Sps doctors! Diagnose my tank, before I throw in the towel!

[Koralcrazy]

This is hard advice for me to take, but I want to take it!

When I have algae everywhere, surrounding my frag plugs, and little to no growth, I have always been trained to think too many nutrients....so, hearing feed more is surprising, but I will give it a shot for 1 month and then report back.

I suppose to help me deal with the ugly algae, I could up the cleaning crew and maybe add some algae eating fish....

Regardless I will try to get to pics up soon, so many of you can feel my pain!

 

[animalkingdom]

I get brown algae when my salinity creeps up in addition to low nutrients. I'd double check your salinity to be sure.

 

[Koralcrazy]

Here are some photos (sorry from my phone, they are blurry, but I think get the point across)...now quite of bit of time lapse is going on here, so ignore the growth, it hasnt been good...also look around in the background at my nasty brown algae covered overflow....this is killing me, pale colors, no growth, but tons of algae? I don't get it...

Red Robin when purchased

And now (check out the algae....)

Another when purchased

And now

and one more when purchased

and now its current state

Is the consensus now still the same? Feed more? Watch my algae grow?

Also - have done multiple dips, basting, no detection of flatworms, or red bugs with magnifying glass...

 

[Piper27]

Are you testing phosphates with the low range "green egg"? Also what test kit is giving you nitrate readings at 5? Doesn't sound like anything is starving! You have algae, and nitrates. The way the corals are branched out really thin looks like there isn't enough flow. In turn maybe your sand needs to be tended too. Just my thoughts... No expert here, only experience.

 

[Piper27]

You say it's bare bottom and I see sand? I would try some phosphate remover after you give us more info on test kits and the sand or not sand? I would like to see some top down pics to see the actual color also, along with a fts.

 

[trueblackpercula]

I can't take credit for this recipe, it's called pappone and it's an old Italian DIY food, often used with the Blue Coral Method.

Just in case anyone wants the full feeding food for Sps. By the way it's also supposed to include HGH. I have been wanting to try it but used oyster feast instead. I think I will revisit it and try when my oyster feast is finished. You must shut of your pumps and then feed the tank. Be carful with it as it's very high in nutrients.
Hope this helps.


"Pappone" Recipe Italian Coral Food (Updated 12/20/2006)

Materials:
5 Oysters
5 Mussels
5 Clams
5 Shrimp (NOT cocktail shrimp, the big scampi type w/o the head and the shell)
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
200 mL of RO/DI water
10 g of Red Algae (Palmaria palmata; Bisck uses Julian Sprung's brand)
and/or 10 g of Spirulina, 10 g of Nori (spirulina is what Bisck prefers)

 

[Koralcrazy]

Are you testing phosphates with the low range "green egg"? Also what test kit is giving you nitrate readings at 5? Doesn't sound like anything is starving! You have algae, and nitrates. The way the corals are branched out really thin looks like there isn't enough flow. In turn maybe your sand needs to be tended too. Just my thoughts... No expert here, only experience.

Thanks for chiming in. Nitrates are less than 5 with salifert....again, could be lower, but hard to tell faded light pink colors.

Sandbed was completely removed 2-3 months ago in effort to try and remedy my issues....had no effect, other than 2 part consumption was reduced...

After the 1 year mark, I started becoming more proactive with trying things to fix my tank....the sandbed removal was one of the first things I tried, but has made no difference.

 

[xxxduke62xxx]

If you are BB your issue may be bacteria. You may not have a substantial bacteria population in your tank. I run BB and everything I read was to introduce bacteria at least once a week. Feed your fish alot i feed for 2 hours,little at a time from 8 till 10. I run a big skimmer. My colors are fine though i did just have a incident with burning the tips of my SPS with 2 much light But I think this maybe your problem. I just went to a friends house that had similar conditions but he had 0 algae but pastel colored SPS and gave him the same talk. I think you should bump up the amount of water changes to 25% per week for a month and scrape the alge off your walls and overflow. Test the water you make after you mix the salt and but supplemental bacteria like special blend,dr tims or microbacter7.

 

[franklypre]

I use Aquavitro Fuel to replace the water and HGH(it's only available with a Rx here). I've tried a few times to use other methods and never had the success I've had using pappone. If you had issues before going BB and are still having the same issue of pale coral with no growth I'd strongly suggest checking the salinity and feeding pappone. I don't shut my pumps off, just switch to night mode or feed mode.

 

[Blueline12]

I think you need some aminos too and some additional sps feeding. Your corals look healthy but not as colorful as they were due to lack of food. I run bb and dose microbacter7 along with vodka dosing and when nutrients are too low you will lose color or pale out. I don't see a big problem with the algae on your back wall/overflow. I have some too but I feed heavily and have a pretty good amount of fish.

 

[Piper27]

Thanks for chiming in. Nitrates are less than 5 with salifert....again, could be lower, but hard to tell faded light pink colors.

Sandbed was completely removed 2-3 months ago in effort to try and remedy my issues....had no effect, other than 2 part consumption was reduced...

After the 1 year mark, I started becoming more proactive with trying things to fix my tank....the sandbed removal was one of the first things I tried, but has made no difference.

