SPS slowly losing color!

[tallreefguy]

So for the past 3 weeks, I've been battling some of my SPS losing colors, and I can't figure out why!
It's a 180g tank
It was 400w 12k Reeflux bulbs, but I switched it out for 400w Radiums earlier this week. Not sure if there was too much intensity from the Reeflux bulbs.
Alk:10.2
Calc: 440
Mag: 1440
PO4: 0.09 (I started putting Rowaphos in a month ago to reduce PO4, it was .25)
Nitrate:0
Saltinity: 1.025
pH: 8.2
NextReef XL Reactor w/ Carbon
250 mL Rowaphos in another Nextreef Reactor
AquaMaxx Biopellet Reactor


It only appears to be a few of the hard corals affected. Encrusting Monti, Digitata, some Acros. I have a green SPS (pictured) that has been blowing up though... But it doesn't appear to be growing polyps directly under the light.

Any thoughts??

 

[tallreefguy]

Oh, and my Halides are on from 3pm - 8pm. Water temp stays between 78-80

 

[franklypre]

(I started putting Rowaphos in a month ago to reduce PO4) this will cause coral to lighten up, at least in my experience.

 

[tallreefguy]

I was thinking about that, but I didn't want to take it off-line as my PO4 is still rather high. They were doing good at high PO4 though....
The only one that's totally dying out is the Cali Tort frag in the picture. It's tissue is coming off, growing worse each day. I have another SPS colony that's totally white, but the polyps are still out.

In your experience - should taking the RowaReactor off-line help the situation?

 

[franklypre]

I would atleast pull some of the resin out.

 

[Psionicdragon]

most likely its your phosphate causing the browning.

 

[dowtish]

I dont think 0.09 is a level that will cause color loss. I have had mine average in that range for months at a time. And if you are using a hanna checker, they can be off either way by 0.5. So if you are getting a reading of 0.09 it could be 0.14 or 0.04.

The question is, how fast did it drop from 0.25 to what it is now? If it plummeted fast, that could be the issue. Your corals acclimate and get used to somewhat tolerable levels, and if you suddenly strip it down lower it will effect them.

I would pull a little media out, but not too much and just give a few weeks for everything to adjust.

 

[kevensquint]

IME, the final PO4 value is not as detrimental as the speed of the drop.

 

[trueblackpercula]

The gfo you are using works very affectivly and strips the water to fast. Try cutting back or removing it and see if you get and progress from your Sps.

 

[tallreefguy]

When I got rowaphos in, I put maybe 1.5 cups in for a week, then tossed it and put in about 2-3 cups worth. I'll cut back on quantity and flow of GFO in the reactor. It's powered by a maxi 600, but i think that may be too much flow.

So you guys don't think it's from the 400w 12k reeflux bulbs?
I like them much more than the radiums and want to put them back in.

 

[SneekaPeek]

This has happened to me numerous times, raise your p04 by taking the reactor offline. There have been people theorizing that once a coral starves, they will begin to eat itself thus causing the bleaching. Do you have algae issues and that is why your using p04 reducing methods? it seems to me that you are chasing numbers therefore causing your issues.

 

[tallreefguy]

No Algae issues - I was trying to promote SPS Calcification by reducing PO4 levels in the tank. So....yes. Basically chasing numbers. The reactor is off-line now. Hopefully that was causing the issues

 

[sirreal63]

If the nitrates are really at zero or extremely close to it, which is possible with pellets, that is also an issue.

 

[trueblackpercula]

Pellets and gfo maybe too much for your system to handle.

 

[pmt81777]

I'd say its a lack of nutrients with biopellets, carbon and gfo its stripping the water. Try feeding a little heavier

 

[tallreefguy]

So - GFO is offline.
Would it be better to cut back on the flow through the pellets, or just take that reactor offline as well?
Typically I feed every day, Rod's Food and PE Mysis. I bought some Coral Frenzy and started feeding that in the morning (5am) and if I feel like it in the evening.
Every other day, to every 3rd day, I dose Red Sea Reef Energy A&B with the return off, and I'll throw some coral food in there as well. Most of the corals display a response to that (white stringers).

 

[Uncle Luke]

I say you stripped your nutrients. I would feed more if I were you.

 

[ksicard]

Don't change to many things in your tank, it's defintely the PO4 dropping to fast from the GFO. Cut your GFO amount back to 1/2 a cup, and feed heavily for a few days to get a lil more po4. After your coral stop reacting badly and aren't RTNing or STNing add 1/2 cup GFO every 7-10 days and if you notice bad affects take that last 1/2 cup out and add 1/2 cup after 2-3 weeks. Dropping your PO4 from .25 so fast shocked your system, once your coral adjust to the lower PO4 they should color back up even better than before at .25ppm. Just slowly drop your PO4 instead of stripping it down so fast and that should help with your issue.

 

[jonnybravo22]

did you ever find out what the issue was? did the suggestions solve it?

 

[epicurus84]

Hmm, loose color as in turning brown, or white. The later is quite possible imho lately, in general too few nutrients. However when i started feeding i overdid it too, and i had the layer of bacteria on the water. Because i have a corner tank the surface doesn't get skimmed as well as it can on a normal tank.