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pmpt 
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 Topic: Acro’s
Posted: October 22 2004 at 3:28pm |
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What secrets do I need for keeping sps's? Every sps I put in my tank always dies. Their polpys don't come out and slowly turn white and die. I've also had trouble with plate and brain corals. I have one sps growing well, polyps fully coming out. Its some kind of montipora, I think. My tank is very established, with a lot of fish and other corals. I have several big frogspawns that do very well and grow, and zoanthids that do great (big surprise)
What do you guys feed? Keep you chemicals at? What chemicals do you use? Lighting? That sort of things, Thanks All!
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Will Spencer
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Posted: October 22 2004 at 4:20pm |
Until recently I have never tested for Alk. I recently aquired a test kit and tested. To my surprise it was very low. Everything in my tank look good except for the relatively new SPS. So I got on the MB and looked up how to dose for just Alk. After about a week of dosing a little each day it was up to what it should have been. Immediately my SPS looked 100% better. Now instead of a polyp extended here and there, My SPS look fuzzy. I can see the purple polyps on my plating Monti and everything. I say definately keep an eye on Alk.
For pics of my SPS now see the "Frags from the last meeting" thread just below this one.
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reptoreef
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Posted: October 22 2004 at 5:36pm |
Along with the proper ph, etc... you should know that the euphyllias and zoas tend to be tozic to sps... running any carbon? Check the parameters and if good, could be chem warfare between corals... All just MO, though. 
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pmpt
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Posted: October 23 2004 at 8:32am |
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wsinbad1- My alk is in the normal range, a little high. My calcium is high, arougn 590 ppm. But I can't seem to get it down. Does Magnesium have an effect on calcium? I thought I heard it somewhere that it does.
Reptoreef-I've thought about the euphyllia's and zoo's releasing chemicals. But would it hurt leathers, plates, and acro's? I had two leather that were doing okay, but then just shriveled up and died.
Thanks everyone for the help! Keep it coming.
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reptoreef
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Posted: October 23 2004 at 9:03am |
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Possibly... especially if the leathers are sarco sp. Mag is directly related to the alk ca ratio in your system, however, with regular water changes, it should be kept up, well. Get a test kit... Finch is the king of home remedies for chems so get with him asap for what your next step might be(a test result of 1350 is prime in the mag).
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pmpt
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Posted: October 23 2004 at 9:12am |
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Thanks for the help all! Any additional help would be great.
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jfinch
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Posted: October 23 2004 at 9:28am |
What kind of lighting?
How long has your tank been set up?
What other inhabitants are in the tank (fish and inverts)?
What about sand and rock?
What temperature do you keep your tank at?
What do you use for circulation/water movement and how big is your tank?
What additives (I mean everything...food included) have you added to the tank in the last 6 months?
alk = ???
Ca = 590
Nitrate = ???
Phosphate = ???
Specific gravity = ???
I may not be able to answer your questions, but if others see this info they might be of help. Maintaining your alkalinity (and calcium) are very important to the overall health of calcifying corals. And carbon is a great suggestion.
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pmpt
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Posted: October 23 2004 at 9:48am |
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What kind of lighting? 250 W HQI
How long has your tank been set up? 1 1/2 years
What other inhabitants are in the tank (fish and inverts)? Purple Tang, Yellow Tang, Small blue tang, two clowns, firefish goby, twinspotted goby, coral beauty
What about sand and rock? Crushed coral for sand, about 2" deep. And around 50 pounds of liverock.
What temperature do you keep your tank at? At around 78-75 degrees F
What do you use for circulation/water movement and how big is your tank? Emperor 400, prism protien skimmer, and a seio powerhead.
What additives (I mean everything...food included) have you added to the tank in the last 6 months? I feed mysis shrimp, nori, cycloplez, lugols idone, garlic extreme, and very very little B-IONIC of the calcium and alk
alk = @11 dKh
Ca = 590
Nitrate = 0.1
Phosphate = 0
Specific gravity = 1.022-1.023
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jfinch
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Posted: October 23 2004 at 10:03am |
Well, nothing there looks really bad to me. So I'm confused.
Why have you needed so very little B-ionic? How much do you routinely add, btw? Do you have a lot of coralline algae? How often do you do a water change (which salt?)? There's something strange (to me) about your calcium/alk levels (both substantially higher then freshly mixed saltwater) and the fact that you don't add anything... so I'm confused again. Next time you do a water change check the alk and calcium of the freshly mixed saltwater.
