying. The sunset monti I've had for 6 months and it was doing great up until 1 month ago. The acro I've had for 4 months which was doing well for the first 2 months but has since completely died. The favia I've had for 9 months which recently started losing tissue. Three out of the four acans look decent but haven't grown much in 9 months. One acan has never done good from the start and is dying slowly. Torch seems very happy and has doubled in size surprisingly. Soft corals are doing very well but I can't figure out what's wrong with the SPS. About 5 months ago I started using kalkwasser. Alkalinity rose from 8 to 10.5 over the course of a few months. I've been reading that low nutrients and high alk can be a bad combination. I gradually decreased the kalk dosing and lowered alkalinity from 10.5 to 9.5 over the course of a month, but my pH has been lower as a result. Previously pH stayed between 8.05 and 8.2. These days it's 7.8 to 8. Another change that I made about 2 months ago was adding a second wave maker for a total of 2 Octo Pulse 2's. I put them on opposite sides of the tank on random with max 35%. The single wave maker was also running at 35% before adding the second. Tank had dinos and cyano in the first 2 months but no signs in the last 10 months. Noticed my UV bulb was dim and ballast was abnormally hot 2 months ago so I filed a claim with Lifeguard Aquatics and am waiting for the replacement. I'll admit I didn't jump on that as quickly as I should have, I drug my feet for a month before filing the claim, so I've been running no UV for the past 2 months after running it 24/7 for the last 7 months. I recently rented a par meter from my LFS and readings are as follows:
Sunset Monti 300
Acro 225
Red monti 170
Acan 180
Favia 150
Orange zoas 125
Zoa garden 120
Kenya tree 150
Torch 120
Top of xenia 50
GSP 130
RFA's on rock 140
RFA in sand 120
Sandbed by GSP 140
Sandbed by zoas 120
Sandebed by feather duster 110
So a lot has changed over the last few months:
Added 2nd wave maker
Nitrate and phosphate went up (intentionally by limiting water changes)
Alk went up, then down
pH went up, then down
UV died
Specs:
57g (36"x24"x18") with 20g sump
SG 1.026
Temp 78
Nitrate has slowly risen from 2 to 4 over the last 4 months
Phosphate has slowly risen from .01 to .03 over the last 4 months
Calcium 430 (steady)
Magnesium 1380 (steady)
Alkalinity 9.5
2 Kessil A360x 40% max, 2hr ramp up, 2hr ramp down, peak for 8hrs
2x Octo Pulse 2 wave makers at 35% max set for random
Eshopps S-120 skimmer on 24/7
0 TDS RO/DI ATO
Stock list:
2 ocellaris clowns
2 fairy wrasses
Tailspot blenny
Diamond goby
Royal gramma
Yellow watchman goby
Pistol shrimp
3 hermit crabs
Emerald crab
Various snails
Yesterday I sent in an ICP test. Hoping to figure out these SPS/stony corals. Advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.
Sunset Monti 300
Acro 225
Red monti 170
Acan 180
Favia 150
Orange zoas 125
Zoa garden 120
Kenya tree 150
Torch 120
Top of xenia 50
GSP 130
RFA's on rock 140
RFA in sand 120
Sandbed by GSP 140
Sandbed by zoas 120
Sandebed by feather duster 110
So a lot has changed over the last few months:
Added 2nd wave maker
Nitrate and phosphate went up (intentionally by limiting water changes)
Alk went up, then down
pH went up, then down
UV died
Specs:
57g (36"x24"x18") with 20g sump
SG 1.026
Temp 78
Nitrate has slowly risen from 2 to 4 over the last 4 months
Phosphate has slowly risen from .01 to .03 over the last 4 months
Calcium 430 (steady)
Magnesium 1380 (steady)
Alkalinity 9.5
2 Kessil A360x 40% max, 2hr ramp up, 2hr ramp down, peak for 8hrs
2x Octo Pulse 2 wave makers at 35% max set for random
Eshopps S-120 skimmer on 24/7
0 TDS RO/DI ATO
Stock list:
2 ocellaris clowns
2 fairy wrasses
Tailspot blenny
Diamond goby
Royal gramma
Yellow watchman goby
Pistol shrimp
3 hermit crabs
Emerald crab
Various snails
Yesterday I sent in an ICP test. Hoping to figure out these SPS/stony corals. Advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.