Evan's SPS 120

[evan127]

1 hour ago, jstuver said:

Oh no Evan sorry to hear! I hope you get things turned around, let me know if theres anything you need!

Thanks Jackie!  Just moral support!  If things do get worse, maybe a safe place for some of my frags?

 

59 minutes ago, lkoechle said:

I did that with my 85.  I fed a ton daily. I had huge growth with my sps and the tank thrived for a year (had to break it down for moving). but I skimmed 24 hrs a day and had an oversized skimmer (rated for 150) for the tank so I could do that.  I don't agree with feeding heavily and limiting the skimmer hours... too risky for me.

So how I had my filtration set up, it wasn't exporting the same amount of nutrients that I was putting in.  Everything was going well before I changed things up (rookie mistake).  I've slowly reverted back to my original methodologies.

 

Update: I did a 40 gallon water change, scrubbed the bottom panel, dropped a pump in the tank to get all the nooks and crannies, and cleaned my sump.  Things already look better.  Hopefully the slow tissue necrosis doesn't continue and stops in the next week.  Wednesday I plan to do a 20 gallon water change (and clean my skimmer) and finally on Sunday get back on my regular 15 gallon water change per week.  Refugium is on reverse cycle with a 30 minute overlap, skimmer is on 24/7, lighting is back to 8 hours two Blue+/6 hours full spectrum, flow is back to normal.  "Michael tells me all the time: K.I.S.S. Hurts my feeling every time."

[lkoechle]

3 minutes ago, evan127 said:

Hopefully the slow tissue necrosis doesn't continue and stops in the next week.

I would superglue those portions off if I were you.  I haven't had good luck with necrosis stopping on its own.  But superglue that dying flesh has always stopped it.  knock on wood it always does. lol

[evan127]

1 minute ago, lkoechle said:

I would superglue those portions off if I were you.  I haven't had good luck with necrosis stopping on its own.  But superglue that dying flesh has always stopped it.  knock on wood it always does. lol

I have had a few corals stop and regrow over the dead portions.  I think if Wednesday if they haven't slowed or stopped, I'll get in there and cut them off.

[evan127]

I updated my front page post with my husbandry and methodology to hold me accountable.

[jstuver]

3 hours ago, evan127 said:

Thanks Jackie!  Just moral support!  If things do get worse, maybe a safe place for some of my frags?

 

So how I had my filtration set up, it wasn't exporting the same amount of nutrients that I was putting in.  Everything was going well before I changed things up (rookie mistake).  I've slowly reverted back to my original methodologies.

 

Update: I did a 40 gallon water change, scrubbed the bottom panel, dropped a pump in the tank to get all the nooks and crannies, and cleaned my sump.  Things already look better.  Hopefully the slow tissue necrosis doesn't continue and stops in the next week.  Wednesday I plan to do a 20 gallon water change (and clean my skimmer) and finally on Sunday get back on my regular 15 gallon water change per week.  Refugium is on reverse cycle with a 30 minute overlap, skimmer is on 24/7, lighting is back to 8 hours two Blue+/6 hours full spectrum, flow is back to normal.  "Michael tells me all the time: K.I.S.S. Hurts my feeling every time."

Yeah definitely even though my tank is pretty newly set up it seems to be doing well and the SPS I do have are looking great. 

Also when my tank has struggled in the past I have found that leaving the sump light on 24/7 for a week or so really helped out.

[markalot]

Hey Evan,  

 

have you considered making an algae reactor?  I've seen 3 DIY setups so far and all are happy with the performance.  If my tank wasn't doing so well I might be considering it because I'm tired of dosing PhosphateRx daily and i can't help but think that the constant dosing will eventually lead to issues down the road.

[evan127]

12 hours ago, jstuver said:

Yeah definitely even though my tank is pretty newly set up it seems to be doing well and the SPS I do have are looking great. 

Also when my tank has struggled in the past I have found that leaving the sump light on 24/7 for a week or so really helped out.

I have been meaning to stop over on your thread!  I'll keep you posted on my coral situation.  Thanks for the tip too!  I'm going to leave my refugium light on 24/7 for a while.

 

6 hours ago, markalot said:

Hey Evan,  

 

have you considered making an algae reactor?  I've seen 3 DIY setups so far and all are happy with the performance.  If my tank wasn't doing so well I might be considering it because I'm tired of dosing PhosphateRx daily and i can't help but think that the constant dosing will eventually lead to issues down the road.

