SPS polyps darkening or turning brown

[wingman200]

Ive had this particular reef tank for over 2 years now and some time about 8 months ago or so i noticed my SPS corals getting a darker color..now all of the polyps on all my SPS (Acroporas, Montiporas, birdsnests, ect) are all some sort of real ugly brown coloration..The pink and red montis and birds nests turned to a real dark brownish red, and all the green Montiporas and green birdsnests turned to a real dark green..Most of my LPS coral is fine for the most part, just darker tints on the AcanLords...I was thinking lights but i put new bulbs in a month ago and no change as of yet..I have 2X 250W 14k and a 150w20k halide..i know most of you are gonna say its the 20k light but i did leave it off for almost a month with no change..Can anyone Save me?! My tank is getting UGLY and i need to brighten things up....

Tank:
120 gallon mixed reef
30 g in refugium
p.h: 8.2
nitrate: 10ppm
KH: 214 ppm (12 dkh)..new calcium reactor just shot that up it used to be at an unstable 125 ish
Calcium: 400
phosphates: 0 ppm

 

[wingman200]

i guess no one wants to help me..or no one has any clue...i hope its the second, because thats messed up if its the first...

 

[speedstar]

have you looked into the vodka and other bacteia solutions? Also where is your Mg and who's test kits are you using?

 

[Rick55555]

You may try reducing the nutrients in your tank. When SPS turn brown it's sometimes caused by excess nutrients. My understanding is that the surplus nutrients results in an excess production of zooanthelle.

What phosphate test kit are you using? Unless it's a Hanna meter, the kit probably isn't as accurate as one might expect.

If it were me, I would try lowering the nitrate level. How often are you feeding? How many fish do you have? How large is the tank? How often do you change the water and are you using RO/DI for water changes and topping off?


I also like to run my alk a bit lower than you currently have it.


Rick

 

[swimman]

hi wingman200 i guessed your rt NO3 too high =10ppm, perfect parameter is under 0.2ppm indeed and charge water with RO/DI, reduce nutrients.

 

[wingman200]

thanks for the responses!!..you guys are nuts with the Nitrates lol..i have 2 small perc clowns that i only feed 2 or 3 times a week and the reef i only feed once a week with a large AquaC skimmer running and my nitrates are at 10..Its like impossable to get it to 0.2 lol, ill try but thats alot of huge water changes..ive looked into Vadka but everyone says its dangerous...i dont have the means to test Mg but i do have "Aquavitro's" "Ions" with plenty Mg and my calcium media has plenty in it so im sure the levels are not low...i have "reef master test kit" so its not the best but its ok..the tank is a 120 with a 40g refugeum..i change 25g every 2 weeks with 4 stage RO unit...In reguards to the nutrient thing, I was dosing alot of "Fuels" "Ions" "8.4" and "Calcium" (all"Aquavitro" line) for months before i got the reactor..maybe the too much netrients thing fits...hmmmm

 

[2006]

With a substrate, your feeding and water change schedule I am surprised you can measure NO3.

 

[wingman200]

yah..ive been combating Nitrate for a long time now..i guess my corals produce alot of waste

 

[Henry Bowman]

Research and read about vodka dosing. It'll do the trick.

Vodka, Brightwell Aquatics Sysem or Zeo will all produce the desired results you are striving for.

 

[wingman200]

ok...ill read into it and give it a try..thanks

 

[goodspeed2011]

No3

No3

hi i would look in to using redsea's NO3 p04x i have found it to be very good and my sps and lps corals are all doing well i started useing this as i could not get my no3 down now its at 0.1ppm

 

[GPB]

Have you tried Cheato and more water changes to get Nitrate down?

 

[adddo]

lol?

 

[mos90]

it definately has to be a high nutrient load based on the new bulbs.

as far as nopox from reasea. i used it before. never liked the results with my reef. but it works great for my fowlr.

ive recently began doing prodibio bio-clean on my 75 gallon coral holding tank for trial purposes. i only dose 1 vial of each. bio-optim and bio-digest every 2 weeks. after only 6 weeks phos and nitrate levels are totally undectible using a redsea pro nitrate test and hanna ppb photometer. i do 10g waterchanges monthly. stock is low with 1 tomato clown and some crabs and snails.

the results ive had including sps color are by far better then ever. i might start dosing reef booster soon for coral food if i start notice pale coloring.

its worth a shot to try it out.