always dies
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: SPS
Forum Description: This is the place to ask questions SPS corals.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=43815
Printed Date: November 19 2025 at 7:53pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: always dies
Posted By: tchapman
Subject: always dies
Date Posted: October 05 2010 at 12:59pm
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every time i buy sps corals they have never survived.. I have 3 rose anemone's that are healthier than ever, frog spawn and hammer coral and candy cane corals that all do awesome.. just not sps anything.. maybe im putting them in too early? is there a trick?
------------- I dont run cause i get tired. and i dont lift weights cause they are heavy. |
Replies:
Posted By: TriggerHappy
Date Posted: October 05 2010 at 1:10pm
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Hi tchapman, what are your tank specifications/water parameters? I'm sure we can help. ------------- 210 gallon Mixed Reef |
Posted By: tcfab
Date Posted: October 05 2010 at 1:11pm
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Can you give more info? What are your water params? What lighting do you have? How new is the tank? ------------- Need custom acrylic work? give me a call, www.Elite-Aquatics.net (801)645-6386 |
Posted By: SGH360
Date Posted: October 05 2010 at 2:45pm
| SPS are more delicate than soft or LPS, how do you acclimate them? |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: October 05 2010 at 4:22pm
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Good water (steady param's), good flow and great lights with the right coral placement is all that is needed ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Luckedout
Date Posted: October 05 2010 at 4:27pm
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what type of SPS have you tried? I would recommend starting off with something hardy like an orange digi or purple rim monti cap or a bird's nest. Not only are they easier and allow you to try to dial in your tank better, but they are generally cheap so if you do lose them it's not a big deal. Definitely post some water params and maybe a shot of your tank and equipment you use. ------------- -Ben 90g Mixed reef www.body-balancechiropractic.com |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: October 05 2010 at 8:28pm
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SPS need strong flow, high lighting and rock steady parameters. I dose my tank daily to keep params in check.
Are you running carbon? Softies and SPS don't get along well. Softies release a toxin that SPS hate. |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: October 05 2010 at 8:42pm
+1 to that. Great post Ryan ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Ryan Thompson wrote:Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: October 05 2010 at 8:45pm
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Ryan you said it better than me! Gratz!! ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: October 05 2010 at 8:50pm
Nah, I didn't. Just added my vocabulary to what you already stated. 
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Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: October 05 2010 at 8:52pm
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Not a problem! Just joking around!! ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: October 06 2010 at 7:42am
AC (activated carbon) is absolutely essential to the proper long term life of a variety of hard and soft coral in the same tank. A reef tank with a variety of invertebrates (coral are inverts  ) can do without a Skimmer but cannot thrive without the AC.But there are many variables. If you really want to resolve this problem, please answer the questions posed above so we can give the right answer for your tank. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: October 06 2010 at 9:36am
Unless your a member of the Crappy Reefer's Club then things just work  ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: October 06 2010 at 9:38am
Yeah you seem to have a couple pics that prove that.... 
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Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: October 06 2010 at 9:40am
I see your in Fruit Hieghts (it was actually just east Kaysville for the longest time until everyone on the hill decided they couldn't go by the same city name as the regular Kaysville folk. lol) There are a few of us in the kaysville area if you wanted to check out what they are doing and to bounce questions off of. ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: October 06 2010 at 10:41am
Is that a Threat????? lol Those pictures are really just my own CA reactor media factory in action ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: October 07 2010 at 9:34am
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tchapman says, "I don't run cause i get tired. and i dont lift weights cause they are heavy." Looks like he also doesn't answer questions 'cause they are too hard' or shouldn't keep SPS 'cause they are too difficult.' just kidding around with ya------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: tchapman
Date Posted: October 07 2010 at 11:11am
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haha i haven't had answer's to the hard questions ;) I haven't really tested my water to see what levels it is at.. I just kind of let it do its thing.. And everything is fine except for sps.. I think you're right Mark, i may just stop trying cause it is too hard.
