Looking for advice on corals dying
- Thread starter Blindrage
- Start date
While I do agree that it is hard to have a outstanding SPS tank in the first year is hard with some ups/downs (or maybe quite a bit longer if the tank is full of dry rock), typically my experience has always been some duller colors and perhaps less than idea growth. I have never witnessed bird's nets, multiple montis, open brains or even cali torts to die from such a tank - such coral will can do quite well in less than idea conditions.
Make sure that your older halide bulbs are not cheap Chineese ones that might now be sending off too much red spectrum as they age - the red spectrum can really wreak havoc on all but the shallowest of living coral in the ocean. I might have some phoenix or hamilton bulbs laying around if you need some before you order new. Also, get a metal absorber in there. Nobody likes my opinion/experience about this around here, but Kent salt is well known over the years to have inconsistent batches... some of which can have too many metals for some coral (iron, copper, aluminum, and more). The typical mix of Kent has too many metals for me which dull my SPS. In medium amounts (more common IME) the colors are just off. In large doses (less common, but it still happens), lethal to some coral. I have personally seen a freshly mixed batch of Kent turn 100ml of Cuprisorb nearly almost all blue. Testing this is hard since the metals can be in organic or inorganic form.
Lastly, any stray voltage?
Make sure that your older halide bulbs are not cheap Chineese ones that might now be sending off too much red spectrum as they age - the red spectrum can really wreak havoc on all but the shallowest of living coral in the ocean. I might have some phoenix or hamilton bulbs laying around if you need some before you order new. Also, get a metal absorber in there. Nobody likes my opinion/experience about this around here, but Kent salt is well known over the years to have inconsistent batches... some of which can have too many metals for some coral (iron, copper, aluminum, and more). The typical mix of Kent has too many metals for me which dull my SPS. In medium amounts (more common IME) the colors are just off. In large doses (less common, but it still happens), lethal to some coral. I have personally seen a freshly mixed batch of Kent turn 100ml of Cuprisorb nearly almost all blue. Testing this is hard since the metals can be in organic or inorganic form.
Lastly, any stray voltage?
