How can I color up my pearlberry?

Maxi

Maxi

New member
My pearlberry has been in tank for 6 months, growing, great polyp extension. Just plain green. It just keeps encrusting but it seems as if it has stopped, but has great extension. I dose 2 part everyday, all my parameters are on check, and I have lots of poop for their food.

I have a T5 Tek light with individual reflectors, and a octopus skimmer. It used to have purple and white shades to it when I bought it, but now its just bleh.

Its located at the highest part of the tank with the most flow in the whole tank. What am I missing here?
 
Are your corals getting enought nutrients, along with Amino acids and Trace elements. This Is what may be lacking, Also Potasium, Strontium and other trace elements may be the Issue. JMO and I may be wrong but worth a try.
Bill
 
how about NO3 and PO4?
That would be my only guess...
Probably one of the most colorful pieces in my tank, hope it comes back to natural form, perhaps another point I may be missing will be addressed...
GL
 
poolkeeper1 said:
Are your corals getting enought nutrients, along with Amino acids and Trace elements. This Is what may be lacking, Also Potasium, Strontium and other trace elements may be the Issue. JMO and I may be wrong but worth a try.
Bill
Click to expand...


You think I should dose amino acids??

I change the water once a month, but only 3 gallons.
 
Last edited:
Maxi said:
You think I should dose amino acids??

I change the water once a month, but only 3 gallons.
Click to expand...

If only 3 gallons once per month, I am going to go with an above poster on possibility of trace elements. Have you tested magnesium? What, other than 2 part do you dose. As far as aminos, not sure I would do that until you post your NO3 and PO4. Keep us posted...
Thanks,
 
NO3 - 0
PO4 - undetectable

I have never tested magnesium, I don't have that test kit.
However, I have been fighting hair algae for quite a while, but the tests come out undetectable. I even had my lfs test for me (World wide corals)
 
Personally I don't feel trace elements are at all necessary if you do regular water changes. Aminos..... also think are unnecessary.

Can you give a better description or a pic so we can understand what Bleh means to you? I am assuming you mean it has browned out.

Also when you say water params are check what are you testing for? Check to some people means a lot difference to some then others.

Mg is as important as CA and ALK. P04 is undetectable on what kind of kit? Most kits are pretty unreliable as to P04. A colometer is really the only way you can get a pretty good idea of what they are really at.
 
Necessary

Necessary

seminolecpa said:
Personally I don't feel trace elements are at all necessary if you do regular water changes. Aminos..... also think are unnecessary.

I have had great success with dosing Amino Acids and Trace elements along with Vodka dosing, And I will put my corals color and growth up against any other tank around. My pearlberry looks just like It should and all the rest of my Tyree,Sniper,Reef goddess and the like look just as good as the day I got them. Just because you don't follow the same method does not mean It's Unnecessary or that It would not bebefit his system. Seems he barely changes any water unledd I mis understood him so It would benefit him even more! JMHO
Bill:idea:











Can you give a better description or a pic so we can understand what Bleh means to you? I am assuming you mean it has browned out.

Also when you say water params are check what are you testing for? Check to some people means a lot difference to some then others.

Mg is as important as CA and ALK. P04 is undetectable on what kind of kit? Most kits are pretty unreliable as to P04. A colometer is really the only way you can get a pretty good idea of what they are really at.
Click to expand...
 
Well, I can't get a picture of it now since lights are out, but I can word it out as best as I can for now...

Before: beautiful, extravagant purple and wite with hue of very light green.
Now: Longer polyps, the purple and white have changed to a pale green

What I mean by in check, everything is perfect. Nothing is wrong at all.
Maybe my SG is a little different than everyone elses: 1.026
 
I am just saying I don't think they are necessary.

Here is a shot from November

ORAPearlberryTopDown11-18-092.jpg


And from July

7-8-09shots-11.jpg


Just adding Alk, CA and MG and an occasional dose of Reef Nutrition Oyster Feast.
 
Yeah, my pearlberry looks nothing compared to that. Not even in actinic lighting. But, at the store, the mother colony that I got the frag from, looks incredible.

So you are recommending to dose MG and oyster feast?
 
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I recommend checking your Mag and getting it in range and also making sure your phosphates are in good shape.

My corals (LPS and SPS seem to like Oyster feast and I personally like it. Does it help with growth, possibly. Is it the solution to your problem? Probably not.

I change out on avg about 10-15% of my water every 2 week. My SG FWIW is about 1.026 also.
 
I agree,
Not necessary to dose aminos... I run zeovit and rarely dose AAHC... Yes many, including myself can certainly benefit from running ULNS's, but there are many not dosing with phenomenal results... Well done seminolecpa! I think we need more info regarding the tank before jumping to conclusions. OP does not dose mag, well that is a beneficial and basic aspect of reefkeeping. The OP only changes 3 gallons per month on a presumably 26 gallon sps reef tank. The consumption of magnesium with a quality salt would still make the tank deficient, IMO... This could lead to swaying alk and ca changes due to their unique relationship. If that is the case, then we now break down consistency and stability, which does not work with sps.

Questions???
1. What salt brand are you using
2. What is your S.G.
3. Do you top off manually or automatically
4. What is your alk and ca testing at
5. Is it consistently testing at those levels
6. What is your average temperature swing in the tank from lights on to lights out
7. Do you know your test average for Mag..
8. How much 2 part do you dose, what kind, how often

Sorry for all the questions, but somewhere in all those questions I feel lies your answer. Noticing the nano, IME, keeping stable alk, ca, mag, sg, temp, and consistent dosing schedules are very much key, due to the lack of total water volume, each param can swing, and swing quickly. My intent is to help, so please don't think I am questioning your husbandry or reefkeeping skills, just more info needed.
Thanks,
 
seminolecpa....stunning...loving your pearlberry!

Here, I will post mine in a zeovit tank, to prove their is more than one way to skin a cat!
:)

IMG_0271.jpg
[/IMG]
 
Good questions. I totally missed that he was running a nano tank and I agree that the problem probably lies within the answers to those questions.

The no mag testing or dosing and changing water out once a month pretty much tells me that is at least one of the problems.

Another question to ask is are you making your own water? If so what is the TDS of your RO?

Also something to think about is if you are battling hair algae and your phosphates are undetectable it may mean that what you have in the tank (including your corals and the algae) is consuming them. It doesn't necessarily mean your overall phosphates are low.

If it is at least in part a phosphate problem, dosing aminos and even oyster feast for example may likely make your problem worse.
 
I don't mind, I do not take offense as long as I am getting help. :)

Questions
1. What salt brand are you using- Reef crystals
2. What is your S.G. - 1.026
3. Do you top off manually or automatically - Manually
4. What is your alk and ca testing at - My lfs told me it was low, told me to dose more and I'd be fine. I used to dose 7.5, so I went up to 10.0. I don't know the exact numbers but they said they were low.
5. Is it consistently testing at those levels - no clue, I don't own those test kits.
6. What is your average temperature swing in the tank from lights on to lights out - 82 lights on 79 off
7. Do you know your test average for Mag.. - no
8. How much 2 part do you dose, what kind, how often - B- ionic 10 ml everyday
 
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