Help Keeping SPS PLEASE!!!

[wrestle1952]

I had a thriving SPS tank in Northern California. 50 gallon breeder, 2 x 250 watt MH hqi 20K bulbs, Eshopps HOB 100 Kh skimmer with a Aquaclear 50 running chemipure elite. I had monti caps, huge colonies of milipora, acro, stylo, etc. People said I couldn't be successful due to a lack of a sump. Water changes happened when my GSP wilted. I moved to San Diego bought a 100 gallon tank with dual overflows Eshopps sump with Vertex skimmer, Fluval canister with 3 bags of chemipure elite. Same lighting. Tank has now been set up a year. I can no longer keep the SPS I love so much alive. Every time I place ANY type of sps the following occurs: (1) Faded color (2) STN (3) brown diatoms covering tissue and finally death. I use Aqua C Complete 2 part daily, and have enough power heads and surge.

Parameters:
Ph: 8.3
dkh - 9
Calcium 400-450
Magnesium: 1300
Salinity: 1.022
Temp: Steady 78-80 even during summer months

I have done 35% bi-weekly water changes using Scripps Institute water. There was one point where I was losing so many frags I increased my 35% water changes to weekly with the same result. I am testing twice a week where I never tested before. It seems funny how I've resorted to far more maintenance and had far worse results. Can someone please assist me?

[MammothReefer]

make sure you aren't grabbing water from scripps during a red tide. Check your phosphates I always had to run GFO when I used scripps, salinty is a little low as well. Also check for any current in the tanks (electrical), and how stable are you numbers.. 9dkh today could have been 8 yesterday.

[wrestle1952]

I am very careful when getting water from Scripps and have never used it when red tides appear. Phosphates are zero as are nitrates. Numbers are stable much more stable than my previous carefree experience. That's why none of this makes sense.

[MammothReefer]

what test kits are you using? I'd try some changes with IO for a little bit. Scripps works great for some and can be weird for others. While I mostly had positive results with it there has been a lot of chatter on sdreefs.com over the years with some people who have had nothing but issues.

[wrestle1952]

I forgot to mention I tried Reef Crystals pre-mixed water I got from Pet Kingdom for many mon ths with the same results. That's when I changed to Scripps.

[ange062]

I'd say you salinity is low for a reef tank, 1.025-1.026 is a better range for corals and clams.

And second, are you sure it's brown diatoms taking over the skeletons? I've had similar symptoms on some smoother skinned acros (faded color, STN) but the brown things on the skeleton were AEFW not diatoms.

This is AEFW:
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff12/ange062/Nano%20Cube/DSC_0622.jpg

[wrestle1952]

Definitely not AEFW. Happens to every piece of SPS i place in my tank.

[Reefers Digest]

Have you checked for stray voltage? I'd also consider removing the chemipure for a while and seeing if that helps. (it's a hail mary, admittedly) The whole Kent carbon thing that just happened makes me wonder sometimes...

How's the tank been since your last post in this thread?

Good Luck!

[Hyperion1337]

Have you checked for stray voltage? I'd also consider removing the chemipure for a while and seeing if that helps. (it's a hail mary, admittedly) The whole Kent carbon thing that just happened makes me wonder sometimes...

How's the tank been since your last post in this thread?

Good Luck!

+1 i removed my chemi-pure just in case and switched to purigen, i'd be careful about the carbon in ur tank if u r running any.

[wrestle1952]

After 18 months I am finally seeing growth on some monti caps (green, orange, and Idaho grape) and tissue regeneration on a red planet frag I thought I was losing. Things are finally starting to stabilize.

[dirtyBit]

So what (if anything) did you do different to start seeing the positive results?

[wrestle1952]

I think the tank just matured. I really didn't do anything different. I did discontinue biopellets. They were disastrous for me. Every negative thing written on their use happened to me.