SPS and Water Parameters

I'm back, but with really good news!

I'm impressed with the results that I'm having all around the tank and how my corals are responding. They are happy and their colors are splashing through out!

At first my tank was very low in nutrients. So, I started to feed it more, I increased the light intensity and time, and turned off the skimmer and reactors. A bloom of algae made me crazy for like a month and a half and then everything went back to normal. I started to see more polyp extensions and colors showing up. I keep feeding around 2 times per day and I did water changes only once a month. I know people may disagree with me, but since 2010 I have been trying lots of things and have had no positive results in colors (referring to SPS).

I kept reading about high NO3 and PO4 and how the SPS love it. I just feed the corals with coral vibrance and feed the fish with pellets.

My new parameters:
"¢ 6/23/16
Salt: 1.025
Temp: 77.1
Alk: 8.0dKh
Ca: 360ppm
Mag: 1500ppm
Nitrate: 3ppm
PO4: 0.28ppm
Ph: 8.00

I know that my PO4 is sky high, but some people have it higher than I do and the colors are spectacular! It's not that I want them higher than that, but I'll not try to decrease it nether.

Now we can compare colors...

<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/user/omie11/media/reef%20central/27E9BC3B-82D4-45DD-9C8F-C04377F0F816.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/27E9BC3B-82D4-45DD-9C8F-C04377F0F816.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 27E9BC3B-82D4-45DD-9C8F-C04377F0F816.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/user/omie11/media/reef%20central/IMG_2796.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_2796.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_2796.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/user/omie11/media/reef%20central/IMG_2802.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_2802.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_2802.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/user/omie11/media/reef%20central/IMG_3114.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3114.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3114.jpg"/></a>

Pls, any thoughts are welcome!
 
Johnic said:
Looks good!
How's the algae ? A lot of algae on glass ? How often do u need to clean glass.
Click to expand...

I have no algae at all. The LR is clear of GHA and the glass too. But the glass I clean it every day with the mag float.
 
Potatohead said:
You have that kind of color with phosphates at .28??? Wow... The change is amazing. Are you still feeding a ton?
Click to expand...

Yes, I checked the PO4 on Wednesday and it was .25 and then I checked on Saturday and it was .28. I was concerned, but some people have them over .35 and they have amazing corals. It was a relief to know that mine were lower.

I do feed my tank twice a day. In the afternoon I feed the fish with pellets and at night I use coral vibrance for the corals. I did turn on the skimmer (forgot to mention that), bc I not want the PO4 to increase.
 
Some good growth on the basing out, one question I pose is when we see a tinge of purple in a new coral, then after a few weeks or months it's a deep violet / plum is this the way we try to get or sps to look. I have a tricolour which was bought lilac and bleached bone coloured, I too have severely high po4 @0.3 and no3 @well ... Off the scale on my Red Sea kit..diluted I'd say 30 to 50 ppm

Now this particular coral is dark purple, but a hue of brown to it..

Just wondering what your thoughts are in regard to its own true colouration, or whether if the coral is being pressured to such dark colouration this is how you like it?
 
Livingjewels said:
Some good growth on the basing out, one question I pose is when we see a tinge of purple in a new coral, then after a few weeks or months it's a deep violet / plum is this the way we try to get or sps to look. I have a tricolour which was bought lilac and bleached bone coloured, I too have severely high po4 @0.3 and no3 @well ... Off the scale on my Red Sea kit..diluted I'd say 30 to 50 ppm

Now this particular coral is dark purple, but a hue of brown to it..

Just wondering what your thoughts are in regard to its own true colouration, or whether if the coral is being pressured to such dark colouration this is how you like it?
Click to expand...

Hi Livingjewels,
Normally when I buy a coral I look info about it and the colors that supposed to be. I had really low nutrients and I bring it up slowly. It took me more than 5 months to get some good colors (comparing for what I had).

I was talking Monday to a friend that he has an amazing tank, full of sps corals and he told me that his corals will start bleaching with more than .10ppm of PO4. Well, I bought the Red Ferrari and the sunset monti and both are doing well so far. Will post pics of the progress. It's so hard to please the corals and their needs, but something that all corals will agree on is that whatever you do, do it slowly.
 
Side pic of the Bonsai

<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/?action=view&current=IMG_3118.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3118.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

Top shot

<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/?action=view&current=IMG_3153.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3153.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>
 
Like I promise before, this are some pics of SPS and how they are doing. My PO4 is .28ppm and they are responding well. You guys will be my judges...

I think is Christmas Mirabilis
Day lights:
<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/?action=view&current=IMG_3123.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3123.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

Blue lights:
<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/?action=view&current=IMG_3117.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3117.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

Top shot:
<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/?action=view&current=IMG_3149.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3149.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>
 
Red Dragon

<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/?action=view&current=IMG_3150.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3150.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>
 
Acroberry
<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/?action=view&current=IMG_3135.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3135.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/?action=view&current=IMG_3154.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3154.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>
 
Love this one
Yellow w/ pink tips

<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/user/omie11/media/reef%20central/IMG_3136.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3136.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3136.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/user/omie11/media/reef%20central/IMG_3155.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3155.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3155.jpg"/></a>
 
Strawberry Shortcake was completely brown. And this is how it looks right now.

<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/user/omie11/media/reef%20central/IMG_3158.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3158.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3158.jpg"/></a>
 
Candlelight Acro
<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/user/omie11/media/reef%20central/IMG_3122.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3122.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3122.jpg"/></a>
 
Yellow Digitata
<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/user/omie11/media/reef%20central/IMG_3126.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3126.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3126.jpg"/></a>
 
Omie said:
Yellow Digitata
<a href="http://s1014.photobucket.com/user/omie11/media/reef%20central/IMG_3126.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af269/omie11/reef%20central/IMG_3126.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3126.jpg"/></a>
Click to expand...

Ummm....yellow?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K
Help: SPS peeling strangely.
Replies
5
Views
205
griss
griss
S
Acro to browning out
2
Replies
36
Views
1K
Scotty333!!!
S
Lebowski_
Why do SPS need "aged" tanks?
Replies
5
Views
438
shred5
shred5
T
Kessil A360XE TUNA BLUE Setup Help Please
Replies
2
Views
115
tgurske
T
S
Water parameters
Replies
1
Views
231
griss
griss
Back
Top