I can't maintain any colour on SPS/LPS, please help

[ug.mac]

Hi all

I need your help.

I'm experiencing this problem for a while now. It didn't happen overnight, instead it was a long slow process. Just about every SPS has turned into much lighter colour after spend a little while in my tank (2~3 month). Garf Bonzai was in deep purple when I bought from a local reefer is now light tan with light purple tip; neon green is still neon but not much for green, etc.

Growth is surprisingly steady, I can tell the growth daliy even when their coloration is bad, and I never lost a coral in my tank. I've tried few things to fix the problem and here are my results:

1. Carbon dosing with Bio pellets then Vodka, even lighter colour as return.
2. Coral feeding with Brightwell Reef Snow, nothing changed.
3. Dose Potassium/Iodide, nothing changed except Iodide promoted molting to my cleaner shrimp.
4. Seachem Aquavitro Fuel, not much for colour but it helped growth for sure.
5. Change LED brightness. I've gone through 20%, 30~40%, 60% and I'm on 100% for a week now. Some SPS showing blue on the tips and I think that's a good sign because they were like that when I got them.

Another thing I want to add although I'm not sure how relevant it is to my problem. I don't have any coralline algae growth in my tank, to be honest I don't like coralline algae at all but I should at lease have some after 8 month I think.

1. Tank Setup
My setup is a 5 gallon cube pico (10x10x12.5") bare bottom. It has Aqueon model 1 sump with return pump at 240 gph. Total water volume is about 8 gallon I believe or little more.
EP10ES in NTM mode to help the flow. I set it to 4th dot on controller.
Lighting is DIY Cree led fixture combined with 4 cool white and 6 royal blue, all driven at 700ma. Hanging 9 inches from water level. Photoperiod 8.5 hrs from 1:30pm to 10pm. 2 x 1W blue as moon light from 12:30pm to 12:00am.
Bubble Magus Nac QQ skimmer, skimmate is light, colour like white tea.
RKL to control the temp. Tank is stable at 25.5˚c, swing ±0.1˚C.
Active carbon in TLF 150 reactor, changed monthly.
Reef Crystal salt mix, salinity is 1.026 or 35 ppt. I have DIY ATO, it activates when water line drop about 2mm.

2. Water Parameters
Salinity: 1.026
PH: 7.8 (API Test)
KH: 9~10 (API Test)
Cal: 440 (API Test)
NO3: 0 (Red Sea)
PO4: 0.06~0.02 (Red Sea)
2 gallon weekly water change since first week. I started with DD H2Ocean salt then switched to Reef Crystal due to availability issue at time, but I don't see any change to my coral, colour still bad.

3. Dosing
1ml Brightwell Potassion (Potassium) every 2 days.
2.3 ml Aquavitro Fuel 3 times a week.
2.5 ml Brightwell Magnesion (Magnesium) 3 times a week.
1 drop of Zeobak once a week at water change.
Kalk in ATO water, ratio is 1.2 gram to 1 gallon RO/DI water. Very weak ratio but enough to keep KH and calcium level steady. However I think my hammer coral doesn't like Kalk very much, it refuse to open as big as before. So I'm thinking going back to Seachem Reef Complete and Reef Carbonate.


Please feel free to ask any questions. Any input appreciated.

ug.

 

[garymcgrath]

Your NO3 is zero. That's a problem. Since you are dosing carbon and have PO4, bacteria is scavanging all of the NO3 which the corals need (at least some low level). You should stop dosing carbon and use GFO to keep your PO4 as low as possible. Use a Hanna meter since test kits cannot detect PO4 down that low. If you are detecting PO4 on a test kit, it is way too high. Also, be patient. It can take several months to see a difference.

 

[JT3069]

also sounds like you need poop

 

[franklypre]

Carbon dosing a 5 gallon tank is brave, the low PH would be my main concern. I wouldn't dose anything in a 5 gallon tank, WC should replenish everything you need. It does take time for coral to acclimate to new lighting and 10 LEDs over a 5 gallon tank is quite a bit. Just be patient and I think you will be rewarded.

 

[cediss]

Are there lenses on LED's? I'd agree for that size tank water changes alone should be sufficient. Even large system can do well with just water changes. If your dosing mg I'd suggest you be checking the level. It doesn't usually drop very quickly, especially without coralline algae.

Sometimes the best remedy when your having problems is to go back to basics. Don't get caught up in adding a bunch of products. Light, stable temp, alk, pH, salinity, Ca, and Mg. Fish poop and water changes and mixed in with some patience!

 

[dixiedog]

IMHO, your tank is so over complicated there's no telling what the problem might be. I'd start with a massive water change followed by nothing going in the tank except salt, water and fish food. Throw away everything else (except the vodka, save that for yourself). Then start perfecting your light intensity and duration.

Also, maybe I overlooked it but I saw no mention of fish. Do you have any?

 

[ug.mac]

Thank you very much for all your comments.

I do have a small clownfish and cleaner shrimp. Both getting feed every another day with chopped live oyster and/or shrimp. I had a wheeler's goby months ago but it committed suicide because I didn't have a cover until now.

In the last 4 days I did few changes to the tank:

1. Rearranged the LED placement to 5 RB 2 CW 2 NW. I'm using 60 degree lens.
2. I made a cover which also act as light diffuser. It has one layer of clear plastic canvas and one layer of prismatic diffuser. It totally 'fixed' disco ball effect and made my tank looks like it was lit under T5HO with a little shimmer. Coral looks much better now because lighting are much smoother.
3. I added Rowaphos into active carbon reactor.
4. Added 4 astrea snails.

I'm 100% agree on K.I.S.S. Like dixidog said my tank is over complicated. I decided to stop all additives except to dose Reef Complete and Reef Carbonate. Also stopped Vodka dosing, I want to see how my tank react to all of these changes then decide.

I made a short video of my tank, will post shortly.

Thanks,

ug.

 

[ug.mac]

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