My only suggestions are of things that you're doing that I don't do in my system, but they are not likely the cause of your problems (but eveyone likes to make suggestions, right )... Stop lugols for a while (6 months or so) and raise your salinity up to natural seawater levels of 1.026.
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pmpt
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Posted: October 23 2004 at 10:11am |
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I haven't been adding any B-IONIC because the levels have been high. I do a water change about once a month. But since I started school, I've been busy with work and class. So I might not have done one for a about two months. Should I check the alk/calcium of the water I put in the tank, or the tank water right after a water change? I'm trying to remember what kind of salt I use. Its the 90 gallon jug, the jug is blue. If anyone knows.
I'll try that suggestion with Lugols. I'll stop and riase my salinity up.
One question, would continual salinity changes cause problems with you corals? I know it will, but what if its only by .001 in the course of a few days.
Thanks for the help jfinch!
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reptoreef
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Posted: October 23 2004 at 12:20pm |
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Diff salt can cause a lot of stress... stability(including chem use seems essential). Try to go to one type and remain as loyal as possible. I agree with finch to stop iodine use and raise salinity... raise slowly, though.
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Posted: October 24 2004 at 4:41pm |
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What test kits are you using and how old are they?
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Simple
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Posted: October 24 2004 at 8:25pm |
Hello everyone,
 What secrets do I need for keeping sps's? |
No real secrets, but here are a few ideas that might help:
First double check ALL of your test results at your LFS/reefer using a different brand of test kits. Take your hydrometer with you and double check it too. Your numbers don't seem right.
Definately bring your salinity up to 1.026.
Next read this and that. Don't forget to rinse carbon before using it.
This would probably help too. Your purple tang might be interested in the information about the Red Sea.
Try reading this and that before you use any more iodine.
I've never seen any reef related studies done with garlic. I would no sooner recommend using it than any other herb. 
Put the sps as close to the bulb as you can. 250-400w 6500K lights are typically encouraged.
Put them in as much current as you can. Don't be shy. Blasting sps with 1000+gph doesn't hurt them.
Make sure the coral is happy and healthy before/as it goes in your tank. Try buying a mounted/growing frag from a local reefer.
Feed cylopeze, baby brine, golden pearls, etc. Target feed if needed. Turn off a pump and target feed if necessary.
| would continual salinity changes cause problems with you corals? |
Due to evaporation and top-off, your salinity is in a constant state of change. Don't sweat it. In natural environments evaporation and rainstorms cause changes as well. None the less, it's probably best to avoid swings and keep your salinity as constant as possible.
Good luck,
Chris
Edited by Simple
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Ascultã tot, dar nu crede tot.
Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see.
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pmpt
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Posted: October 26 2004 at 9:38am |
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Thanks for all the help. I hope I can answer/state all thats been said to me.
cpearce-
I have salifert alk and cal test kits. I don't know how old they are, but they are still accurate because I've tested them against the LFS in my area and the resluts are very close. (human error, I would assume)
Simple-
Like I just stated, I've doubled checked all of my results. I have two hydrometers and both give the same result.
I was only able to read "this" that is included with the purple tang. I don't think I'll raise my temp that high. He's the biggest, fattest, purple tang I've ever seen. (well maybe not the biggest, but definatly the fattest) So I don't think it will hurt him to be in the colder water of my tank.
I think I migh try moving a power head around so that I blast the acros with more current. I just put in a small frag, it seems to be doing okauy. took a day before his poplys came out, but they seem to be coming out more and more. So that makes two sps that are doing fine in my tank. I think I'll just take it slow and easy with them.
I always make sure there happy healthy before I take them home. There polpys are always extended when I get them. I trust the LFS I get my corals from.
I feed my corals cyclopleez and rotifers couple times a week. What are golden pearls? I've heard them talked about a lot on this website, but never seen them in the LFS.
I try to keep my tank topped off every day to reduce the stress of salinty changes every day.
reptoreef-
I'll stick to one kind off salt and be faithful.
Thanks all for your help. I just wanted to let ya all know. I tested my mag and stronium and the fish store. Every thing is normal. I think I might just try to tank it nice and slow, and not worry about it so much. If you have any other info, I would be glad to hear it. You can never have enough information. Thanks again all!
