Color and polyp help

[DopeCantWin]

I'm having a lot of problems getting my polyps from being brown. My nitrates tested today at roughly 2.5 and have been going down. A red planet is completely green with brown polyps. Another red plating Acropora which is up much higher has a green base with grey/brown tips. I suspect my lights are an issue. I'm using a 2x250MH with 20XMs (pretty new). They're in the crappy outer orbit fixture with bad reflectors. On for maybe 5:15. 1 Actinic Reef Brite and 1 50/50 Reef Brite on for 9 hours or so. I can try to increase the photoperiods, but it seems to make things worse. Any suggestions?

 

[Finland]

What is your phosphate reading? High phosphate readings wil brown out corals. I would suspect water parameters or pests being the culprit, rather than a lighting issue. I would run a full battery of test(no3,po4,ca,alk,mg,salinity...) and then check for pests.

 

[DopeCantWin]

What is your phosphate reading? High phosphate readings wil brown out corals. I would suspect water parameters or pests being the culprit, rather than a lighting issue. I would run a full battery of test(no3,po4,ca,alk,mg,salinity...) and then check for pests.

Phosphates have been testing as 0, but I can check again.
Nitrates 2.5 Salifert
Ca 420 Salifert, it's been playing around so I've ordered Dowflake and will get it right with a timer
Alk 9 API
Salinity 1.024
MG 1500 will get it down with some water changes, but need the Dowflake.
Pests I can't imagine, took care of the red bugs and don't think I have AEFW.

 

[javajaws]

Just because you can't measure phosphates doesn't mean you have don't have too many. I'd suggest step up the water changes, cleaning, reduced feeding, etc. for awhile. and see if you notice an improvement. You could try and run a little GFO, but that's not always necessary (IMO).

 

[allsps40]

What are you using to test po4? At home I use a crappy API po4 kit and it cant read anywhere near the low levels we need to watch for. I get po4 tested at a LFS with Elos and Hanna about once a month to be sure I have low po4. My system has always run at 0 po4 but I still run po4 remover in a reactor. Getting away from po4 causing browning, stability is very important as well. Any swings in sg, alk, ca, mag, temp can keep sps from coloring up. I would increase sg from 1.024 to 1.026/35ppt, better for sps and increases ca and mag in new mixed salt, more salt mix= increased ca and mag. Your lighting is quite good, that is not your problem, change bulbs every 9 months. It also will take time once conditions are correct for sps to color back up. My Red Planet took a little over a month to green back up after I got it.

 

[bryman]

You might try bringing up SG to 1.025-6 and continue with weekly water changes. Also reduce fish feedings. Feed corals with reef chili or similar 2x a week. Are you still running biopellets? If so and the nitrates are reducing, it might just be patience that is necessary. Also check for stray current if you haven't.

 

[DopeCantWin]

You might try bringing up SG to 1.025-6 and continue with weekly water changes. Also reduce fish feedings. Feed corals with reef chili or similar 2x a week. Are you still running biopellets? If so and the nitrates are reducing, it might just be patience that is necessary. Also check for stray current if you haven't.

I'll keep on the water changes. The feedings have been reduced as we discussed. Doing the reef chili as well. Turned off the biopellets, the Chaeto is sucking the Nitrates dry. Down to 2.5 without water changes. Will check on that stray current. As for the Phosphates, is it worth it to go to a local store to get it checked with an electrical unit to know the exact number?

 

[Finland]

It might be worth a shot getting it tested elsewhere. Plus it is always good to get a comparison test to see where your test kit is at.

 

[bryman]

The problem with phosphates is that a lot of times you'll read 0 even if you have a lot in your tank because algae is growing and gobbling it up. But since you don't have an algae problem, probably because of all your tangs, it's probably worth getting it tested as it might actually show up in a test if present.

 

[JSeymour]

Hmmm, for some reason Sanjay's Lighting Guide won't work for me, but if I remember right, isn't the XM 20K a low PAR bulb? I want to say that it had the lowest PAR of the bulbs he had tested. Hopefully someone can clear this up.

When it comes to phosphate, if your not using an Elos or Hanna, your wasting your time and money. JMO

 

[allsps40]

Most 20ks have a lower par but XM is better than most others. I have had great growth and color using Coralife 20k and Oddysea 20k bulbs. Dont think the lighting is the problem.

 

[JSeymour]

Well, you could definitely be getting more bang for your buck in the 20K range. Sanjay's site is working for me again. I plotted every 250w 20K DE bulb he has tested, and the XM is one of the lowest PPFD, 44. Only Giesmann and BLV had lower values. Obviously, light intensity is only one small part of coral color. Typically, more light equals less brown.

Here are all the bulbs looked at compared with the most common and popular 250w DE, the Phoenix.

 

[DopeCantWin]

Well, you could definitely be getting more bang for your buck in the 20K range. Sanjay's site is working for me again. I plotted every 250w 20K DE bulb he has tested, and the XM is one of the lowest PPFD, 44. Only Giesmann and BLV had lower values. Obviously, light intensity is only one small part of coral color. Typically, more light equals less brown.

Here are all the bulbs looked at compared with the most common and popular 250w DE, the Phoenix.

Interesting, I was under the impression they were one of the more intense 20ks. I have the 14k Phoenix bulbs I'll be switching to in 5-6 months. Could switch now to check...