biome shift?

[L/B Block]

So after my incident last summer where the avast had dumped an entire container of food, many NEW SPS have not thrived and in fact many times they RTN within a week. Even Pavona! My OG SPS corals that survived seem to be just fine and growing. Some new SPS that have been put in the tank are fine but more often than not they don't survive- On paper things are good-PO4 at .25, Nirates ~5, alk around 8 (CA and MG are acceptable), PH 8-8.3 daily swing. Coralline algae out the wazoo. So I don't think its water parameters per se otherwise my other SPS would be prob be croking too. Awaiting an ICP but still at a loss to figure it out.

Could it be an entire biome shift ? Only thing that comes to mind or some unfavorable element that my corals have adapted to-but new corals not so happy. Curious to the collective BAR wisdom.

 

[MichaelB]

Could be a low track element giving how much time had past.

I couldn't get any color to show up in my sps even with decent numbers until dosing traces.

It was mainly certain pigments that wouldn't show up. I have a small number of corals still trying to regained those typical colors.

Ie. 2 diffrent Bill Murray that's purely with white tips. Haven't gained any of that expected red despite lots of new growth.

I suspect it's more a time thing than anything else. Till things level off or turn the corner. Hopefully it will be the same in your case given time.

 

[tribbitt]

So after my incident last summer where the avast had dumped an entire container of food, many NEW SPS have not thrived and in fact many times they RTN within a week. Even Pavona! My OG SPS corals that survived seem to be just fine and growing. Some new SPS that have been put in the tank are fine but more often than not they don't survive- On paper things are good-PO4 at .25, Nirates ~5, alk around 8 (CA and MG are acceptable), PH 8-8.3 daily swing. Coralline algae out the wazoo. So I don't think its water parameters per se otherwise my other SPS would be prob be croking too. Awaiting an ICP but still at a loss to figure it out.

Could it be an entire biome shift ? Only thing that comes to mind or some unfavorable element that my corals have adapted to-but new corals not so happy. Curious to the collective BAR wisdom.

I assume you’ve done a few large water changes to flush contaminants that existing corals might have acclimated to and checked magnets etc

Do you do anything that involves bacteria? Carbon dosing, nopox, sulfur reactors? Do you run a ton of macroalgae? UV sterilization, ozone generator, hydrogen peroxide dosing?

Do you have pictures of struggling acros and the system overall?

 

[Alexander1312]

I would wait for the ICP first, otherwise it will be a big guessing game. If the ICP happens to be good (unlikely), you could then do a MS-Organo test.

You said new SPS vs existing SPS. Where do you get the new SPS from?

I still have the Pavona you gave my a few years ago, and you are always welcome to get a piece of it of any size if you want.

 

[L/B Block]

I assume you’ve done a few large water changes to flush contaminants that existing corals might have acclimated to and checked magnets etc

Do you do anything that involves bacteria? Carbon dosing, nopox, sulfur reactors? Do you run a ton of macroalgae? UV sterilization, ozone generator, hydrogen peroxide dosing?

Do you have pictures of struggling acros and the system overall?

I do carbon dose (now) -what are the implications of that?

 

[L/B Block]

I would wait for the ICP first, otherwise it will be a big guessing game. If the ICP happens to be good (unlikely), you could then do a MS-Organo test.

You said new SPS vs existing SPS. Where do you get the new SPS from?

I still have the Pavona you gave my a few years ago, and you are always welcome to get a piece of it of any size if you want.

Much appreciated. Perhaps it has "fond" memories of its previous tank. Will take you on that.

 

[tribbitt]

I do carbon dose (now) -what are the implications of that?

Carbon dosing specifically encourages overgrowth of bacteria. If there are problems with coral and other things seem fine, and your nutrients aren't solely controlled by dosing carbon sources, then maybe back off on it. But I am no microbiologist

Hopefully your incoming ICP points something out that is easily remedied