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jpiotrowski
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Posted: October 26 2004 at 2:43pm |
from my experience with this exact problem;
dramatically increase the water flow. Make sure you have enough light and the corals are very close to the surface. I have two 175w halides and my corals are about six inches below the water line. I also believe I didn't have good gas exchange so placing a power head near the surface causing rippling is a good idea and as Mark says creates a really neat shimmering effect.
by doing these things (I have two sea swirls that hammer the acros) my polyps are huge! and they have grown considerably in the last 6 months.
good luck
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pmpt
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Posted: October 26 2004 at 3:27pm |
I think I'll try moving the powerheads around and try hitting them move direct. I have them right where my emporer 400 dumps into my tank, but I'll aim my powerhead right at them. And I already have my powerhead doing the ripple effect. I like the shimmer! 
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Simple
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Posted: October 26 2004 at 4:37pm |
Hello everyone,
| Like I just stated, I've doubled checked all of my results. |
Ok, next step is to test your WC water like Jon suggested.
| I don't think I'll raise my temp that high. |
Trust me, I don't want you to turn your tank up to the upper 80's (even tho the tang would proabably appreciate it). The point was that the avg temp for corals reefs is 81. Beyond that, the most diverse reefs are in the 82-84 range. Raising your temps a little might help.
| I was only able to read "this" that is included with the purple tang. |
Here are the other articles. A little cut and paste and you're on your way:
These 2 are regarding the use of carbon:
http://www.pets-warehouse.com/carbon.htm
http://www.pets-warehouse.com/carbon_1.htm
These 2 are regarding the use of iodine:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/mar2003/chem.htm
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2003/chem.htm
| I think I migh try moving a power head around so that I blast the acros with more current. |
Try to make sure the current is not only powerful, but also alternating, pulsing, sweeping or changing somehow.
| I just put in a small frag, it seems to be doing okauy |
I recommend holding off on new purchases until you get this 590 calcium thing worked out..
| What are golden pearls? |
http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/golden-pearls.html
100-300 micron size is about right for sps. Dont forget that GP and Cyclopeze are very high in nutrients. While this is a good thing for the animal that eats them, it's a bad thing for water quality.
| I try to keep my tank topped off every day to reduce the stress of salinty changes every day. |
Thats exactly what you want to do. Remember it's best to add the water slowly via a drip line.
| You can never have enough information. |
Yep.
Good luck,
Chris
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Ascultã tot, dar nu crede tot.
Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see.
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pmpt
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Posted: October 27 2004 at 9:08am |
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What I meant by when I said I could get to the sites is I'm at work and the restrict the web pages I can go to. Those websites came up as shopping, and lifestyles and society.
Whats a cheap easy way to get a powerhead to pulse, sweep, or alternate, cause its just blowing the same way all day long. I would like to have it change up somehow.
I'll see about slowly turning my heat up. I'll try it out.
Thanks for all the good info. I'll let you know how it goes. Any other suggestions would be great.
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Simple
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Posted: October 27 2004 at 2:25pm |
Hello everyone,
| Those websites came up as shopping, and lifestyles and society. |
Were you able to access them from another computer? If not, I can probably just copy them and put them here for you.
| Whats a cheap easy way to get a powerhead to pulse, sweep, or alternate, cause its just blowing the same way all day long. I would like to have it change up somehow. |
You may want to start a new thread with this as the topic. I'm sure you'll get more input that way.
Here are a few ideas though:
MVT-Wave: about $40 new, $20ish used on ebay
Natural Wave: about $50 new, $30ish used on ebay
Powersweep powerheads: about $20 new, $10ish on ebay?
You might even be able to put in a SCWD ($30-$40ish) on the return from your E400.
Good luck,
Chris
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Ascultã tot, dar nu crede tot.
Believe nothing of what you hear, and only half of what you see.
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pmpt
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Posted: October 27 2004 at 3:01pm |
Simple wrote:
MVT-Wave: about $40 new, $20ish used on ebay
Natural Wave: about $50 new, $30ish used on ebay
Powersweep powerheads: about $20 new, $10ish on ebay |
What is a MVT wave? Where can I find these things? LFS's? ebay? If on ebay, what do I search for? Thanks for the help Chris!
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