SPS Color Issues (long w/pictures)

[Syntax1325]

Hello,

This is a little long and has a bunch of pictures.

I have a 29 gallon sps dominant reef and have been struggling with pale and rather drab acros. PE is good with all the corals. I think growth is a little slow and the colors range from brown to pastel. Lighting is provided by an Acan 600 series fixture with white/blue/violet led’s mounted about 8 inches above the water line - I have a rather long ramp up and down simulation of several hours. The program is this:

7:30 2% white, 15% blue;
8:15 10% white, 25% blue;
9:00 25% white 50% blue;
12:15 60% white 85% blue;
14:00 25% white, 75 % blue;
18:30 10% white, 35% blue;
and lights off at 22:30.

I have been using this schedule for about a month with very small adjustments along the way. I have noticed a tiny bit of color coming back on the base of some of the new encrusted base while the rest of coral remains pale. Since I made the change my growth barometer (a birds nest) has slowed down quite a bit.

I’ve recently set up a 125 gallon tank and will be moving all these corals in the next several months. I’ll be using a Pacific Sun Pandora S so I should have better spectrum than I have now. I’d like to be able to “figure this out” before I transfer my corals for peace of mind.

I used to use gfo because of high p04 laden rock, but I pulled it recently because I thought I had a nutrient issue. I change about 4 gallons of water a week using Salinity salt. The substrate is vacuumed about once a month and I blow off the rocks every couple of weeks. I recently started feeding coral frenzy and acro power. I feed frenzy every few days and acro power once a week (just started using it last week) The algae growth on my glass is very slow, takes a couple of weeks to get a haze that barely disturbs view. I’ve started feeding my fish more, pellets and mysid and have noticed a little algae growing on the substrate. I use 2 tsp per gallon of brightwell Kalk+2 in ato.

Livestock:

Corals top 1/3 of tank: Borealis, ORA Joe, Limeade, smooth acro, A&M Turquoise Stag horn
Corals middle of tank: Red Velvet Mont, Green Mont, ORA Red Planet, Bottle Brush, Cali Tort, Pavana (I also have some new frags acclimating at the bottom)

The Montipora’s have great color and seem to be growing well. The Pavana and Birdnest have good PE and growing. The Pavana is encrusting over some zoas.

I currently have two fish in the tank (false perch and a fire fish)

Here are the system details

29 gallon tank about 8 months old
mp-10 for circulation
Acan Lighting - 600b series 24” (not a prism)
10 gallon sump
SCA-301 skimmer (skimmate is always a light tea color)
Sicce 1.5 for return via diy spray bar
Temp is about 78 via a rancho controller
I have about 40 lbs of live rock and about an inch of carib sea black sand
JBJ ato

All across have been in the tank at least two months.

Parameters:
PH: 8.1 API(almost never check this)
Alk: 8.3 Salifert (this is fairly stable, may fluctuate by .3 between tests - within test error)
Nitrate: 0 API
Phos: .03 Red Sea
Ammonia: 0 API
Nitrite: 0 API
Salinity: 34 Refractometer
CA: 450 Salifert
MAG: 1300 Salifert

Here are a few pictures: These are from my phone, I apologize for the quality.


whole tank shot for reference


Borealis


Joe


Turquoise/Smooth Acro/Limeade


Red Planet


Cali Tort


Red Velvet Monti


Green Monti


Thank you for the help!

 

[PaleHorse]

Thank you for the perfect thread problem layout.

Okay your tank looks perfect. You are getting growth common to led lighting as you can see from the monti. You have a basic led layout.

What are your optics?
Some sps seem very far from your lights. If you are going to stay with this lighting you might want to look at reef breeders photon series.

If you want real growth and no question on light get a mh/to set up and end your fustration!!!

 

[Reef Bass]

I also favor MH lighting, but I do believe success can be had with LEDs as well.

Based on what you've presented, I agree with your assessment of brown and pastel acros. You are likely to get many different opinions and suggestions regarding lighting and food, which, in my opinion, are the root of the issues you are describing. Here are mine.

In my experience, brown acros are often wanting more light. IMHO, your 15 hour photoperiod is already very long, though I realize there's a lot of ramp up / ramp down time. I would shorten the photoperiod to more like 12 hours and ramp up / down more quickly. I would also increase the intensity a small amount every week or two. Moving the acros closer to the light would be another approach. I wouldn't do both at once. Go slow.

Your fish load is very light. Are you feeding your acros at all? 4 or 5 years ago my sps kept getting more and more pale and some eventually died. I started feeding them zooplankton in various forms and within 2 weeks they were obviously coloring back up and within 2-3 months I no longer felt my sps were pale. Growth also increased.

You've done a good job describing your setup and parameters. The one key element I don't see listed is magnesium. In my opinion, if one is keeping stony corals, alk, ca and mag are three items which need to be tested for regularly and supplemented when necessary.

 

[Syntax1325]

Oops! Mag hovers around 1300.

I believe the optics on the Acan are 90 degree.

I just started feeding Coral Frenzy broadcasting about 3 times a week. Use acro power as well, just started and have only dosed once.

 

[rc4kinu]

My SPS looked similar to yours when I switched to LED's years back when there was only white/blue. Ok, but lacked the wow factor. I had since upgraded to Radion 3 pro and added T-5 and it was like "magic". Colors came back quickly and growth accelerated. I used the acclimation feature initially so not to shock the corals.

 

[Syntax1325]

The Acan lights were not cheap. I ended up selecting them over the radion because I like how the lights were distributed over almost the entire tank instead of two pucks. In hindsight, I probably made the wrong choice. They are not full spectrum but I have seen some colorful sps with these lights. The color temperature for the white LEDs is 12000K and Blue LEDs are 460nm & 450nm.