------------- I dont run cause i get tired. and i dont lift weights cause they are heavy. |
Posted By: Jeffs_little_ocean
Date Posted: October 07 2010 at 11:20am
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I stopped. I used to test religiously and chart the levels and add alittle of this and alittle of that to keep all the levels up where they should be. Then one day I sat down and said okay this is a total pain in the ass! lol Now I just try to be good about water changes and hope that the elements in the new salt feeds the tank water most of what it needs, and to my suprise, the tank has been looking pretty good. ------------- Life is good....right? |
Posted By: chk4tix
Date Posted: October 07 2010 at 12:20pm
You might be on your way to joining the Crappy Reef club after all!  ------------- Original Crappy Reef Club Member #2 |
Posted By: Jeffs_little_ocean
Date Posted: October 07 2010 at 1:55pm
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Haha Keith. I just hate to test i guess. 2 ml in the tube, add a level teaspoon of this...8 drops of that...swirl dont shake...fill the syringe with this...drip drip drip swirl drip drip watch drip swirl drim...hmmmm is it changing yet? drip swirl drip swirl drip watch... seriously...PAIN IN THE REAR! I may not be in the crappy reefer club, but i think im the president of the lazy reefer club! ------------- Life is good....right? |
Posted By: Luckedout
Date Posted: October 07 2010 at 3:07pm
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I could easily join that club. I haven't tested my tank in months. I do the same. Do a little water change. Add some Essential elements. Everything is growing... nothing is dying. Should be good.
------------- -Ben 90g Mixed reef www.body-balancechiropractic.com |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: October 07 2010 at 5:19pm
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Yeah that works for a while until it comes back and bites you in the butt. Seriously, I would warn you not to go more than a couple months without testing Alk and Ca. You see what happens is this. The Alk and/or Ca levels drop so slowly that the coral gets used to the lower levels, until an uncontrollable variable hits. It might be a fish death or a temperature spike in either direction or too much of this or that and BAM, the unchecked water parameter that went bad set the stage for a crash. Take it from someone that has seen it many times before, do regular testing, even if it's as infrequent as every two months. You'll be glad you did. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: October 07 2010 at 9:20pm
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I agree with Mark on this one. Test at least monthly. Once every 30 days isn't tough.
This is my thinking, would you feed a dog once every two months and justify that it isn't dead so it must be doing well? You have live animals in your care! If you want to be lazy, get a pet rock or something. I hate watching lazy hobbyist after lazy hobbyist crash a tank and then leave cause this is "too" hard. If it was easy, everyone would do it! |
Posted By: Luckedout
Date Posted: October 07 2010 at 9:46pm
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I feed my tank daily. As I would a dog. I don't take my dog to the vet every month just get him tested and make sure he's ok. Heck I don't go to the doctor every month to check just in case. The same reason I don't do those is the same reason I don't do it with my tank. It would drive me nuts! I'll do it here nad there and if I notice anything going wrong. Plenty of people who test a lot still crash their tanks too..... ------------- -Ben 90g Mixed reef www.body-balancechiropractic.com |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: October 07 2010 at 9:51pm
| Dosing the essential elements is feeding your corals. |
Posted By: Jeffs_little_ocean
Date Posted: October 07 2010 at 11:51pm
Oh Ryan dont get your panties all in a bunch because there are those of us who can enjoy the hobby without obsessing over water parameters or which T5 bulb puts off the highest par. It doesnt make someone lazy just because they don't constantly test their water. Personally, Ive seen alot more people crash their tanks from incorrect dosing, than people crash their tank from not dosing at all, or neglect. Some of the most amazing tanks I have seen with the most incredible growth are ones that you cant even see into because of all the grime on the glass that hasnt been cleaned in months. And the last 3 tank crashes I have heard of were all experienced reefers who just had some bad luck, one with a bad test kit who kept adding and adding and fried everything with off the chart alkalinity, another with a faulty ph probe, and the last with a calcium reactor malfunction. I rarely, if ever hear of someones tank crashing because they did not dose enough. And i have seen just as many people leave the hobby because they get too caught up in all the hype and the gadgets and get overwhelmed, rather than just stick to the basics of good lighting, good skimmer, good flow, temp, salinity, and regular water changes. Now you better skidattle on back to your tank and do some testing, and add 1/8 of a capfull of bionic to your cute little tank. Im sure 1/32 ml of strontium has evaporated out in the past 2 minutes it took you to read this, and your little acan frag is probably really suffering.  ------------- Life is good....right? |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: October 08 2010 at 10:38am
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Less than a year into the hobby and you got fried testing.
