SPS Dying off

okay well your alk needs to be at 8-10 no 3.5 thats probably why they are dying....
Always need to know units of measure 3.5meq/L is 9.8dkh so that is fine if that is what is measured.
Just from my experience if go to any Vet and explain what its intended for you will have no problem.

Jim
I use to get this from my vet no problem and then they switched to a new vet and they refused even aftyer me bringing in literature showing how it was being used abnd dosages. After that I just went to online ordering. They ask for a script but never follow up for one.
 
although alk might check out now at an acceptable range... that's not really the issue. Even an Alk of about 6 dKH is not going to cause that massive amount of die off.

FWIW red bugs didn't help... but that's not your main issue there. I've seen corals live and grow forever with red bugs... and although they don't look their best while infested with red bugs... it still should not kill them.

Many people test their alk and think it's "ok" because the number corresponds with an acceptable range... but that's not the issue with alk... corals are tolerant of a fairly wide range of alk (as low as 5.5ish and as high as 13ish IMO) but the issue is the alk SWINGS. An alk of 3.5 meq/L (or 10ish dKH) is fine for corals... but it's not fine if it was 7 the day before... or for that matter it was 13 the day before.

Stability in all major water parameters is very important in keeping SPS. My bet by looking at those pictures is that it was a bad Alk, calcium, salinity, or even temp swing. Out of those 4 i would label alk as the most likely, and temp/calcium being the least likely (temperature people usually notice, and calcium depletion usually leads to mushy tips, not bleached/dead tips.)

So all that said, my money is on Alk. Make your Alk levels stay rock solid (consistent) and get rid of the red bugs and my bet is your issues will disappear.
 
I use to get this from my vet no problem and then they switched to a new vet and they refused even aftyer me bringing in literature showing how it was being used abnd dosages. After that I just went to online ordering. They ask for a script but never follow up for one.

Mike, will you share where you are getting it?
 
Many people test their alk and think it's "ok" because the number corresponds with an acceptable range... but that's not the issue with alk... corals are tolerant of a fairly wide range of alk (as low as 5.5ish and as high as 13ish IMO) but the issue is the alk SWINGS. An alk of 3.5 meq/L (or 10ish dKH) is fine for corals... but it's not fine if it was 7 the day before... or for that matter it was 13 the day before.

He is running a reactor so if he is getting somewhat simial readings then his levels should be pretty consistent. I don't think this is the issue.
 
He is running a reactor so if he is getting somewhat simial readings then his levels should be pretty consistent. I don't think this is the issue.

This is not geared towards you (Mike) but rather the original poster... check your CA reactor effluent, as well as bubble count... make sure they are the same as the have always been. If one of those was out of whack it could lead to alk issues in the tank.

Have you been dripping Kalk? Any chance of a PH spike? Any chance that your tank got really hot one of the humid days this week where it didn't feel hot out.. but the tank still got hot?
 
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