Help me understand where I'm going wrong.

[Reefer PT]

I cant keep SPS alive for more then a month! First the polyps suck in, stays like that for a few weeks then chunks of flesh start pealing from the skeleton.
parameters for 93 gal cube 10 month old:
SG: 1.026
Temp 78-81F
NO3 1ppm
PO4 0.08
Alk 9.8-11.2 by way of ESV b-ionic 2 part dosed 25ml/day (~1.1ml hourly on apex)
Ca 420-450
Mg 1360-1380
Iodine 6.0
Sr 12
PH8.0-8.2
Water changes 3 gallons, 5 days a week
NOPOX 12ml/day dosed on the half hour
Light: Radion gen2 on radiant color mode at 60% 12hrs per day
Flow: MP 40 at about 50% in reef crest and nutrient transport during the day and lagoon at 30% over night
Chem: 1/2 cup GFO and 1 cup ROX GAC changed 2x/month
Fish: 8 fish feed 2x/day 2 cubes of variety of frozen food and pich of elos spirulina pellets. 1/4 sheet of sea veggies.
Coral food: Reef energy a+b 15ml each/day. papone 2x/week.

The tank has no nusance algae, good coraline growth, and I do not see anything actively eating the corals.

Any thoughts on what is going on. IS my Alk a bit too high?
Thanks
Dave

[alb_56]

What kind of fish do you have?

[Reefer PT]

Also I have a reefcleaner CUC for a 100g tank which I think is about a half million snails and hermits. I have noticed alot of the snails have been dying but I don't think there is enough algae to keep all the large snails alive. or is this a clue to a bigger problem. I also forgot to mention I do use a 5 stage RO/DI with 0 TDS and I use Oceanic salt. I have tried a birdsnest, Red Cap, Sunset monti, Green slimer acro, and cats paw stylo. all of which die in a month. Euphillia also shrinking away but has been doing that over 6 months. Shrooms, Leathers, alveopora and blasto all growing. Zoa's not growing not dying.
Thanks

[Reefer PT]

Fish: Hippo tang, yellow tang, 3 chromis, 2 osc clowns, 8line wrasse and dragon gobie

[Stevenliu9]

Another thing to consider are you getting wild spa colonies or aquacultures frags? the latter ones are much hardier. I had tough luck with wild ones but much better with frags from other people's tanks.

[ajcanale]

Two things come to mind based on the information provided...

First is the usual, are you 100% certain that your SG reading is accurate.

Second is the Nopox and furthermore the Nopox paired with high alkalinity. I really don't know anything about the Nopox but on basic observation it seems to be a form of carbon dosing. Assuming this is correct in my experience and that of many others excessive carbon dosing (regardless of form) can be detrimental to a system, especially SPS corals. 12ml seems like it could be excessive for a 93g system even with a high bioload, but like I said I know very little about nopox

It is also recommended to run alkalinity at lower levels (7-8) when carbon dosing (specifically with bio pellets) though I never quite understood why.

Neither of these are definitive solutions, but might provide some insight.

[Reefer PT]

Steven, Mostly frags I'm afraid. Luckely I haven't spent much as they were small 1-2" frags.
ajcanale, NOPOx is carbon, vodka and vinegar to be exact. and I didn't know about alk and carbon relationship, thanks

[Reefer PT]

I was thinking about the carbon dosing. NOPOX is a red sea product and they recommend an alk of about 12.6! They recommend starting at 5 ml based on my volume but I've slowly been increasing that to try and lower phosphates. I guess that was a mistake! Should I lower slowly or is it ok to just cut it? I'll knock 1 ml off the program now but will wait for more advise on this before doing anything drastic. Also just noticed I said 8 fish and I have 9. guess you see where my priorities are.

[EvMiBo]

Originally Posted by ajcanale

are you 100% certain that your SG reading is accurate.

Sounds like it could be low salinity. How are you getting your salinity readings? Refractometer? Are you calibrating with 53.0mS/35ppt fluid?

[Reefer PT]

Refractometer, calibrated every time I make a new batch of water.

[rovster]

I was carbon dosing and whenever my Alk crept up over 8, my SPS would suffer. I kept it around 7.5 but as low as 7 with no issues. In fact, color was the best ever at the lower Alk.

[Reefer PT]

I wonder why the L red sea was recommending 12.6. So I will lower ESV B-ionic dose as well.

[EvMiBo]

Originally Posted by Reefer PT

Refractometer, calibrated every time I make a new batch of water.