 

[xtlosx]

So I am having the same sort of issue I believe. I fought a huge algae issue forever, probably 9-12 months. I thought it was PO4, so I ran heavy high capacity GFO, and it never seemed to go away. I did water changes, nothing ever fixed it and it was a pain in the arse. in the mean time, my SPS had good color actually.

Recently, I found out I had an issue with my skimmer, I corrected that, and now my NO4 is 0, and PO4 is zero. I feed heavily, have a decent bioload, and now my colors are crappy. So I went from high nutrients, to low nutrients. I'm trying to figure out how to get balance, but it seems like with heavy feeding now and heavy skimming, colors are coming back.

It has been a frustrating journey.... first too high nutrients, then too low, now I just need balance Good luck!!

 

[Syntax1325]

Thank you for the perfect thread problem layout.

Okay your tank looks perfect. You are getting growth common to led lighting as you can see from the monti. You have a basic led layout.

What are your optics?
Some sps seem very far from your lights. If you are going to stay with this lighting you might want to look at reef breeders photon series.

If you want real growth and no question on light get a mh/to set up and end your fustration!!!

I'd love to use MH/t5 but I really don't want to deal with the heat issues and the wife vetoed it due to electricity concerns. I'm hoping the Pacific Sun Pandora S3 will be a suitable substitute, the t5's should help to fill in the spectrum.

 

[Aqualund]

Without knowing your PAR...my first guess would be the led's are too bright...but when you look at the whole tank picture it just doesnt seem that way...so then I would point to starving corals...which you are addressing with feeding.

Another thing to consider is parameters fluctuations throughout the day. do you dose alk/ca/mg every 20 minutes or so during the course of the day? Or all at once when you get home from work?

Small systems with growing corals can experience pretty significant fluctuations throughout the course of the day...and especially sps...like the ones you have can get pretty stressed just by this alone.

Maybe set up a dosing program to promote more stability with a dosing pump or a calcium reactor?

Also, yeah I would throw a GE 6500 t5 and a ATI purple plus over the tank to cover the spectrum...and then you wont have any second guesses...you'll have good lighting, problem solved, and you can focus on other issues. And the power isn't that much more than the leds realistically.

I made the switch from all custom leds to t5's/led for some of the same issues you are having, and the difference is quite positive...and im pretty hard person to please lol.

 

[ChrisKirkland]

LED's are not this guys problem. He is running a ULNS. Keep dosing acro power, and feeding coral frenzy. Try target feeding them with a syringe. As a fellow LED man I have had nothing but success with my radions. The Acan lights are very good also, I would lower your power on the lights by maybe 25%. what are your lights set on?

 

[ChrisKirkland]

Your light cycle should not exceed 10hrs total.

 

[rovster]

I had similar issues. I added more fish and fed more and things got better. I would start by adding more fish. After that look into increasing light intensity. Maybe forget about the fancy ramping of the LEDs and do a quick ramp up and down at the ends, and try and maintain the same lighting intensity throughout most of the photoperiod. Once you get that figured out, then start playing with the fancy stuff. We over complicate LEDs because we can........I think that's the problem, LOL! Good luck......

 

[Syntax1325]

I have a feeling that my lighting schedule is at least 75% of my problem. I have an email into Acan to see if they have suggestions for a generic schedule that I can build upon.

Chris, the lights are temporarily on pieces of styrofoam.

 

[Syntax1325]

I had similar issues. I added more fish and fed more and things got better. I would start by adding more fish. After that look into increasing light intensity. Maybe forget about the fancy ramping of the LEDs and do a quick ramp up and down at the ends, and try and maintain the same lighting intensity throughout most of the photoperiod. Once you get that figured out, then start playing with the fancy stuff. We over complicate LEDs because we can........I think that's the problem, LOL! Good luck......

Seems very reasonable. I designed my lighting schedule so that I could see the tank more; however, I may be doing more harm than good. Can you offer a schedule suggestion?

 

[ChrisKirkland]

I would for sure say its partly the lighting schedule/ config and the low nutrient levels.

 

[rovster]

Seems very reasonable. I designed my lighting schedule so that I could see the tank more; however, I may be doing more harm than good. Can you offer a schedule suggestion?

Not familiar with that light. But to keep it simple do a solid 5-6 hrs of a full intensity lighting period. By full intensity, I just mean no ramping. Maybe 30-40% white, and 80-100% blue. You can add an hour on each end for a ramp up and down or an all blue period. Again, not familiar with your lights, so use your judgment. All those ramping intervals just add complexity and variables. Use your light as a basic light for a little while, and once you figure it out, then start playing with the settings. Hope that helps. I ran a very simple led setup over my biocube. No ramping. No fancyness. Worked just fine

 

[Aqualund]

Could OP also verify how he is managing Ca/Alk/Mg?

 

[brad65ford]

If your serious about this hobby and your live stock get a par meter. I'm not saying it will tell you exactly what to set it at but more of a tool to see when adjusting or changing.

 

[Syntax1325]

Could OP also verify how he is managing Ca/Alk/Mg?

Sorry for the delay in responding to you... I am using a jbj ato with 2 tsp of brightwell Kalk+2. My alk stays between 8.3-8.6 and my Calcium stays about 440-450... I believe that the Mg is set with weekly 10% water changes via Aquavitra Salinity salt and maintained throughout the week with the Brightwell Kalk+2, it is around 1300 consistently.

 

[Aqualund]

Perfect man that sounds like you got the water parameters wrapped up pretty good.