Kinda ugly

[RockinSmall]

Ive been working on making my sps reef more stable. Over the last month and a half, my sps has kinda gotten darker and some pieces even browning out. I want to find what is responsible.

Bulbs are Phoenix Haxarc and are less than 6 months old

Was having an 8 degree temp swing daily, but corals were fine, however i added a AC3 and the temp swing is 2-3 degrees now. I've had the AC3 for a few weeks.

I had been experiencing calcium of 480 and alk of 6. I have added an auto top off and now the calcium is 400-420 and alk is around 7.5, so these parameters are improving.

I never ever have nitrates.

What should i be looking at if i want them to bounce back and glow their lovely colors once again?

 

[TheDean]

PO4? Nitrates? Are you running GFO and GAC? I'm no experienced SPS keeper but most of my color came about due to these listed and what you've already fixed with your temp. Photoperiod hours at what distance from water and what distance from coral?

Good luck with your endeavor. Have any pics to help with the issue?

 

[RockinSmall]

sorry, no picts yet...

i have a lil bag of phosban in the sump and i always have carbon and chemipure in there too. sps is prolly 14 inches from halides. i have the sps at the top of the tank. i have an 8 hour photoperiod and i never have nitrates.

 

[GhostCon1]

Do you use a skimmer?

I read a thread on here once where browning out was discussed in detail, a lot of people think it is lighting but it is more related to available nutrients in the tank that can cause an increase in the zooxanthelle populations in the coral.

Basically, it stated that in the wild corals can control the nutrients that their zooxanthellae receive, thus controlling the population of them. However, in our tanks in such enclosed systems when there are higher concentrations of nutrients in the water column they cannot control the access to nutrients and this leads to the zooxanthellae population increasing and 'browning out' the coral.

 

[RockinSmall]

yes, i have a Euro Reef CS and it skims very very well!

i have a very low nutrient system.

i do feed freeze dried phytoplankton stuff once every couple weeks and cyclopes every week.

 

[GhostCon1]

What watt bulbs do you use?

Try to get your alk up to around 8.5-9 and see what that does*EDIT: Read the thread first before doing this*. There is a thread that was recently bumped on sps subforum and it discussed high and low alk issues.

 

[zangmann]

What watt bulbs do you use?

Try to get your alk up to around 8.5-9 and see what that does. There is a thread that was recently bumped on sps subforum and it discussed high and low alk issues.

I agree, bump the Alk up a little bit and see if the colors improve.

 

[flamron]

i have a very low nutrient system.

I doubt you have very low nutrients if you are browning out coral and pieces are darkening.

What test kits are you using?

% of water changes?

Bioload?

Phosphate level measured via a handheld meter, and not a test kit?

 

[RockinSmall]

i have had 5 fish, a yellow tang, hippo tang, 6 line wrasse, anthias, and a clownfish. i only feed every other day and very little.

0 nitrates

250 watt halides

over the last week i have been raising my alk and its at about 8.5.. and i have notices improvenemts in color.

i do a 10-12 gallon water change every week and a half.

i use API test kits, all new.

phosphates r zero. i had one of those super nice test kits to test that.

 

[flamron]

Phosphate test kits are essentially worthless. They don't measure the phosphates correctly.

You need to check your phosphates against a hanna handheld meter and double check your nitrate results with a couple different test brand test kits.

HTH,

 

[RockinSmall]

nitrates are zero.

 

[buy_baff]

Phosphate test kits are essentially worthless. They don't measure the phosphates correctly.

HTH,

It's not that they don't measure it correctly they are worthless because they don't measure low enough numbers.

I think you are running your lights a little long. I would cut the halides back to 6 hours. And also get a reactor for your GFO and GAC it works much better that way. By the way this is fishbrain from GIRS.
-Bill

 

[flamron]

Ok then - your brown corals aren't consuming the nonexistant excess nitrates causing them to brown out.

And your dark corals aren't consuming the nonexistant excess nitrates causing them to darken.

It must just be an anomaly that you have symptoms that mimic excessive nutrients.

It has always baffled me that people absolutely refuse to accept that their parameters may not be in line.

Look, I'm like everyone else here - just trying to help. If you are unwilling to at least question your test kits or your methods, then why post questions like these?

I hope you figure out your problems.

Good luck!!!!

 

[RockinSmall]

They nitrates have all been tested by 3 different API test kits, so its the same brand of test, but all say zero... so i dont know what u want....


Howdy fishbrain! how r ya sweetie!

also, i do have a phosban reactor, not hooked up, b/c theres no room in the sump =(

Also, the photo period is from 3pm to 10pm, so i guess its 7 hours.


I'd like to think it's nitrates, since thats easily fixed, but my tests have all said zero... and anything below 5 is still fine, but its none... i dont know what else to tell ya.

 

[zangmann]

I say don't worry about chasing exact numbers. If your tank is responding well to the raised Alk, try to keep it stable around where things are good.

Keep your current params consistent for a few weeks and see how things are going then make more changes if needed. Too many changes at once may cause more problems or leave you chasing your tail.

 

[RockinSmall]

Honestly, that was my initial thought. i had made a LOT of changes all at one time, so stability changed dramatically. I figured with me adding the AC3, changing the temp swings, adding an ato, so change in salinity swing, and now adding baked baking soda, and a change in photo period. went from 10 hours to 7 hours.

Perhaps the rapid changes caused them to brown out and they just need to re stabilize?

ive been basing my observations primarily on my red planet. Last week it was the ugliest coral in my tank, it was all a dark tan. this week i can clearly see the green and the pink is a lil pinker... so i know it is improving. but i dont know why, perhaps the rise in alk and ph. Ph was at 6.6, now its at 8!

 

[zangmann]

I agree with you, that's a lot of things at once.

Keep an eye on the ph, try to keep it stable for a bit. Remember that increased Alk will increase the uptake of other elements (Cal and Mag) as well.

 

[buy_baff]

Yea that's alot of changes at once. I agree just let things stabilize and go from there. If it were me I would make that reactor fit somewhere. Mine is hanging on the back of my sump so it realy dosen't need any space just enough for the pump. I have browned out acros before and they always come back once all parameters are in check and stable.
-Bill

 

[RockinSmall]

Yes, i have noticed the quick depletion of clacium... my calcium was well over 480, and now it seems to stay as low as 380. i am almost wondering if i should quit the baked baking soda and go to kalkwaser. what u guys think?

 

[buy_baff]

I top off with saturated kalk. It's better because it is balanced. I have a crapload of sps so I also have to add 60ml of both part A and part B of bulk reef supply recipe to maintain my ca at 420 and my dkh at 7.5 When I was adding bakeing soda I was always out off balance and it caused some serious groth issues.