Need help from the experts!! Lost color!
- Thread starter sslak
- Start date
My corals were super pale like yours when I was vodka dosing and my nitrates were 0. I stopped vodka dosing and bumped up my feedings and the colors gradually returned.
This would account for ALL of your corals being pale (SPS & LPS). I would increase feedings... yes this will increase your algea too, but once your corals recover from being bleached, you can work on the algea problem.
I also think you alk needs to be more stable. My SPS colors seemed to really improve when I finally got my alk dosing stabilized.
For now, I would say to use a doing pump for your Alk and dose calcium by hand each day if two pumps aren't an option
This would account for ALL of your corals being pale (SPS & LPS). I would increase feedings... yes this will increase your algea too, but once your corals recover from being bleached, you can work on the algea problem.
I also think you alk needs to be more stable. My SPS colors seemed to really improve when I finally got my alk dosing stabilized.
For now, I would say to use a doing pump for your Alk and dose calcium by hand each day if two pumps aren't an option
popsock
Premium Member
Your problem seems pretty obvious to me. You're testing Phosphate levels with a Mickey Mouse test kit, an API kit is nowhere near accurate enough for a reef tank. The clue is the algae overgrowth! Phosphate and silicate will dull most corals. I'd buy a Salifert or D&D test kit, and see what's really going on in there.
sslak
New member
If you would have taken the time to read, you would have seen that I ASSUME that there is PO4 present, because of the algae growth.
That said, I'm also running GFO, and doing weekly 15gal water changes. It's kind of you to point out the problem, but you haven't offered any SOLUTIONS, which is what I'm looking for.
Hannah checker will arrive on Christmas (as mentioned previously).
sslak
New member
UPDATE: I did 3 days lights out. I did a 15 gal water change during the lights out.
I replaced my Blue+ with regular old actinics with far less PAR. I turned the lights back on today, but left the channel with the 250w set to OFF so I'm just running the 175 and the 2x39w actinics.
It would have been really cool if someone would have mentioned that 3 days lights out would cause my Alk to drop to 6.0 I checked it just as the lights came on, and I dosed 50ml of Alk. I will check again after the lights have been on a few hours and see where it's at.
I replaced my Blue+ with regular old actinics with far less PAR. I turned the lights back on today, but left the channel with the 250w set to OFF so I'm just running the 175 and the 2x39w actinics.
It would have been really cool if someone would have mentioned that 3 days lights out would cause my Alk to drop to 6.0 I checked it just as the lights came on, and I dosed 50ml of Alk. I will check again after the lights have been on a few hours and see where it's at.
needmore-reef
New member
sslak,
Im in the same boat w/ cotton candy algae. My salifert test kit always reads <0.03
didn't know photoperiod or lights off would affect alk.
good luck with your tank.
Im in the same boat w/ cotton candy algae. My salifert test kit always reads <0.03
didn't know photoperiod or lights off would affect alk.
good luck with your tank.
allsps40
New member
I would not. I would only do 1 of 3 things. 1 kalk in ATO. 2 2 part and a doser. 3 calcium reactor
allsps40
New member
Ok the light out will not cause alk to drop, lighting and alk have nothing to do with one another, ph though is different. You are really messing with the tank way to much here. Agressive GFO and vodka, large frequent water changes, large alk swings (drop to 6 then a large dose all at once), changing lighting type and time. Run some GFO, leave the lights alone, stop vodka dosing and heavy water changes, get more CUC different snails and hermits, have good flow to keep detritus off rocks and keep things stable.
sslak
New member
I've NEVER dosed vodka.
I DIDN'T do a large dose of Alk all at once, I do 40ml every day to maintain dkH of 9.5
Lights are back on (aside from the 250w)
I wouldn't call 15gal weekly water changes "heavy".
I have no idea what caused the Alk to drop to 6 during the 3 day lights out. All I did was my normal weekly water change (Alk of NSW was 10)
I'm getting so many conflicting ideas it's hard to figure out what to do, but I certainly haven't done anything drastic. The "lights out" period was the only action I've taken that differs from my normal routine.
I DIDN'T do a large dose of Alk all at once, I do 40ml every day to maintain dkH of 9.5
Lights are back on (aside from the 250w)
I wouldn't call 15gal weekly water changes "heavy".
I have no idea what caused the Alk to drop to 6 during the 3 day lights out. All I did was my normal weekly water change (Alk of NSW was 10)
I'm getting so many conflicting ideas it's hard to figure out what to do, but I certainly haven't done anything drastic. The "lights out" period was the only action I've taken that differs from my normal routine.
nonstopfishies
Member
Are you dosing 20 ml or 40 ml a day? You have said both. If you are dosing the same amount each day you shouldn't be having the swings you have had in your testing.
15 gallons is more than I would do. You have a 58 gallon tank minus rock so probably closer to 45 gallons, and a 20 gallon sump that is probably at most half full so 10 gallons of water. So ~55 gallons of water(maybe less), meaning a 15g water change is almost 30% of the volume.
