Help with SPS color

[kissman]

Well I said I was going to start another thread to find the cause of my problem well here it is! Here is a complete run down on my 55g Reef tank. I need help getting colors back in corals. I have included pictures below along with a list of equipment and test results. All tests were done today; all tests that could be calibrated were before tests were done so everything should be accurate. SPS were placed in tank July and some in August put them on bottom of tank in sand bed for 1 week then started moving them up every few days till I glued/epoxy them down. All SPS are growing most have covered frag and started growing on rock not really growing upwards. The Frogspawns were my indicator that light might be a problem because the branches under other branches have more color. I have notived polyp extension at night but not during the day. Light cycle is shown below with lights. Hydor's run min-max on a 2sec interval. I do a 5g water change on Sun and one on Thurs. I make up my water once a week in a 20g Brute, with a heater, power head and air stone. I mix 10g at a time of Kalk 2tsp per gallon for top off water that's added at night over a 7 hour period kicks on for 9min every hour and is added to chamber with skimmer. I also add 23mL of Vinegar runs for a few minutes a couple of times throughout the day. I change out GAC and GFO every 2 weeks. I feed a variety of foods every other day frozen Brine Shrimp, Mysis, Flake, Pellet, a frozen mix of several types of fish and Selcon. When I feed frozen I feed 1 cube. Every 3rd day I add one spoonful of BRS Reef Chili for corals. I vary that one day I do it in the evening and the next time I do it at night around 11pm. I change bulbs out every 12 months it's time next week. I add 1 cap of Microbacter 7 every week. I think too much PAR might be a problem but could be something else as well. So I am looking for help trouble shooting the cause. Please feel free to ask any questions especially if I have forgotten anything. Sorry for the long write up but I really want to fix this and have the beautiful SPS some of you have.

Tests
Temp 78
Salinity is 35ppt ALC Refractometer
PH 8.1 Handheald Digital MW
Calcium 450 Red Sea Pro
Magnesium 1480 Red Sea Pro
Alk 9.56 dkh Hanna HC
Phosphate Hanna ULR HI 736 reads 14 which converts into .04
Strontium 2 (never can get it any higher) Salifert
Iodine .06 Red Sea Pro
Iron 0 Red Sea Pro
Potassium 410 Red Sea Pro


Equipment
55g Aquarium
20g Aquarium for sump
2 Hydor Koralia Controllable 4's
Hydor Koralia Wavemaker 2 with Day/Night Sensor
Current USA HOT5 Nova Extreme Pro 48" 6x54w
1 ATI True Actinic
2 ATI AquaBlue Special
1 ATI Coral Plus
2 ATI Blue Plus
1st set of lights on at 9:30am till 7pm
2nd set comes at 11:30am till 8pm
Warner Marine MF181 Skimmer
1 Phosban Reactor 8tbs of BRS GAC ROX .08
1 Phosban Reactor ¾ cup BRS HC GFO
Mag Drive 3 Return Pump
Finnex 300w Digital Heater in Sump
Salt SeaChem Reef
1 50mL BRS pump adds 1g of Kalk over 7 hours at night
1 1.1mL BRS pump adding 23mL Vinegar a day (bring it down 2mL from 40mL per week since Nitrates are 0)
Various Macro's in Sump along with 4" sand bed
4" sandbed in DST
65lbs of live rock

Fish Livestock
2 Green Chromis
1 Maroon Clown
1 Six Line Wrasse
1 Royal Gramma
1 Diamond Gobie

 

[kissman]

I should mention i am thinking of ordering 3 Actinic,1 blue+, 1 blue special and 1 coral +

 

[Chriskid]

I don't think you have too much light with a6 Bulb T 5. my only question would be is have you tested nitrates? and have you looked for red bugs?

 

[kissman]

Yes sorry forgot to post nitrates they are 0. I have been watching for red bugs and have not seen any all corals were dipped before putting in tank

 

[Chriskid]

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that the lighting might not be enough... perhaps you can borrow a meter. I'm not too sure what the Nova extreme puts out for PAR, but they all look a little light starved to me. And my monti statosa looks to be growing up to the light. So that's my guess. I wish you luck trying to figure it out;-)

 

[kissman]

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that the lighting might not be enough... perhaps you can borrow a meter. I'm not too sure what the Nova extreme puts out for PAR, but they all look a little light starved to me. And my monti statosa looks to be growing up to the light. So that's my guess. I wish you luck trying to figure it out;-)

I have checked around only a few stores and closest reef club is a 2 hour drive. So no way to borrow a meter. I wish I could. I do have one question for would the bulb put the PAR out and not the fixture? I have seen success with a 4 bulb fixture over a 55g

 

[Chriskid]

Yes and No, but the ballast that pushes the bulb as a lot to do with it. and so do good reflectors. I could be very wrong, however I can almost guarantee you're not running too much light. what type of for bulb fixture did you see?