Sorry, but just making sure so we can eliminate the possibility. You're calibrating with 53.0mS/35ppt fluid right? Not RO/DI.

[Reefer PT]

Don't be sorry, I'm the one asking for help and I appreciate the time. I am using aqua craft products 35ppt refractometer solution. Of course I say the salinity is 1.026 but the truth is it ranges between 1.024-1.026. Its hard to exactly change 3 gallons so the actual data points in my log book shows SG does drift between 1.024-1.026. I do use an ATO so daily salinity changes should be small. Same is true for NO3. I shoot for 1 but it does vary from 0-2. Do these small variables make a big impact?
Again thanks for any and all help
Dave

[Reefer07]

Snails possibly dieing you said? What kind of water are you using for your salt? Have you tested for copper at all?

[Nace]

Besides the fish what else do you have in the tank?

Any other corals?

Why are you feeding the tank coral food if none are staying alive?

Maybe I am missing something, but you are doing a lot of dosing if no corals are staying alive.

3 gallons 5 days a week, so 15 gallon a week water change? That should be able to keep up with your needed trace elements, calc, alk, etc..

Others can chime in if I am way off base.

[Jpugh73]

Just somthing that caught my eye was the iodine at 6.0 is that a misprint because of I am not mistaking it should be no higher then .6 ppm

[markalot]

>> Alk 9.8-11.2

What does that mean exactly? What test kit are you using? How often do you test? Do you test at the same time every day?

[Reefer PT]

Reefer07
Using RO/DI water to make ASW and for top off but no I have not tested for copper as I did not think any could get past the RO/DI. Let me know if I am wrong.

NACE... Corals That are growing: Toadstool Leather, Sinulara, Alveopora, Blastomosa, Ricordia, GSP. Corals living but not thriving: Dragon Eye Zoa, Torch coral. Basically just SPS is dying. Also have skunk shrimp and emerald crab (both are fine)

Jupgh73
Sorry about the misprint on iodine 0.06 is what it should have been.

Markalot
That is the range my alk has been in over the past several months according to my logbook. 9.8 was as low as it has been 11.2 is as high as it has been. The past three weeks it has been at 10.6. I test weekly unless I change an apex program then I test daily. I have been using Red Sea test kits for everything.

[markalot]

So many variables, including the crab eating your sps. Yes, emeralds can do that if hungry.

Can you get a Salifert Alk test kit to double check the readings of your Red Sea kits. I use Salifert but with the Red Sea jars and holders.

[Reefer PT]

Mark, I was thinking the same thing about the tests being off so I had the LFS run tests and everything was close to what I get. They use a combo of salifert, hanna and redsea.
So I'm confident in my numbers. didn't know that about emeralds either. Maybe he will get the boot next time I see him.

[EvMiBo]

Originally Posted by Reefer PT

Don't be sorry, I'm the one asking for help and I appreciate the time. I am using aqua craft products 35ppt refractometer solution. Of course I say the salinity is 1.026 but the truth is it ranges between 1.024-1.026. Its hard to exactly change 3 gallons so the actual data points in my log book shows SG does drift between 1.024-1.026. I do use an ATO so daily salinity changes should be small. Same is true for NO3. I shoot for 1 but it does vary from 0-2. Do these small variables make a big impact?
Again thanks for any and all help
Dave

This is all fine. No prob
I'm a bit stumped.

[markalot]

Either a contaminant has gotten into the tank or that emerald crab is up to no good. Have you tried Polyfilter yet, to see if it changes colors indicating some kind of contaminant?

[ajcanale]

Originally Posted by EvMiBo

Sorry, but just making sure so we can eliminate the possibility. You're calibrating with 53.0mS/35ppt fluid right? Not RO/DI.

This is important.

Originally Posted by Reefer PT

... slowly been increasing that to try and lower phosphates...

I believe in most if not all cases (dependent on bacterial strains being fed) carbon dosing is more effective in lowering nitrates compared to phosphates. In your attempt to lower phosphates via dosing you might have effectively stripped nitrates from the water column... never a good thing.

Dependent on your test kit, nitrates reading might have been inaccurate.

Just something else to consider.

[lynchmob3000]

I'd be willing to bet if you stopped doing daily waterchanges you would be much better off...
If I'm reading it correctly 3 gallons 5 days a week. I do 7 to 14 days at 10.gallons on my 90 sps tank.