Ok so over the last several months my wave pumps have been slowing to about half power causing some algae buildup on rockwork holding uneaten food and junk, corals have been looking PERFECT but I cut back feedings to twice a week vs. everyday. I replaced all the wave pumps and scrubed the algae off the rocks, very next morning added a ton of blue leg crabs, 24 hrs later when the lights kicked on I noticed about 80% of my acro's lost most of their color and lacking PE! My thought is that nutes were removed too quickly causing a ULNS affect similar to someone inexpirienced starting Zeovit, I took out about 60% of my calurpa in the sump, killed the lights, and have fed a double dose of oysterfeast! I am super worried I may loose my babies, what are the chances they will bounce back and does anyone have any input or expirience with what just happend to my system??? Thanks :headwally:
Sps very pale overnight...ur input please
- Thread starter yt8181
- Start date
trueblackpercula
New member
To much to fast slow down the zeo,,,,what are your perimeters like?
AriMiko43
Member
Funny you state this. I have the same problem. I have been running to much gfo and not feeding enough. My system is very low in nutrients. I removed half the gfo out of the reactor today. I will see what happens. Best of luck to you. Maybe try bringing nutrients into the system? I started adding reef fuel by aquavitro.
Not running any zeo!!! Just comparing my situation with zeovit!!!
Thanks for the post!!! I have learned in the past that GFO will lighten corals like crazy!!! If I were you I would do away with the gfo if you have other meens of nutrient export (cheato,calurpa,ect) I was running gfo and as soon as I cut it out my colors, growth, and PE improved like crazy!!! Keep it natural like the ocean if you can and good things will come!!!
parameters are always perfect
that's for sure not the problem here!!! Run a GHL doser, All the main parameters have been right on the mark for over two years now, I check them often!!! Nitrates and phosphates are not tested, I just know by how my corals LOOK!!! Thanks
trueblackpercula
New member
Well I just found out the hard way that Ll my sps are getting lighter as well and I stopped dosing vodka 3 days ago and my sps have good pylop extension. I stopped because they are getting to light in color so I ned to find another way to remove PO4 and nitrates because I am starting to get algae growth again. How on earth does one control nitrates and PO 4 with out carbon dosing?
When I first started reefing years ago I was trying everything in the book, I happend to bump into a guy that offered me some feather calurpa and he told me that it would take care of all my problems. I have been using it ever since and my nutrients always stay about perfect, I just harvest it acording to how my corals look, I know alot of people preach bad things about using the feather strain but I have never had a problem, as long as you keep it contained to your sump, and give it good lighting it will grow and ballance out your system, example... if you feed alot then it will grow alot, if you dont feed, it grows slow. I have ventured off and tried zeovit but had bad luck wiping out all of my nice acro's on the start up so I switched back to the good old calurpa a few years ago and things have been great! Thats my method, wish this little hickup wouldnt have happened or I would post some current pics for you! Good luck to ya
Good thinking but... Wouldnt the PO4 do the oposite of pale colors and turn them all brown??? I may run a check just to see if you may be right!!!! Thanks for the input
Peter Eichler
New member
I've seen too low of an alkalinity and/or sudden drops in PH cauuse this. Anything that could have happened there? The reduced feedings combined with already low PO4 levels are also a very real possibility.
betamed
New member
usually pale color is from lack of nutrients but I would think a sudden bleaching would be the result of a stressful event such as dramatic change in some parameters. From personnel experience my PO4 jumped a bit after dosing an algaecide to kill HA. Corals still looked great though actually PE was nuts. When in doubt just tests and moderate water changes can help.
Alk tested at normal 8.5 dkh before cleaning, retested today and still 8.5... Ph was at 8.1 just now with lights off, didnt test last night though. I have fed fish three times today and coral got fed two heafty doses of oyster feast today to help get nutes back up, also turned skimmer off as soon as I noticed light colors! One thing I did do that is a no no is I had a bunch of salt creep on edge of each tank that I was scraping off and majority of it fell back into the system, but when it did I tryed to mix and disapate it as quickly as posible, none sat on any corals! I just dont get it, I have never had this kind of reaction out of my corals even when things have gotten a little out of whack! I'm stumped and thinking I may loose about ten thousand dollars of sps by the morning!!! Not sure what else I can do, I am scarred to do a water change being that my problem could be nute related.
biggles
Premium Member
Considering you have had such a rapid and dramatic reaction to something you did by your SPS i am wondering did you take the rocks out to scrub them as if it was a lengthy process you might have had some die off on the outer layers of your rock which could have caused a mini spike in ammonia and or nitrates which you don't test for normally as you know your tank by now. If your alk wasn't so stable it would have been the easy choice but i still think the rapid bleaching is a reaction to a toxic substance.
I really think water changes are your best friend in a situation such as this. If zero nutrients in your tank is the reason (doubtful imo with such a rapid bleaching) then your new salt water can't be less than zero can it so it won't make things worse but there's a good chance it may help. 20% change and see if your PE is better within hours. Just trying to give you some more options mate, all the best and don't give up yet....
I really think water changes are your best friend in a situation such as this. If zero nutrients in your tank is the reason (doubtful imo with such a rapid bleaching) then your new salt water can't be less than zero can it so it won't make things worse but there's a good chance it may help. 20% change and see if your PE is better within hours. Just trying to give you some more options mate, all the best and don't give up yet....
Thank you, That was GREAT thinking!!!! I did a 15% water change last night... not sure if it was the multipule feedings yesterday or the water change but when I woke up this morning and checked them out they made a total 180... colors were alot more vivid and PE was almost back to normal. Their still not 100% figure it will take a few weeks to get back on track but I'm just glad they are looking better than worse, out of that deal I only lost 2 frags, alot better than loosing all 100 of my full collonies I have grown out for the last few years!!! VERY happy, big reallity check!!!!
biggles
Premium Member
That's great news my friend That's the only downside to reefing, the better you get at it the more beautiful treasures you stand to lose when things go bad. I would drop your feedings back to what they have always been and let the tank settle back into it's normal rhythm before adjusting anything again. Slow and steady adjustments - especially when cleaning your rock work lol. :thumbsup:
That's the only downside to reefing, the better you get at it the more beautiful treasures you stand to lose when things go bad. I would drop your feedings back to what they have always been and let the tank settle back into it's normal rhythm before adjusting anything again. Slow and steady adjustments - especially when cleaning your rock work lol. :thumbsup:That's great news my friend
I know thats right... I love that they have matured into big colonies but it just raises the risks if you fail!!! YES, feeding's are back to normal, not touching anything for a few weeks to see how it plays out! NO MORE CLEANING ROCKS lol I think I will let my new crabs do all the work!!! LOL I will let you know in a week or two how everythings doing!!! Thanks again mate!!!!!
