How can I color up my pearlberry?

[plyle02]

I would do this if I were you...
Purchase a alk, ca, and mag test kit...Lamotte makes a real nice alk test kit, I personally use Elos for the others. Test everyday for a week, at the same time, compare notes on how much 2 part you add and how much mag you add per day, play with the dosing up and down until you determine your daily consumption. Once you do that, you can now get away likely with weekly testing, assuming you are in relative range. Getting those params real stable will likely color your pearlberry and all others up in short order...
GL

 

[seminolecpa]

Seachem makes a really good MG kit too. I really like that they include a standard solution which helps let you know if the problem in your readings may be in you method and not actually with the results.

API's KH kit works very well and is actually really cheap. I swear it is the same solution as in the Elos KH kit. My local club actually made up KH standards and it tests out spot on every time.

I personally use Salifert for CA but like Elos as well.

 

[abrian]

I would do this if I were you...
Purchase a alk, ca, and mag test kit...Lamotte makes a real nice alk test kit, I personally use Elos for the others. Test everyday for a week, at the same time, compare notes on how much 2 part you add and how much mag you add per day, play with the dosing up and down until you determine your daily consumption. Once you do that, you can now get away likely with weekly testing, assuming you are in relative range. Getting those params real stable will likely color your pearlberry and all others up in short order...
GL

Definitely follow this advice! You will want to test to establish baselines for additives to determine your dosing schedule and then get everything as stable as possible.

Unless you see them test their RO/DI water to make sure it is at 0 TDS I would recommend getting your own unit and making your own water also. It is more convenient and you will know your water is at 0. I just tend to not trust others to be as concerned about the quality of what goes in my tank as I am and like to control as many variables as I can.

 

[rreed]

pearlberry

pearlberry

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.

You can test an show 0 phosphates and still get unwanted algae growth due to organics in the water that are undectable with a colometer. Only way to rid the abundance or unwanted organic's is with Carbon dosing( vodka, or Microbater along with bio-fuel). Reason most of us dose vodka an then supplement aminos an other trace elements. How many before an after shots show brown or pale colors and the after shows an amazing coral with stunning colors. So I have to go along with poolkeeper here. Just my opinion.

 

[PapaKlix]

What I mean by in check, everything is perfect. Nothing is wrong at all.

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.

not sure how you can make the first statement with #4 & #5 there. calcium and especially alkalinity need to be maintained at very stable levels to be considered "perfect". as mentioned, i wouldn't put a whole lot of weight in the PO4 test kit. i'd start by getting quality Ca/Alk/Mag test kits and making sure those parameters are in check and stable.

 

[seminolecpa]

You can test an show 0 phosphates and still get unwanted algae growth due to organics in the water that are undectable with a colometer. Only way to rid the abundance or unwanted organic's is with Carbon dosing( vodka, or Microbater along with bio-fuel). Reason most of us dose vodka an then supplement aminos an other trace elements. How many before an after shots show brown or pale colors and the after shows an amazing coral with stunning colors. So I have to go along with poolkeeper here. Just my opinion.

Then you missed the advice he gave. His initial advice was not to dose vodka but moreso to add aminos and trace elements to ADD nutrients, which in my opinion would do nothing to necessarily correct the situation. In fact it might make for even more browning.

There seems to be several issues in play in this situation way beyond just a potential nutrient issue. [Like for example the MG issue]

FWIW. I am by no means saying vodka dosing can't be another way to deal with a nutrient issue, nor am I questioning its potential benefits, as another poster stated there is more then one way to skin a cat.

I personally feel it is possible to get equal coloration and growth without using it.

 

[Maxi]

What do I take action with first?

Buying the test kits and getting everything stable?

 

[RickMartin]

Since you don't mind criticism with help here goes.

You should have bought a ca/alk test before you bought sps. I doubt if you ca consumption is very high but both should be tested every other day until you have your dosing regime dialed in to maintain it at proper levels and then you should be testing weekly at a minimum.

The poor color probably has to do with high nutrient levels evident by your battle with hair algae. This is a common cause for browning out. Since the pearlberry has different colors in the new growth area, with elevated PO levels you probably have little growth. Get some GFO or phosphate sponge of some type to get phospahtes under control.

 

[Maxi]

Thank you for all the help guys really need it.

Ok, so I am online, and I am not looking forward to spending 70 dollars on 3 test kits.. So I am looking at the API reef master test it.
Also, I added the Magnesium test kit from red sea max.

