Help Pastel/faded colors in sps, Bleach/faded colors in zoas

mike810

New member
tank info,
65g
36x24x18
ati pm 8x39
1 mp40 for flow
mag-7 for return
Temp: 77-78
Ph: 8.25-8.35

ca 420
mag 1300
dkh 8
nitrate .5 salifert
phos dont have a test for it but have very little algae growth
reactor with HC GFO from brs
dose vodka 2ml daily
Bubble magus doser dosing vodka,alk,ca dose mag manually
SWC 160 cone skimmer
10% W/C every week but decided to make it 20% bi-weekly to see if that helps

Fish:
2 barletts anthias
1 dispar anthias
1 yellow coris wrasse
1 radiant wrasse
1 helfrechi
1 mandarin
1 cleaner shrimp

I'm having a problem with my sps colors looking faded or pastel like colors. I have noticed my zoas are starting to look like they're bleached/ have faded colors also. I first had a high nitrate problem. 20-40 ppm. Which turned my sps brown. I started dosing vodka and nitrates are low now which turns some of my sps that werent brown to a pastel color. I feed my fish heavily, dose zeovit AA every other day. Marine snow every other day opposite of AA. I try to have some nutrients for my corals to feed off of.

I was thinking I have too much light? My lights were at 10 inches from my water line and I raised it to 12". dawn/dusk comes on 6:00pm. Day lights 7pm-12:30am. dawn/dusk off at 1:30am. All corals start off at the bottom of the tank and is raised up slowly. I have since cut my daylights back an hour. Its been a week and still no improvements. Should I raise my lights higher?

If it's not my light, what could be causing the colors to fade so much? Everytime I get a new frag, the colors are bright and vivid. after being in my tank for a week or so. it fades to a light pastel color. What am I doing wrong? Please give me some advice to rectify the problem. Heres some pics of my problems. These pics will show you what the frag looked like when I bought it. and what it looks like now.

pinkie golds before:
v4awrd.jpg


After:
lz0at.jpg


TRP Before:
2s1llvk.jpg

After:
6hqafo.jpg


Tyree Blood Red Cyphastrea Before:
67js49.jpg


After:
o0yzhd.jpg


no before pics of these sps
28ugpw5.jpg

a0z7f4.jpg

2dhtx06.jpg

2w3ddmf.jpg
 
Yeah raise it up real high. Or just run only half your bulbs but still raise it up. Everything looks bleached out. Let us know how it goes.
 
I have the exact same problem, maybe not QUITE as bad, and I only run a 4x24 light.

It seems to me that we T5 people have this problem more that halide people.
 
You just recently do anything with your lighting? If not then I'd say stop vodka if you havent already and/or feed more. Keep an eye on nutrients though..
 
Mike, I had a similar thing happen and had to cut down my photo-period. I raised my lights to 10" above the water line and cut down the lighting. Ran 3/6 bulbs for 8 hours and all bulbs for 3 hours. I also stopped vodka dosing completely. It took about 2 months for the corals to start showing pigment again. How new are your bulbs? The intensity will be highest when they're new. I'm at 7 months on my bulbs and have noticed the intensity has gone down a bit, which allowed me to increase my photo-period.

You may want to consider bio-pellets as a source for carbon dosing.

The PM puts out a ton of PAR. I have a PAR meter coming in the mail next week which you're welcome to use to measure your light readings.
 
Reefer08

Yeah raise it up real high. Or just run only half your bulbs but still raise it up. Everything looks bleached out. Let us know how it goes.

I have raised up the lights another 3" for a total of 15" above the water line.

cwegescheide


You just recently do anything with your lighting? If not then I'd say stop vodka if you havent already and/or feed more. Keep an eye on nutrients though..

Haven't done anything with lighting other then raise it up a bit. Cut back the photo period 1 hr. I cut my vodka down from 2ml to 1ml. I actually feed a lot right now. pellets,cycolopeeze and mysis everyday alternating between the 3. I also dose aa every other day and feed marine snow every other day opposite of AA for the corals.

mnml

Mike, I had a similar thing happen and had to cut down my photo-period. I raised my lights to 10" above the water line and cut down the lighting. Ran 3/6 bulbs for 8 hours and all bulbs for 3 hours. I also stopped vodka dosing completely. It took about 2 months for the corals to start showing pigment again. How new are your bulbs? The intensity will be highest when they're new. I'm at 7 months on my bulbs and have noticed the intensity has gone down a bit, which allowed me to increase my photo-period.

You may want to consider bio-pellets as a source for carbon dosing.

The PM puts out a ton of PAR. I have a PAR meter coming in the mail next week which you're welcome to use to measure your light readings.

My bulbs are about 4 months old. Let me know what kind of par readings you get when your par meter comes in. I'm interested. What is the normal/average par sps/lps should be getting anyways? I might take you up on that offer Tran once you're done playing with the meter of course LOL Thanks for the suggestions guys. I will keep this thread updated as I see results.
 
I have the exact same problem on my 36x18x18. My corals look like the OP's.

Sunpower (6 bulb) 10" above the water. 2 bulbs = 10hrs, 4 bulbs = 6hrs

Berlin setup with GFO/Carbon, feed fish moderately 4x day. Feed corals and add aminos 3x week.

NO3=0, PO4=0, very little hair algae and clean front glass 2x weekly.
 
Mike. those RPE and Blood Red Cyphastrea you got from me. I had them under 2x54W HOT5 and your are 8 bulbs, That is too much for them. Do as other suggestion, cut the light or lower the color.
 
thanks Daniel, i have already raised the lights and cut the photo period. Hopefully I'll see some results soon.
 
+1 with cut the photo period. MH down from 6,5 hours to 4,5 WOW! colour has never been so good. Also increased feeding. Growth has also taken off. Did take about 4 weeks to get the results
 
I have the same lighting schedule as you -30 mins. I only have the 6 bulb SP, but the lights are only 4" above the water. It's all about acclimation.

Leave your lights where they are, and cut the light schedule by 3 hours, increase 30 mins every week and see how your corals react.

Stop the vodka.

Stop the supplementental feeding (AA, cylopeeze etc), just feed your fish.

GFO & Vodka? You're most likely starving your system.

KISS method. It's easier to figure out what's wrong with your system if anything ever goes wrong.
 
I am having the same problem with the "pastel" colors. Everything is growing well just not as vibrant in color as a lot of you have stated about your systems. I think I will shorten the photoperiod and try it also.
 
Forgot to mention my T5's are 12" above water also.
Front-back,
blue+
aquablue special
blue+
fiji purple
blue+
 
what is the kiss method? lol no these car aren't the ones i got from you but the one i did get from u popped out 2 babies. same with the rainbows
 
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