I would agree with others that the lighting was too much. You seem to be in the right direction on that now.
Well a dosing pump for Alk would be better than no dosing pump, but obviously2 pumps would be better.
sslak
New member
Sorry, was a quick post...here's the full story.
Had been doing 40ml per day for a while (based on BRS calculator and testing)
Reference to the test table, the Alk of 12.5 on 11/2 prompted me to reduce my dosing to 20ml per day for a while.
Subsequent testing at 9.5 fairly consistently seems to indicate 20ml per day is better. Although this recent reading of 6.0 concerns me...I have no idea why that would have dropped.
I think the real answer is a bit of both. Too much light, and inconsistent dosing/testing. I guess my BioCube with softies was always auto-pilot and it's taking longer than I thought to get a "feel" for this tank.
Had been doing 40ml per day for a while (based on BRS calculator and testing)
Reference to the test table, the Alk of 12.5 on 11/2 prompted me to reduce my dosing to 20ml per day for a while.
Subsequent testing at 9.5 fairly consistently seems to indicate 20ml per day is better. Although this recent reading of 6.0 concerns me...I have no idea why that would have dropped.
I think the real answer is a bit of both. Too much light, and inconsistent dosing/testing. I guess my BioCube with softies was always auto-pilot and it's taking longer than I thought to get a "feel" for this tank.
chrishayes
New member
dont sweat the fact that you are getting conflicting info, its a message board not a vet clinic! lol its par for the course around here. Im sure everyone is trying to help but everyone has their own opinion as to what is wrong. Add to that, most people fail to read all the info nor do they know the "full" story of your tank and how you care for it and you get the point.
I feel you are on the right track as well. Stabilize your alk and cal by at least dialing in the amounts that you need to dose then split that in two if you can and dose twice a day until you can get dosing pumps. Drop the lighting down a bit as well. Your coral look to be bleached which is likely due to alk swings and being blasted with all that light at the same time. Once you get your numbers stable, that much light shouldnt be a problem but right now while they are stressed its just too much for them to cope with.
Good luck going forward and take this board with a little more humor in mind. Its a tool and one that can be used right or wrong, thats up to you!
I feel you are on the right track as well. Stabilize your alk and cal by at least dialing in the amounts that you need to dose then split that in two if you can and dose twice a day until you can get dosing pumps. Drop the lighting down a bit as well. Your coral look to be bleached which is likely due to alk swings and being blasted with all that light at the same time. Once you get your numbers stable, that much light shouldnt be a problem but right now while they are stressed its just too much for them to cope with.
Good luck going forward and take this board with a little more humor in mind. Its a tool and one that can be used right or wrong, thats up to you!
miwoodar
Likey the bikey
I would point to a nutrient issue...either too much or too little. You're going to need to determine which. Having a little algae doesn't mean much w/o discussing your herbivore crew. Perhaps I've missed it but I don't see any tangs or mention of algae eating fish above. My gut says feed more and increase your grazer staff.
Stability is key too as others have mentioned. dkh is always tops on my list. I don't think you've shown a smoking gun though.
Regarding coraline...this photo reveals at least one factor. The asterina star fish are eating it. You can see the starfish (a few) and the spots (many).
Stability is key too as others have mentioned. dkh is always tops on my list. I don't think you've shown a smoking gun though.
Regarding coraline...this photo reveals at least one factor. The asterina star fish are eating it. You can see the starfish (a few) and the spots (many).
Last edited:
RtReef
New member
In my opinion it would be light causing your color loss. From all the threads I have read in various sources in regards to a switch from lighting can/will cause color loss. When you add or take away light the corals need to adjust. Your adding light may have been too much for the corals to adjust to at once. I would say use the lighting you were originally successful with and gradually introduce new lights. Give them some time to adjust and there color will come back.
I would compare to a human in the sun. Too much will give you a sunburn, too little will turn you pale. This isn't exactly the same with corals but the point is light affects conditions of appearance.. my .02
I would compare to a human in the sun. Too much will give you a sunburn, too little will turn you pale. This isn't exactly the same with corals but the point is light affects conditions of appearance.. my .02
sslak
New member
Thanks Mike. Good eye on the starfish. I did have a million for a while, population seems to have naturally dropped back to "normal".
Tank is too small for a Tang =( I did just add two big turbo snails and they are going to town on the GHA as we speak.
I was thinking about an algae blenny, but I really want a midas blenny because I the look of a bright yellow open water swimmer. Would they coexist?
I did go back to my original lighting. I'm going to run that a few weeks and see what happens.
Tank is too small for a Tang =( I did just add two big turbo snails and they are going to town on the GHA as we speak.
I was thinking about an algae blenny, but I really want a midas blenny because I the look of a bright yellow open water swimmer. Would they coexist?
I did go back to my original lighting. I'm going to run that a few weeks and see what happens.