What phosphate sponge should I get? how does it work?
I have had these SPS for over 2 years, only my caps nd stags are getting great growth and color. I have an ATL red table that just encrusts and encrusts. A beautiful piece, but does not spurt out growth.

 

[PapaKlix]

Thank you for all the help guys really need it.

Ok, so I am online, and I am not looking forward to spending 70 dollars on 3 test kits.. So I am looking at the API reef master test it.
Also, I added the Magnesium test kit from red sea max.

What phosphate sponge should I get? how does it work?

IME, the API calcium test kit is worthless. it was giving me a reading of 420ish when i was actually in the low 300's. the alk kit has tested accurately for me, although it only goes in increments of 1 deg. i prefer the elos kits for all 3, if you're looking to save money i would get the API Alk as it will be accurate enough and won't cost $30... you'll also go through the elos alk kit pretty fast if you test as frequently as you should while you get things stabilized.

 

[Maxi]

What about red sea max?

 

[plyle02]

Only way to rid the abundance or unwanted organic's is with Carbon dosing( vodka, or Microbater along with bio-fuel).

Not a true statement sir! Many run low nutrient colorful sps tanks without the addition of carbon dosing.... a bit of an irresponsible statement, not trying to call you out, but, more than one way to skin a cat in this hobby!
best of luck to you...

 

[seminolecpa]

IMHO the only kit API that is worth it is the KH test. Don't know much about Red sea kits but my guess is they are probably not very accurate either.

There are some things that you can skimp on and be ok in this hobby. As testing and keeping parameters in balance is crucial and since you clearly have issues with them, this would not be the area I would skimp. A kit that gives you false readings can cause more problems in some cases then not using one at all as people tend to overadjust based on the readings.

As your tank settle is and you get more familiar with how your water chemistry works testing frequently isn't as necessary. To get things moving in the right direction, must haves are a good KH, CA and MG kit as well as a refractometer (not a hydrometer).

 

[slojmn]

I have to agree, don't skimp on test kits (I like the Lamotte alk, Salfert Cal, Hannah Meter for PO4's and Elos for Mag)...even if they are not perfectly accurate you will get a baseline and a sense of how your system is using up things over the course of a few weeks. You can see how your calcium and alk are fluctuating etc. Then you can run things stable given how your system responds over time. You definitely have PO4 bound up in the algae and what can't be picked up by the test kit. I would guess that is contributing to your Pearlberry blahs. What kind of lighting do you have over the nano? How is the temp throughout the day? much fluctuation?

I have found that small nano reefs can be some of the most difficult systems to keep. They require a lot of attention to stability because things get out of whack very quickly. My 30g nano is more fickle than my 120g reef. There is just more room for error on the big system. It will stay more stable just because there is more of everything in it. One thing I would invest in is a top off system so you can add freshwater topoff to the system much slower. I noticed a difference when I went form hand toping off to an automatic system which never let the system SG get out of whack at all. Just some other things to consider and what stood out to me. Good Luck and keep us posted . Would love to see a picture of the coral if you get a chance.

 

[Maxi]

Alright guys, I bought all salifert test kits instead..

I hope this is worth it and everything fixes right up.

 

[plancton]

Guess what?, I had the silly idea of having 10% waterchanges every 6 weeks...Many colors started to become creamy and pale, but since some corals were colorful I thought it was ok, according to me I was aiming for stability...

But large waterchanges are very necessary, you replace trace elements that perhaps can´t be measured correctly and it also restores ionic balance.

Well first I did 20% waterchange, and then another 20% the week after. Things started colouring up inmidiately, and now I do 8% weekly, that´s about 32% monthly and everything is vibrant.

So I guess that´s the answer you need.

 

[Maxi]

What are the perfect levels I should be looking for? The salifert kits are on the way..

 

[Maxi]

I siphoned out a lot of algae today, doing a 3 gallon water change. My tank was at 83 degrees, so I dropped it down to 79. I think all my motors in the tank (3 k's, mag 5, skimmer) were heating up my tank making it a algae heaven. Who knows.. just trying to factor out the problem.

 

[The Velvet Sea]

What are the perfect levels I should be looking for? The salifert kits are on the way..

Perfect for me might not be perfect for you. My targets are 440 ppm Ca, 9 dKH Alk, 1350 ppm Mg.

 

[Maxi]

I see, so every system has their desired levels?

What should I be aiming for to fix this situation?