Ultra low nutrients, poor SPS colors.

[Wrench]

My SPS are growing at an average rate. The colors on a lot of the acropora are very pale/bland. Water parameters are below. I believe the poor coloration to be a result of the low nutrients. I'm thinking that I should be supplementing the corals with something to feed on but don't know where to start. Does anyone have any suggestions? I was thinking about using the Red Sea products but would like to hear other opinions.

SG 1.026 (refractometer)
pH 8.11 (calibrated APEX)
dKH 8.5 (Seachem)
Ca 480 (don't know why so high)
PO4 .00 (hannah)
NO3 0 (API and Seachem low range)

 

[chrisneill1987]

i have the same issue as i keep my pra the same as you, fist i would drop you alk to around 7-7.5 as high alk with uln can burn the tips of the acro
aslo feed a ammino or try kz extra or some thing simmerler

 

[Blueline12]

Zeovit sps aminos or something similar like elos brand. Zeovit coral vitalizer. Feed cyclopeeze, Rotifera, ova or some other type of coral food once a week.

 

[Denadai]

Fish food or fish poop is enough

 

[Reefnub]

Add fish or feed more. That's what happened to my tank when I removed all my fish to get rid of ich. Color is slowly coming back after I introduced my first 2 fish again. It's taking a long time for me because it takes 2-3weeks before each fish goes from QT into DT. I use to have around 13 fish in my 120 and coral colors were excellent with my 3x feedings.

 

[Grant W]

Def increase the feedings and lower alk a bit.

 

[trueblackpercula]

Def increase the feedings and lower alk a bit.

Can you please share with us why the Alk is high? I was always told that Alk from 9 to 11 is perfect is this not true any more?

 

[reefgeezer]

Can you please share with us why the Alk is high? I was always told that Alk from 9 to 11 is perfect is this not true any more?

IMO your alk is fine unless you are carbon dosing. I did assume you were since you are at ULNS. For some reason I don't understand, SPS tips can burn if the alk is much over 8. Mine is around 7.5.

 

[dvanacker]

The nicest tanks ive seen have been lots of fish...high import of quality food, strong export of waste products.

 

[Wrench]

The tank is 240g and has about 30 fish, five of which are tangs, five angels and a dozen anthias which get fed three times per day a mix of nori, flake and PE mysis. There's plenty going into the tank. There have been more than a handfull of well-known speakers who have come to speak at my local reef club and they all seem to agree that pale or pastel colored corals are a result of inadequate nutrients. Zero is too low. Just like plants need nitrate and phosphate to photosynthesize, so do corals. I do not intend for this thread to become a debate about nutrient levels or even alkalinity. I am simply looking for input based on others' experience with supplementing various amino acids and carbohydrate sources to feed the corals.

 

[Chriskid]

IMO your alk is fine unless you are carbon dosing. I did assume you were since you are at ULNS. For some reason I don't understand, SPS tips can burn if the alk is much over 8. Mine is around 7.5.

very true, i would also check iodide, and or potassium. i also run a 200+ tank and found that my color waz alittle pale. added iodide and bam, back looking good test first

 

[dvanacker]

amino acids are the only supplement I would use and do work to add nutrients to the water with out adding lots of PO4 and NO3. That said I would only ever recommend them on a short term basis till you get your nurtient load up.....why add supplements when you can add more fish and food.

 

[Bluecorals]

Some reefers with the same issue turn off their skimmer at night and restart in the morning. Apex controller could control this for you easily. JMO

 

[Vanquishxxxx]

Hey wrench I don't know ur fish amount or lighting. But in the advanced topics forum there is a great article on sps color fading. U might want to take a look. Here the link. It might help or at least give u some ideas. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2253547

 

[Wrench]

Thanks Vanquish. I will look into it.

 

[Bugger]

can you upload pics of your tank and equipment. I use red sea products and zeovit products but other people dont and get good color. i presume you are using bio pellets or some carbon source. so I think it is time to change up your system. I think thats whats doing it

 

[Wrench]

can you upload pics of your tank and equipment. I use red sea products and zeovit products but other people dont and get good color. i presume you are using bio pellets or some carbon source. so I think it is time to change up your system. I think thats whats doing it

I can upload some pics later tonight. No bio pellets, no carbon dosing. Skimmer, filter socks and sulfur reactor are doing the trick. Used to run ozone but it's been offline for a couple of months (thanks Ozotech). Every couple of months I'll run a carbon reactor for a week to pull out any crud that's found its way into the system. I do a 40g weekly water change using IO salt. Lighting is provided by 5 AI sols running at about 90% blues and 85% whites. Shallow sandbed. I'm not interested in making any hardware changes unless someone can convince me that there's a problem. I am going to get the Ca and Alk a bit lower and increase feeding the fish to see if a little extra poo helps the corals.