 

[Setragni]

I think ur light is not the problem. Corals look a bit pale. I would guess they are starving. I do suggest a different bulb combo for better par tho. 4 ati blue +, 1 purple + and 1 coral +. If you think thats too blue swap the coral + for a GE 6500.

 

[kissman]

I think ur light is not the problem. Corals look a bit pale. I would guess they are starving. I do suggest a different bulb combo for better par tho. 4 ati blue +, 1 purple + and 1 coral +. If you think thats too blue swap the coral + for a GE 6500.

I was wondering about that too which is why I had been cutting back on the vinegar dosing to try and "dirty" a little bit. I also thought about dosing Red Sea Reef Energy A&B to see if that helps. I don't mind a the blue infact I want more blue. I want the colors to pop once I get them back.

 

[mc-cro]

what is your nitrate levels? -I assume probably zero with the DSB.

Those corals look a little hungry to me. I would try to up the feeding to every day instead of every other day. I had similiar colors when I was only feeding 1 frozen cube of mysis every other day or so. My feeding regime was very close to yours.

The more I feed the better my corals look

 

[kissman]

what is your nitrate levels? -I assume probably zero with the DSB.

Those corals look a little hungry to me. I would try to up the feeding to every day instead of every other day. I had similiar colors when I was only feeding 1 frozen cube of mysis every other day or so. My feeding regime was very close to yours.

The more I feed the better my corals look

Yes the Nitrates are 0 with Red Sea Pro test kit ran test twice to make sure

I think ur light is not the problem. Corals look a bit pale. I would guess they are starving. I do suggest a different bulb combo for better par tho. 4 ati blue +, 1 purple + and 1 coral +. If you think thats too blue swap the coral + for a GE 6500.

I just read the same Combo on ATI's website as the combo recommendation for 6 bulb fixture :celeb1:

 

[Blueline12]

Yes pale is a sign of starving corals like in the zeovit method. You should dose amino acids and feed more.

 

[kissman]

I actually have a bottle of Red Sea Reef Energy A&B incase this happened when i started vinegar dosing i think i will start adding them and see what happens

 

[fishguy597]

As others stated I feel your corals are starving. Nitates at 0 isnt good. You need some measurable nitrates and po4. With the carbon dosing ,ROX(very harsh),and gfo I feel you are stripping the water column. Either start dosing some AA's or get a couple more fish and feed more. The gfo is very harsh as well I run half the dose recommended. GL

 

[Blueline12]

You definitely have an ultra low nutrient system which is confirmed by your low livestock and limited feedings. Also you use Gfo and microbacter7. I would not stop anything you are doing, but dosing aminos and more coral food will help.

More fish and feedings equals more poop whichs feeds corals too. I've got 15 good size fish in a 180g and feed twice a day a lot of food and never had an issue of coral lightening.

 

[Duc1098]

I would have to agree with the starving issue. I had a quite similar issue and started dosing the Red Sea Reef Energy A/B with pretty good results. I will say that my Phosphates prior to were 0.0ppm on a HC though.

 

[Blueline12]

You definitely have an ultra low nutrient system which is confirmed by your low livestock and limited feedings. Also you use Gfo and microbacter7. I would not stop anything you are doing, but dosing aminos and more coral food will help.

More fish and feedings equals more poop whichs feeds corals too. I've got 15 good size fish in a 180g and feed twice a day a lot of food and never had an issue of coral lightening.

 

[k_red_raider]

I'm gona jump on the corals starving band wagon as well but I also think they are needing some more light. Start feeding heavier and see what happens if you still are not getting the color that you want then you can look into the lighting.

I started using bio-pellets and had to start feeding more as well due to my nitrate levels getting too low. You've got to remember that SPS are filter feeders and if you clean the water of everything that they eat then they will starve even if they have light. It's just like a tree has to have water and the sun to grow.

 

[kissman]

I would think many more fish in a 55 would be over crowding?

 

[k_red_raider]

I would think many more fish in a 55 would be over crowding?

I think you could put a couple more small fish in the tank if you wanted to but I don't think it is a have to. I think just more food for your fish and corals would help