Maybe it will take some time to get straightened out bacteria wise from removing the sand bed.
So which phosphate test are you using? There is a big difference in the ulr and regulart phosphate kit. especially if algae is consuming any phosphates that would show on a test kit. The saliferts nitrate kit is VERY easy to tell if your nitrates are low as or lower than 5 by viewing from the side. I can read mine at .02 fairly easy and I am kinda colorblind. I would be very careful trying to feed a bunch or whatever until you are sure what your real levels are. what kind of skimmer are you using anyways? I want to see some sump pics and want to see some updated pics of what everything looks like now, removing the sand could be an issue I am sure you know that, like was said the bacteria. If you have readable nitrates I find it hard you need coral food... Maybe just time? Hard to say without updated pics. Honestly if your going to throw in the towels over something like off colors that's no good! Posting better updated pics should help though, especially top down. I don't thi I you should take much action or advice from people until your sure whats going on. Making things worse and having things change too fast will do nothing but cause more problems. Your alk and calcium consumption makes since because the sandbed is gone, corals and bacteria are adjusting I would guess. I had the same thing happen changing my lights recently.

I am going through brown phase with my acros now due to changed lighting and lower nutrients. So I find your thread interesting and your corals don't look that bad in the first place. Just because they have good "genes" doesn't mean they will do well in your tank or mine for that matter, just my opinion. I have bought lots of coral from "the big boys" that took forever to get its true colors, on the other hand bought wilds that colored up quick and grew twice as fast.

 

[Acronic]

What is your K sitting at?

 

[Allmost]

yea your corals are loosing color, rather than browning out as its evident from the pictures. ignore my previous comments.

 

[ssscuz]

What do u test your sg with?
Do you use calibration fluid?
Looks like a tank I have seen with a salinity issue. Maybe not bad enough to cause them to die off but keeps them growing slowly and no colour

 

[trueblackpercula]

What do u test your sg with?
Do you use calibration fluid?
Looks like a tank I have seen with a salinity issue. Maybe not bad enough to cause them to die off but keeps them growing slowly and no colour

How high of a Salinity will cause this above 1.028 ?

 

[barjam]

I have had the same problem and the same algae (looks like although mine is more on the rocks) for about two years now. Hanna phosphorus checker reads 0.00 to 0.03 corals all paled out and extremely slow growth. My tank is also a barebottom. I have also had successful sps tanks in the past...

Two weeks ago I figured I would try something drastic as nothing else was working. I majorly increased feeding. In some corals this changed colors almost overnight. Growth has increased to the point that I notice new growth each day. I have had more growth in two weeks on some corals than I have had over the past two years. No joke. One coral in particular an sps that was originally green/dark blue which had been a very light blue/tan for two years turned dark blue (on its way to green I assume) over the course of two days.

My tank is a 120 gallon. Before I would feed a pinch of flake every other to every day on average with frozen once a week or so. Now I feed a cube of frozen every other day or so and dump in flake (auto feeder) twice a day. I am of the opinion that the brown alage I have can not be addressed with nutrient control. Snails/crabs ignore it but urchins remove it. I will probably just throw a couple more urchins at the problem and call it a day. I wonder if it is some sort of hair cyano... No idea.

I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop at this point (more algae) but nothing yet. I have to clean the glass more but that's about it. This might be wishful thinking but it seeks like the brown algae on the rocks is getting a bit better.

 

[sahin]

I have had the same problem and the same algae (looks like although mine is more on the rocks) for about two years now. Hanna phosphorus checker reads 0.00 to 0.03 corals all paled out and extremely slow growth. My tank is also a barebottom. I have also had successful sps tanks in the past...

Two weeks ago I figured I would try something drastic as nothing else was working. I majorly increased feeding. In some corals this changed colors almost overnight. Growth has increased to the point that I notice new growth each day. I have had more growth in two weeks on some corals than I have had over the past two years. No joke. One coral in particular an sps that was originally green/dark blue which had been a very light blue/tan for two years turned dark blue (on its way to green I assume) over the course of two days.

My tank is a 120 gallon. Before I would feed a pinch of flake every other to every day on average with frozen once a week or so. Now I feed a cube of frozen every other day or so and dump in flake (auto feeder) twice a day. I am of the opinion that the brown alage I have can not be addressed with nutrient control. Snails/crabs ignore it but urchins remove it. I will probably just throw a couple more urchins at the problem and call it a day. I wonder if it is some sort of hair cyano... No idea.

I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop at this point (more algae) but nothing yet. I have to clean the glass more but that's about it.

Can you please tell us what exact foods you started to feed extra?

 

[barjam]

Can you please tell us what exact foods you started to feed extra?

Nothing special just food I had on hand. Mysis, flake (OSI I think?), Rod's food. Nothing different than what I had been feeding just lots more of it.

Compared to what I was feeding I almost feel like I am dumping it in now. I figure I would rather have colorful corals with an algae problem than just an algae problem.

 

[animalkingdom]

haha I am glad to see their are others that experience this with high salinity...i thought I was the only one...but yes in my case it is always associated with high salt and low nutrients

 

[Koralcrazy]

Nothing special just food I had on hand. Mysis, flake (OSI I think?), Rod's food. Nothing different than what I had been feeding just lots more of it.

Compared to what I was feeding I almost feel like I am dumping it in now. I figure I would rather have colorful corals with an algae problem than just an algae problem.

You took the words right out of my mouth....food is being 'dumped' in the last two days....I will update with results.....I will take the green hair algae, as long as my sticks are colorful! Thank you for your post, you have provided some great help...and motivation to feed, regardless of my brown algae issue!

One thing I have always thought when looking at my tank....it just seems like it is stuck in mid-cycle....and can never get to the final algae bloom and then recede.....anyways, I will update with results from the heavy feeding.

I have had salinity checked multiple times, it is usually always sitting around 1.025....

Thank you for everyone's feedback....Instead of throwing in the towel, I might as well throw in the food....