SPS losing color

[gorally]

I have a bunch of frags and colony in my new tank over 2 months. So far I have no problem keeping it grow but I lose most of the original color when I bought them from the LFS. Mojority of the purple and pink tips are gone. The brown body is also lighten up to Ivy. My question is that mean the light intensity is not enough or too high. The chemistry seems ok as the grow of each pieces are rather fast, not sure how to bring the color back. Currently I use BioPellet, dosing Buffer, Stronium, Calcium, Mg, Potassium, Zoe Food 7, zoe start 3 and zoebak (weekly). Anything comment will help. Thanks.

 

[chrishayes]

Gosh there are soooooo many variables but finding out whether they are wild colected would be a good start. If so, there are very few that retain the wild coloration. If they are AC then its likely either PO4 or lighting with too low nutrients following close behind. Have you tried different heights and feeding regiments? Im sure you have. How do you acclimate? What type of lighting did they come from and what do you have?

 

[chrishayes]

Also seems like youre dosing a lot of things. Any reason for it or just cause type thing? Maybe list a little more about your system...

 

[gorally]

I am using LED, 320W in total, the store used MH, some uses T5. I left them at the bottom of the tank, shaded before moving them up. I know there are too many combos can goes wrong. Basically I am not feeding my tank since an ich outbreak which left me with couple fishes. PO4 is zero. I think the dosing types is rather limited compare to others . ZoeBak and zoe Start 3 are only use when I replacing my BP. So I am dosing the start stuff, not even any Amino acid or more crazy stuff. The only think I haven't does is Iodide. I think those are more for LPS or soft. Funny there are few pieces still maintaining the color. Majority have gone brownish.

 

[allsps40]

First off stop dosing all that crap. You only need to watch ca alk and mag. Second bio pellets are known to do this but making the water to clean. I would stop the BP for a while. Check your no3 and po4 as well.

 

[allsps40]

First off stop dosing all that crap. You only need to watch ca alk and mag. Second bio pellets are known to do this but making the water to clean. I would stop the BP for a while. Check your no3 and po4 as well.

 

[chrishayes]

Im not blaming the dosing. Just saying that they just add to the variables to take into consideration. From what ive seen, LED and biopellets are the two most common causes for lightening corals...and you are using both! lol However, you say they are browning out? Is it pale or brown?

 

[gorally]

Actually both...some pinks turn into brown. Some whitening. One thing I see it might be light related. I have one monti which the shaded area color is good but the part under the light is whitening/fading out color.

 

[allsps40]

Try turning your LEDs down to around 30% then slowly bring it up.

 

[dunk373]

p04=0 which test kit i have learned to only trust the hanna checker there are 5 reefers close by thinking p04=0 but it really isn't i personally dont shoot for zero i test weekly to 3 times a week and it fluctuates from 0-.09 and i am happy with this they need some p04 just not a lot. but so many things can cause this temp, salinity, metals, nutrients, light, ph........ can you post all readings and what you test with

 

[gorally]

Salinity 1.024
Calcium 480
Mg = 1350
N04=0
P04=0
Dkh 7.5
Temp 77
ph 8.2-8.4
LED 8hr 100% 14hr 50% 320W total output 60% White and 40 % Royal blue
Dual Tunze 6150
SRO 3000 Skimmer
Bio Pelleter reactor
Active Carbon reactor

This pitcure shows the shaded area in the left and the right area is under the light. You can see the growth are very different.

This is a monti that color is kept. The polpy is orange and the body is green.

An example of brown out. Original polpy was green

 

[gorally]

Another fade out example, the tip was pink and the body was green. Now is much yellowish.

Another browned out Milli, original is pink

 

[chrishayes]

I would say that just judging by the pictures that the issue here is your LED intensity. Its likely you are blasting these suckers a bit much. Ive always expierienced better color with lower light and higher flow. Looks like youre seeing the same thing where the corals are shaded a bit.

Im with allsps, turn them puppies down a bit and slowly bring them back up to the point that you keep good color with the majority of the corals. Its likely that some corals will just not keep good color if not placed differently under your lighting...

 

[dunk373]

yes that is what i am thinking those are strong i would try 10 hours total not 14 thats a lot. maybe 50% and 70-90% for an hour or two. all readings are great salinity a little low for my taste 1.026 for corals but shouldn't cause this. the shaded area answers it for you its faded in the light and looks good in the shade=too much/long lighting

 

[gorally]

thank you everyone, I will give the lighting a change to see if any improvement in a month or so.