Help with SPS color

[Acronic]

I agree that the corals are starving but disagree that you need more light. In fact, untill you can raise the nutrient levels to approx Po4 0.05ppm and No3 to 2.5ppm ish I would suggest cutting back on lighting. Either by raising the fixture or cutting back the photo period. I suggest you discontinue the GFO untill it is really necessary and switch to a less aggressive GAC. Feed feed feed. Instead of more fish, increase your clean up crew to take care of the extra food. Nassarius snails, hermits and shrimp do a great job cleaning up the excess. Invest in a good coral food like zeovit coral vitalizer or phols extra to boost the feeding.

 

[Alex T.]

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

FWIW, my last tank had issues with keeping color in SPS while carbon dosing. Since running my current setup "dirty" with no carbon dosing, I'm able to keep the color of corals, get good polyp extension and growth. I keep my nitrates around 5 and PO4 tests between .02 - .05. I swap out GFO when the GFO reactor output hits .05. This is usually around the 6 week mark. I feed 8 fish VERY WELL and stir up my sand bed at least twice per week (which I'd advise against for you since it's a DSB). You may even want to lower your alkalinity a bit...maybe between 8 and 9 dKH.

 

[Acronic]

You may even want to lower your alkalinity a bit...maybe between 8 and 9 dKH.

Thats a good point. Worth a shot.

 

[pwoller]

Try feeding more. The same thing happened to my tank when I went from MH to t5s.

 

[michael.lemke]

I think the problem, I have experienced this myself, is your alk. IMHO it is too high for the ulns you are running. Drop it to 8ish and hold it for a couple of weeks and I'd guess you'll see some color come back. Also check for bugs and look into slowly changing your bulbs. My experience has always been that chemistry trumps almost everything. Feeding a bit more wouldn't hurt anything either.

 

[kissman]

My alk was has been at 8 and over the last week I was raising it slowly to see if it would help. No change. I have began feeding heavier. I am adding 1 cube and one scoop full of Reef Chili I also have frozen Rotifers that I will switch every few days. I am also going to start dosing 4ml of each Red Sea Reef Energy A&B and see how they do. I think I am actually going to go the 4 ATI Blue Plus, 1 ATI Coral Plus, 1 ATI Purple Plus for my new bulbs that I am going to order next week. Hoping there is an after Christmas sale at BRS!

 

[Acronic]

Good luck!

 

[Chriskid]

just an observation as to the to clean observation. Has anyone seen pompom zenia thrive like in his pic if the water is to clean? i stand with the lighting, and i believe that flow might also attribute to the no color in sps. zenia dosent like flow,sps dose.


all your low light corals are thriving.

 

[Gumma 1]

I agree that the corals are starving but disagree that you need more light. In fact, untill you can raise the nutrient levels to approx Po4 0.05ppm and No3 to 2.5ppm ish I would suggest cutting back on lighting. Either by raising the fixture or cutting back the photo period. I suggest you discontinue the GFO untill it is really necessary and switch to a less aggressive GAC. Feed feed feed. Instead of more fish, increase your clean up crew to take care of the extra food. Nassarius snails, hermits and shrimp do a great job cleaning up the excess. Invest in a good coral food like zeovit coral vitalizer or phols extra to boost the feeding.

Kissman,this is great advice for your tank.+ 1 from me.

 

[HV1990]

Be careful when feeding. Break up the feeding's thorough the day if i possible. You want more fish poop not alot of decaying fish food. Good luck though.

 

[kissman]

just an observation as to the to clean observation. Has anyone seen pompom zenia thrive like in his pic if the water is to clean? i stand with the lighting, and i believe that flow might also attribute to the no color in sps. zenia dosent like flow,sps dose.


all your low light corals are thriving.

I wouldn't think flow would be the problem I have 2 1400gph powerheads plus my return. I have 54x turn over in tank. But yes the Xenia growing like it does is the reason I didn't try to dirty the water anymore and tried to keep it cleaner and cleaner. I am going to takle a Dremmel to the Xenia before its over

 

[kissman]

Kissman,this is great advice for your tank.+ 1 from me.

I could try cutting them both off and see what happens, maybe I will try that when I home next week when I can watch the tank. As far as coral food, I have Red Sea Energy A&B, Reef Chili, Rotifers, I think I have some Prodibio Reef Booster to. I will have to look tonight when I get home from work.

 

[trinity1012]

does the zeovit coral vitalizer have to be used with any other zeovit product?or can the vitalizer be used by it self.

i have seen some amazing results with complete run zeovit system's.

 

[Acronic]

You can use zeovit products on their own.

 

[trinity1012]

wow that is some expensive stuff.:hmm2:

 

[Acronic]

dont remind me lol

 

[Allmost]

CV is prety potent, I buy 2 bottels per year, and dose it twice weekly

 

[Gumma 1]

I could try cutting them both off and see what happens, maybe I will try that when I home next week when I can watch the tank. As far as coral food, I have Red Sea Energy A&B, Reef Chili, Rotifers, I think I have some Prodibio Reef Booster to. I will have to look tonight when I get home from work.

Reef Booster is good stuff.Dose it once a week for now.Cut your full lighting back a hour or two and your tank is going thank you with great color.

 

[Carandiru]

I'm inclined to say alkalinity is too high for ulna. Should be greater than 7 less than 9 ideally 8
The recovery for sps with burnt tips will take some time this is all from information I recently read about ulna. I was not aware that alkalinity had to be so tight.

 

[kissman]

I do have some Reef Booster that I never used. I will be leaving to go out of town on sat but wed when I get back I might try the Reef Booster. I don't really like adding stuff that I have never used just before I leave home. I would rather do it when I can watch the tank.

As far as the PITA Xenia go. I wonder if the Xenia is stripping the water and starving the SPS. I am trying to get rid of it. I am going to be home all next weekend and might take some of the rock out and hit with a Dremmel lol!

As far as lights, I was talking to Keith at BRS today and he suggested that maybe change the light cycle. He said he has a similar tank with similar T5 lights and never runs more than 4 bulbs at a time. I am thinking of running 2 bulbs for 2 hours, run 4 bulbs for 4 hours then run 2 bulbs for 2 hours. Just a thought that has been running through my mind