I cant keep blue corals blue

[Reefvet]

So you think there is an oversaturation of AA's, or maybe a reduced amount of a certain key element?

Would you recommend doing a large water change 30%+ and quit vinegar dosing? Or continue my regulary scheduled water changes and quit vinegar dosing?

Do you think my nem could be consuming potassium iodine faster than the rate I am dosing? I measured him yesterday before his feeding and he was 18"-20" across!!

Doing a large water change is a safe way to reduce any over saturation of AAs that you may have. Then stop dosing any AAs for a week or more and see if there are significant changes in colors.

No, I don't think your anemone is consuming anything that's affecting your SPS.

 

[2dawghouse]

jmm, at the moment my MH runs 8 hours a day and leds about 12. From what I understand/been told is that red color corals require the most PAR for coral coloration. And I have red acans on the sandbed that are doing great! Actually green and red corals are doing really good.

Mark yes, Im like you, I cant keep from messing with things lol.

Reefvet, Im not dosing anymore and I intend on doing a 30% water change tomorrow and see where everything shakes out.

Its more than just my blue SPS that turned grey, all blue corals have turned grey, acans, zoas...besides an acan that turned turquoise.

 

[2dawghouse]

I also wanted to provide more info about something I discovered tonight. I had a blue striped acan that turned turquoise on me. I haven't noticed it before cause the nem was blocking the viewing of it. But the nem doesn't block flow or lighting from it, just the ability to view it. I have since moved it more forward but its not blue anymore, its turquoise.

 

[kylebeano]

your light is very blue, 20k lamps with blue suppl LEDs, maybe you could try changing the bulb to something closer to 10k since you have all those LEDs for blue? My blue corals dont look blue under actinic lighting or only heavy blue lighting, but look best under whiter lights.
reeflovers62's oregon tort is the bluest coral I have ever seen, and he said color improved after switching to a 10k lamp.

 

[Ink]

In my experience when colors turn dull grey is often due to lack of phosphorous. By your test I see PO4 0,05 which should be fine. How do you test it?

It could be also that P is too low for the quantity of N (in that case we usually see progressively increase nitrate while PO4 remain stable).

I would giva a try adding phosphate (if You use GFO, simply remove it). You could use Brightwell neophos or prepare your own solution (I use a solution with NaH2PO4, 5g in 500ml).
Since when I keep a correct balance between N and P, all my corals look better, with much more deep colors.

Luca

 

[2dawghouse]

In my experience when colors turn dull grey is often due to lack of phosphorous. By your test I see PO4 0,05 which should be fine. How do you test it?

It could be also that P is too low for the quantity of N (in that case we usually see progressively increase nitrate while PO4 remain stable).

I would giva a try adding phosphate (if You use GFO, simply remove it). You could use Brightwell neophos or prepare your own solution (I use a solution with NaH2PO4, 5g in 500ml).
Since when I keep a correct balance between N and P, all my corals look better, with much more deep colors.

Luca

I use a hanna tester. I don't run any type of reactor just vinegar dose and really track my feedings and how I feed the tank. What I cant understand is Ive done a 40 gal water change...nothing changed. Im now beginning to do a gal a day water change and see if maybe its water chemistry consistency Im lacking.

All other corals aren't great but they are good, even my purple corals, acans and tri-color, etc. Green and red colors are pretty spot on and my yellow stag is doing nicely. But blue for whatever reasons escapes me.

 

[2dawghouse]

your light is very blue, 20k lamps with blue suppl LEDs, maybe you could try changing the bulb to something closer to 10k since you have all those LEDs for blue? My blue corals dont look blue under actinic lighting or only heavy blue lighting, but look best under whiter lights.
reeflovers62's oregon tort is the bluest coral I have ever seen, and he said color improved after switching to a 10k lamp.

You are the second person that I have heard that from lol. I just built a custom 170 (72X30X19) and Im going to do a DIY LED/T5 floating canopy. So with the T5's I should have a lot more white/full spectrum light in the tank. Lets see how that works for me.

 

[Ink]

Sorry for the big time interval.
I read You add organic carbon. With that it is easy to cause N or P limitation.

I report my recent experience. My hanna tester always showed me PO4 0,02ppm. Triton ICP test always said me PO4 under advised level (0,018ppm). The last test showed PO4 <0,009ppm. My Hanna tester said always 0,02ppm.
I removed GFO and added PO4. My Hanna tester said 0,05ppm; a new triton test said Po4 just right: 0,018ppm.

I mean: are You sure You have no limitation of P? NO3 much higher than PO4 while dosing carbon source makes that truly possible.

Luca