I'm actually not even in town for the next 4 days. My tank will be just fine while I am gone. Growth may slow a little but it will catch up. I just happen to try and replicate natural sea water params to the best of my ability. So sue me |
Posted By: Spbeyond
Date Posted: October 08 2010 at 6:08pm
In my tank if I dont dose alk it will crash within 2 weeks it seems like. Its a crazy unstable environment. :) ------------- 90 Gallon Reef w/4 bulb 54W t5 I buy, sell and restore pinball machines. Got one in the basement? ;) |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: October 08 2010 at 6:21pm
I agree completely!! I was testing 4 times a week but I bought a calc reactor and test once a week! Better to be safe then sorry ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Luckedout
Date Posted: October 08 2010 at 7:18pm
You don't believe that your body chemical balances fluctuate due to water/food/air quality on a daily basis? Ok....  I don't believe it's luck. I believe that it's setting up the tank properly in a way that allows minimal input from me to maintain consistent water quality. If my tank was in danger of crashing every 2 weeks and a crazy unstable environment because I didn't dose something, that would tell me that something is seriously wrong with my tank. You are more than welcome to come see my tank btw spbeyond! ------------- -Ben 90g Mixed reef www.body-balancechiropractic.com |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: October 08 2010 at 7:25pm
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I say to each his own! What works for me might not work for other! I know what I do makes corals grow with color!!! Lets see some pic's!!! ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: October 08 2010 at 7:28pm
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I'll show you mine if you show me yours. You first!! ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: October 10 2010 at 11:31am
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This thread has become a bit dramatic. I enjoy the different points of view. I've seen that aquariums get used to how the owner maintains them and may show stress when that routine changes. I have also seen that each tank's needs are different because there are different organisms and different densities of organisms living in them. Reef aquariums can have problems for many reasons. Those reasons are as varied as the hobbyists that keep them. Some hobbyists use excessive control (too much messing) and others may fall victim to neglect. We each find our comfortable position on that continuum. In my experience with the continuum, from a tank with occasional water changes and no added chemicals all the way over to tanks using a Ca Reactor, none are immune from the eventual need for some kind of Alk and/or Ca adjustment. Since coral are very slow to tell us when that adjustment is needed, a little testing gets us out of the "reefers doghouse". ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: October 10 2010 at 8:25pm
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I agree completely Mark! ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Spbeyond
Date Posted: October 11 2010 at 9:31am
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"You don't believe that your body chemical balances fluctuate due to water/food/air quality on a daily basis? Ok....Shocked"
Yes but your body has a systems of self tests that make sure noting goes out of spec. As does the environment. Our little tanks (unless highly automated) dont have enough of that environmental self control to take care of itself. Now, most peoples bodys are self controlled, but mine has stopped producing insulin. So i have to TEST 6 times a day to not die a slow, painful and sweaty death ;) IN the same way our little slices of environment have had that ability to self regulate removed. Not wanting to start anything though, whatever works, works. ------------- 90 Gallon Reef w/4 bulb 54W t5 I buy, sell and restore pinball machines. Got one in the basement? ;) |
Posted By: Jeffs_little_ocean
Date Posted: October 11 2010 at 8:56pm
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Okay Mark, you talked me into it Ive been good about watching sg and doing 10% weekly water changes, but I havent actually tested cal, alk, or mag in over a year. But tomorrow Im gonna get out the salifert's, blow off the dust, and test away and see where im at. Boy the tank sure is looking good thou, so it cant be too far off. ------------- Life is good....right? |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: October 12 2010 at 8:26am
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What salt mix are you using?
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Jeffs_little_ocean
Date Posted: October 12 2010 at 9:42am
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I use whatever salt is on sale (im cheap remember:) Right now im about half way through a bucket of oceanic. Okay so this mornings testing puts cal at 440, alk at 10.2, and mg at 1380, after a year of no dosing, so aparently thats the make-up of oceanic salt... at least in my tank. ------------- Life is good....right? |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: October 12 2010 at 4:07pm
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That's better than I would have expected of Oceanic. If you aren't adding Alk the tank must be. Count your blessings.
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: Chad
Date Posted: October 16 2010 at 2:51am
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I think regular and frequent water changes should be a little more in focus here also. Anthony Calfo put it best I think when he said, "dilution is the solution to the pollution!" The salt also helps with supplementation of some things other then just removing pollutants. ------------- What?! You pooped in the refrigerator, and ate the entire wheel of cheese?! I'm not even mad.... That's actually amazing! |
Posted By: jcom
Date Posted: October 16 2010 at 11:56am
That's pretty bizarre since Oceanic's ALK is about 8.5 That's what they claim and when I mix it at 1.026, that's where it tests.
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Posted By: Jeffs_little_ocean
Date Posted: October 16 2010 at 1:38pm
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Hmm, that is pretty bizarre Jake. Maybe my salifert test kit is off? It certainly hasnt been used much in quite awhile lol. Oh well, even if it is at 8.5, i would be okay with that, although just for kicks, I might start dosing alittle alk and see if things continue to do as well. And yes Chad, i totally agree with Anthony's statement on the importance of water changes. ------------- Life is good....right? |