SPS color problems

Some sps esp, acropora just need a very established tank - like 9-12+ months. We're not even sure what "changes" from month 4 to say month 11 (assuming all water parameters remain constant), but the odds of an acro frag doing well in a tank under 9 months old are very low.

keep your calcium very close to 450ppm

keep your PO4 near 0 (phosphates)

keep your ALK at 3.2 - 4.5 meq/L (9-12 dkh)

And of course those nitrates low too.

 

Yup - most LPS do not have the "new tank barrier" that a few SPS have. Even though all the testable parameters may not change for the tank from say month 4 to 9 or beyond - SOMETHING in there changes to allow acro growth...

If you attempt to keep the parameters listed, they might survive until they begin to grow and "come back" - but sadly the frags can bleach & void within a couple weeks, and it might be months before the water is correct for growth.

 

Hey - we all got some spare frag plugs lying around cause the little coral "attempt" we tried - failed...Welcome to reefs.  

When they are totally dead - you'll see either coraline alage or green alage begin deposit over them - That's when I pull the plug.  A fresh sps skeleton is prime growing area for other alages once the piece has voided & died.  How long have u had these sps frags in there??? How long since the original tank finished cycle??

 

Post a pic or 2 - sometimes bleaching can be prevented from killing the whole piece - but a survival "frag" must be cut from it - with no bleached area - and of course put into an enviroment where it'll come back.  It's probably just too early for your tank to accept some sps - maybe by winter or early spring.

 

Edit:  Ive seen people set up SPS tanks in just a few months - but I've never been able to do it the short way!

Edited by tangs rule - 7/28/11 at 8:03pm

Yup, they like established tanks.

Also, you use those PAR 38 bulbs, right? What brand?

Looks exactly like what happens to SPS when they're in young tanks :-(

Frequently, sps (acro) frags in a new system just kinda peter out :(   Unless it's able to feed right, and get the right light, in the right water, usually a frag will void and die. It may be possible for some to alter their original color, morph to brown, survive, and come back - but this would be the exception, not the rule.

 

again, some sps more paticular than others, You've added alot of new frags in short order, so with a new tank, some loss is very likely....just try to keep water parameters high, and hope for the best.

 

Hey 1guyDude,

 

I litterally just got my first SPS coral today... According to the LFS I got it from, an Orange Digitata (Monti) is supposed to be one of the easiest and hardiest of the SPS. So I got one as my "starter" SPS. I'm sure if you get one and it does well, its a good sign you may be ready for some more SPSs ;)

 

I'm optimistic about mine because 10 minutes after putting it in the tank all the polyps opened up... never seen a coral open up so fast! :D

 

From my experience, SPS are very sensitive to phosphate. Check your phosphate reading real quick and see what it is. Also, your Alkalinity has to be pretty constant and high. (~12dKh) Check your magnesium levels as well. There is a way you can keep SPS corals - but like they said above, you have to have a pretty well established tank.

 

When I kept SPS for a time, I regularly dosed kalkwasser to keep my calcium and alkalinity high six days a week and on the seventh day I wouldn't dose kalkwasser. I would dose a marine buffer to keep the pH/alk from dropping.

 

I find that it all depends on the maturity of the tank, the internal flow rate, the type of lighting and the chemical balance that makes SPS corals so difficult to keep.

That's too bad. Sorry for your losses. Try again next time!

What test kits are you using to test?

With SPS, a lot has to do with how they're acclimated as well as what others are mentioning. I temperature acclimate all SPS and then light acclimate. Keep in mind that most of your LFS's do not regularly replace bulbs, they only do so when one pops, they also don't usually clean the reflectors, and splash guards. This usually means that your lighting is going to be far more intense than what the corals are used to.

Also, you're a dipper right? I've found dipping SPS in Melafix instead of other dips is less harsh on.