I seem to be having some lps corals as well as a few softies that are losing their color. It seems to be primarily the reds, but I've started to notice a few greens fading as well. As of now, the fading is not limited newer additions, but both newer additions and corals that have been in the tank for 10+ months. If anyone could throw some ideas at me that would be great and I will try to give every detail possible below to help.
The tank is a standard dimension 125 gallon 6-foot tank. Its been setup for about 13+ months and is currently a mixed reef tank with various corals, mainly lps and a 3 fish. I'm not heavy on the fish at the moment but rather corals, chalices and favias in particular. The sump is a 40 gallon breeder with a small section for frags and other corals, also containing the skimmer rated at 200 gallons.
Parameters: Alk 9.0 stable, Ca 420-440, Mg 1400, Sal 1.026, PO4-0.00, Nitrates 0ppm, pH 8.0-8.2. Alk and Ca are controlled by 2 part system on auto dosers and water levels controlled by a ATO system. Magnesium is dosed when needed but mainly controlled through water changes. 10-15 gallon water changes are done weekly or bi-weekly with all parameters matched and let sit for 24 hours, Reef Crystals salt.
Lighting; main display is covered with a aquatic life 72 inch t5 4-bulb fixture, running ATI aquablue special, geisemann 6500k and two aquatic life 420nm blue bulbs. The sump light fixture is a 24 inch aquatic life 4-bulb t5 fixture with 2 10k bulbs and their 420nm blue bulbs.
Circulation; 2 vortech mp40's, a magdrive 12 for return from the sump and a canister filter running carbon.
Tank inhabitants; 1 kole tang, 1 mystery wrasse, 1 jerk of a 6-stripe damsel. Softies include a football sized toadstool, a few mushrooms, 4 zoa colonies, 4 paly colonies/frags. Lps include 22 favia/welso/lobo colonies/frags, 3 fugias, 14 chalice frags/colonies, as well as various snails and hermits.
Other notes; all coral are dipped with coral rx before entering the tank, a feed sparingly, and when i do, I've been using brightwells zoo and phyto mixtures as well at dt's live phyto mix. I usually broadcast feed and maybe spot feed twice a month. I sometimes spot feed with mysis shrimp. Fish are fed daily with mysis and seaweed.
My thoughts are that I can chalk this color fading up to either a lighting issue or feeding issue. I currently have a plate coral that started out as a blood red coral and faded to a light pink over a 4 month period. I have it in the frag section and I am spot feeding every night with mysis and I have noticed a small change in coloration as it is starting to come back. I can't help but overlook that this could also be a lighting issue, and maybe i need to upgrade to a 6 lamp fixture.
Let me know what you think and I apologize for the long post but giving every detail will only help and if I have left anything out I will surely add it. Thanks for you time and I look forward to any help.
The tank is a standard dimension 125 gallon 6-foot tank. Its been setup for about 13+ months and is currently a mixed reef tank with various corals, mainly lps and a 3 fish. I'm not heavy on the fish at the moment but rather corals, chalices and favias in particular. The sump is a 40 gallon breeder with a small section for frags and other corals, also containing the skimmer rated at 200 gallons.
Parameters: Alk 9.0 stable, Ca 420-440, Mg 1400, Sal 1.026, PO4-0.00, Nitrates 0ppm, pH 8.0-8.2. Alk and Ca are controlled by 2 part system on auto dosers and water levels controlled by a ATO system. Magnesium is dosed when needed but mainly controlled through water changes. 10-15 gallon water changes are done weekly or bi-weekly with all parameters matched and let sit for 24 hours, Reef Crystals salt.
Lighting; main display is covered with a aquatic life 72 inch t5 4-bulb fixture, running ATI aquablue special, geisemann 6500k and two aquatic life 420nm blue bulbs. The sump light fixture is a 24 inch aquatic life 4-bulb t5 fixture with 2 10k bulbs and their 420nm blue bulbs.
Circulation; 2 vortech mp40's, a magdrive 12 for return from the sump and a canister filter running carbon.
Tank inhabitants; 1 kole tang, 1 mystery wrasse, 1 jerk of a 6-stripe damsel. Softies include a football sized toadstool, a few mushrooms, 4 zoa colonies, 4 paly colonies/frags. Lps include 22 favia/welso/lobo colonies/frags, 3 fugias, 14 chalice frags/colonies, as well as various snails and hermits.
Other notes; all coral are dipped with coral rx before entering the tank, a feed sparingly, and when i do, I've been using brightwells zoo and phyto mixtures as well at dt's live phyto mix. I usually broadcast feed and maybe spot feed twice a month. I sometimes spot feed with mysis shrimp. Fish are fed daily with mysis and seaweed.
My thoughts are that I can chalk this color fading up to either a lighting issue or feeding issue. I currently have a plate coral that started out as a blood red coral and faded to a light pink over a 4 month period. I have it in the frag section and I am spot feeding every night with mysis and I have noticed a small change in coloration as it is starting to come back. I can't help but overlook that this could also be a lighting issue, and maybe i need to upgrade to a 6 lamp fixture.
Let me know what you think and I apologize for the long post but giving every detail will only help and if I have left anything out I will surely add it. Thanks for you time and I look forward to any help.
