Low Potassium cause of poor colors?

[JG1]

I added my first SPS frags two weeks ago and colors have been fading away since adding.

Params are:
Ca 450
Alk 7.5dkh
MG 1300
PO4 0.03ppm
Nitrate 0
ph 8.2
1.025
78 degrees

I was using an Elos test kit for K and it's impossible to know what the reading is. I just got the red sea kit in which uses a titrate test and I'm around 250ppm on K.

Just started dosing K-Strong.

Is the very low K the cause of my poor colors?

Dosing Zeobak, Spongepower, Start3, Food7, along with running 1.2L zeolites

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

that's a lot of dosing...

I cannot speak from personal experience about those product but the only thing I dose is Ca and alk supplements (part A & B). One of the tricks to keeping good colors is to keep all parameters stable.

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

...

 

[smtank]

Never dosed K in my life. If your doing routine water changes you should not have to IMO. I would look else were, like the coral is probably acclimating to your lighting. Your signature says your running a zeovite system?

 

[JG1]

zeo systems are known to deplete K.

 

[chefzif]

I just dose Alk and Calc, maybe every month some mag and iodine. Watch your feeding! all of the products you are dosing could have something to do with your color. +1 on keeping peramiters stable. A while back I was loosing some color and I tested for potassium and I dosed some potassium and I had issues so I advise not to go that route. Keep up on regular water changes and no swings in peramiters and all should start to color back up. How long has the system been up and running? Good luck!

 

[Jim Z.]

Hi,

Stylophora and various Montipora exhibited pale gray coloration and some had tip die back with low potassium in my tank. Sunset milli kept its polyps retracted during this time. I added Brightwell's Potassion and within 24 hours everything bagan to recover. Even though I was doing water changes weekly, the zeolites in my sump were pulling out more than what was being replenished. Overdosing can produce symptoms similar to potassium poor tanks.......Jim Z.

 

[smalltime]

How long have you been running Zeovit? Are you getting your sps frags from another ULNS? Whats your flow rated through your zeovit reactor?

 

[JG1]

3 months. Frags didn't come from a carbon/bacteria system. Running around 100gph threw the Rx

 

[sowellj]

It is definitely possible. You could dose SLOWLY and see if it helps. The zeovit potassium test kit is utterly useless, so even w/a test kit it is hard to know if you are overdosing.

 

[JG1]

It is definitely possible. You could dose SLOWLY and see if it helps. The zeovit potassium test kit is utterly useless, so even w/a test kit it is hard to know if you are overdosing.

I have a red sea titratable test kit.

Been dosing K for two days now. Will bring it up to around 380-400ppm. Already noticed better polyp extention in my Copps bonsai.

 

[bvoss]

I was using pellets and vodka. I sent my water out for test and it showed K seriously depleted in spite of regular water changes.

I dosed some K and got much better colors in just 2 weeks.

The test kits for this are pitiful. You are really dosing in the dark (and I hate that).

 

[smalltime]

Your levels seem right on for Zeovit. As for coral color 3 months in you just started the transfomation to ULNS. The Zeovit guide says it takes 3 to 4 rock changes before seeing the impact of Zeovit and in some cases upto a year. Take it slow.
Since your running Zeovit try to purchase corals from another Zeovit tank. The corals will make the transition better. I also found that ORA frags can adapt to a ULNS well.

 

[JG1]

Your levels seem right on for Zeovit. As for coral color 3 months in you just started the transfomation to ULNS. The Zeovit guide says it takes 3 to 4 rock changes before seeing the impact of Zeovit and in some cases upto a year. Take it slow.
Since your running Zeovit try to purchase corals from another Zeovit tank. The corals will make the transition better. I also found that ORA frags can adapt to a ULNS well.

I bought an ORA borealis frag three weeks ago thats doing fantastic.

 

[MammothReefer]

If it is, from what I understand and have noticed in the past. Your montipora will show signs first.