Do you think an algae reactor would be a better method than my entire first chamber in my sump?  

 

[evan127]

Water changes are cure alls!

[markalot]

On 6/20/2017 at 0:53 PM, evan127 said:

I have been meaning to stop over on your thread!  I'll keep you posted on my coral situation.  Thanks for the tip too!  I'm going to leave my refugium light on 24/7 for a while.

 

Do you think an algae reactor would be a better method than my entire first chamber in my sump?  

 

 

I'm really not sure but there are some who claim the intense light and compact area do a better job at growing the algae than a fuge does.  Who knows though.

21 hours ago, evan127 said:

Water changes are cure alls!

 

Yep, they sure are.  Dosing traces has allowed me to go maybe 3 months between changes but then things start to look drab and a water change picks it right up.

[evan127]

All I can say is that water changes are amazing.  STN stopped and polyp extension is slowly coming back on a few troubled acros.  Color is night and day now too.

[markalot]

3 hours ago, evan127 said:

All I can say is that water changes are amazing.  STN stopped and polyp extension is slowly coming back on a few troubled acros.  Color is night and day now too.

 

Over on RC some long term SPS keepers are convinced that this kind of turn around indicates something in the tank ran out, a trace element most likely.  JBNY, who has a couple ot TOTM SPS tanks under his belt now uses the Triton method without water changes and the tank is going strong.  I dose small amounts of traces but when things look off a water change is like the miracle cure all.  "Methods" seem like way too much work.

 

Glad to hear the tank is turning around!

[evan127]

19 hours ago, markalot said:

 

Over on RC some long term SPS keepers are convinced that this kind of turn around indicates something in the tank ran out, a trace element most likely.  JBNY, who has a couple ot TOTM SPS tanks under his belt now uses the Triton method without water changes and the tank is going strong.  I dose small amounts of traces but when things look off a water change is like the miracle cure all.  "Methods" seem like way too much work.

 

Glad to hear the tank is turning around!

I started using KZ trace elements in May at 1/4 of the dosage recommendation.  Since I've done a bunch of water changes (50%), and returned to my normal water change schedule again, I've increased the trace elements dose to the recommended dosage.  I think its been making a huge difference.  

[evan127]

So I was just watching BRS' new video: 

 

And I realize that my light is way too low to the surface of the water, even though my aquascape is very low down in the tank.  I've reduced the duration of my photoperiod to 6 hours two Blue+ and 3 hours of two Blue+, one Coral+ and one Purple+.  Should help my pale colors and slowish growth rate.

[evan127]

I thought I would make another update, but first I want to say that pictures will come in the next week or so.

 

Lighting

I've learned three things since going back to T5s. 1. Spectrum. 2. Photoperiod. 3. Fixture height.  The last one has been the one thing I've not really worried about since starting this reef in October.  Having the fixture so close to the surface of the water, even though my aquascape is so low in the tank, has been inducing photo-inhabition.  I have been frying my corals since October.  That's why things haven't been growing or coloring up.  They have been in survival mode.  And that is why I have had such a weird mix of some corals turning brown as can be and some are pale, clinging on to life.  

 

A week ago I hung my ATI fixture with my father.  Since then, color has been getting incredibly better everyday.  I am complete shock.  For example, one of my milleporas which is supposed to be red has always been a dull green and pink.  In the last week that green has started to fade and I can see some bright pink and even some red coming from deep down in the tissue.  This is applicable across the board.  So, the answer to my woes?  Having the fixture hung at 10" above the water line and not 1.5".  Rookie mistake 101 over here!

[evan127]

Evan's 120 SPS reef....... 2.0

 

Coming soon to a theater near you

 

[evan127]

FTS October 2017

 

Reef Raft Orange Passion

 

UC Ultra Pink Milli

[evan127]

Digging this side view

 

[evan127]

It has been a couple of weeks since I switched back to Radions.  All I can say is that colors are incredible!  Growth is stunning as well.  I feel like all T5s did was stunt my growth and pale my colors.  My reef has never looked so good in a year.

[evan127]

Things are going pretty well.  I changed the wide angle lenses to the narrow ones.  Seeing if It will get some more par down low since my whole aquascape is shallow.