Problems Keeping Green Body/Base Tissue on SPS

[Canadian]

I can't keep the green tissue in SPS green. Pretty much any frag I add to my tank that has green "body" tissue turns blue. An SPS coral with green polyps will keep its green polyps though.

And with that said, I'm also generally having a problem with bleaching/pastel colors. I probably have too low a nutrient level. In an attempt to rectify this I have added sand to my tank (did this last week) and have been trying some of the Zeovit additives in the Nano Power Package to see if they have any effect (Pohl's Xtra, Pohl's Coral Vitalizer and Amino Acid LPS. I'm not dosing the Sponge Power because I don't care to have more sponges growing in my tank). I'm also going to add more fish (6 green chromis tomorrow).

I know some people believe iron dosing will help with green coloration. I'm not particularly inclined to dose iron without testing for it.

And to help with the diagnosis here are the tank particulars:

- See equipment in my signature below

- I'm running NP Biopellets, carbon, and Purigen (Purigen is a new thing while I start to try feeding more and adding more fish)

- Temp - 79F
- SG - 1.026
- pH 8.0-8.1
- Alk - 10 DKH Salifert and ATI
- Ca - 420 Saliftert
- Mg - 1300 Salifert
- NO3 - 0.0 on Elos and Salifert
- PO4 - 0.00 on Hanna photometer (highest I've had it recently was 0.03)

Livestock:
- Sixline Wrasse (small)
- Chalk Basslet
- Saddleback Clownfish
- Small Yellow Tang (added last week to get a "dirty" fish in the tank)
- Serpent Star
- A few Astrea snails and Blue Leg Hermits

I'll take a few new pics tomorrow to update how things are looking. Here's a picture from about a month ago (the white balance is off and I would say the pic doesn't accurately represent how pale things are). I have removed the Talbot's Damsel and one of the Saddleback Clownfish you can see in this picture in preparation for adding the green chromis:

 

[Logzor]

In my experience, pastel colors are caused by:

Too intense T5 lighitng
Nutrients are too low
high salinity

 

[bogg]

I would add iron serious and the KZ potassiumiodideflouride the tank is just to clean you can also skim less maybe turn it off for a day once in a while. The sponge power was intended to be food just for sponges but the sps like it also and have better growth/increased ca. uptake and better purples ime you should notice a nice difference in colors with the xtra also

 

[werdlone]

Just don't do too much too quickly....

Adding sand
Adding 6 fish
Adding more food (for new fish)
Adding supplements

I would go with one at a time and give it a few weeks in between, at least. The new sand will probably cycle. Then, with added fish, food, supplements ...would hate to see you have problems. I think you are on the right track though, just go slow. Overall, sounds like you have stripped the nutrients..Iron definitely helps greens.

 

[dudley moray]

no3 and po4 have to be there in small amounts or corals starve !
no3 5 ppm
po4 0.03 ppm

 

[jackson6745]

Reduce your photoperiod. This will greatly improve your colors.

 

[Canadian]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I know I need more nutrients hence my attempts at upping them. I've been careful to initiate all these things slowly over the last 6 weeks.

I've considered reducing my photoperiod but as it stands I'm only running all 8 lamps 4:00-10:00 and my dawn dusk from 2:00-10:30.

I'll hold off on adding iron until I see how adding the green chromis turns out over the next couple weeks.

 

[no_Wedge]

does reducing photo period really help color? I run my MH for 12 hours, and wondering if dropping to 11 would affect growth at all?

 

[jackson6745]

It worked for me on several tanks. In the past I had a starved looking reef with a very low fish load and big skimmer. All the corals were pale. I actually went to an extreme of reducing my MH photoperiod down to 2 hours while keeping my supplemental lighting on it's normal schedule. My corals became deep in color.
I am not saying to reduce this much but you will notice a big difference from a significant photoperiod reduction. From 12-11hrs i doubt you would see a difference. IMO you should reduce to 8hrs. You will not harm your corals and you will see a difference in a short time.
Canadian, even with your T5's I would also reduce the PP further. You corals are very pale and don't need all the light at your current nutrient level IMO. I would reduce the PP with all bulbs down to 4 hours for a while. See how your corals respond. You won't hurt them

 

[no_Wedge]

I am afraid to reduce too low, since my tank runs only on 1 MH no supplements, and it would be the only light they receive. Don't sps receive around 12hours in the wild? also I don't run a skimmer so my nutrients are high but i keep nitrates at 0