Brown corals

[z0mbie10]

It’s my first saltwater tank and I am doing a mixed reef with SPS, LPS and softies. The tank is about 10 months old now and things were going well up until about 2 months ago when all my SPS and LPS turned brown. How do you know if the coral is alive and does it just take time for corals to color up and open again?

 

[Tahoe61]

Unfortunately that corals looks like it's on it's way out.

Lighting brand and intensity with photo period?

Values for nitrates and phosphates?

If able perhaps more images.

Water source?

 

[z0mbie10]

Lights are Red Sea 90s and they are on 12 hours a day with a ramp up 75% intensity for 2 hours and then ramp down.

Nitrates 30
Phosphate .2

I got results from recent ICP test that showed everything normal except slightly low potassium and elevated aluminum and vanadium.

I added Metasorb for 10 days and did a 20% water change.

All my SPS and LPS look pale or brown like that and torches, hammers, Duncan’s are all withdrawn.

I’m clueless as to what is stressing them.

 

[Tahoe61]

This is a 125 gallon? How many lights are you running?

Are you sure phosphates are 0.2? How are you addressing that value?

 

[z0mbie10]

This is a 125 gallon? How many lights are you running?

Are you sure phosphates are 0.2? How are you addressing that value?

Correct, total volume of display and sump is about 125 gallons. Display is around 100.

I have two Red Sea 90 LEDs.

Phosphate is definitely .2 from my own test and from Triton ICP test confirmation. I have been dosing brightwell aquatics Phosphat-E directly to the skimmer neck to help lower it.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

If I understand your peak intensity is 75% for 2 hours? I'm not sure if I read that right, but I give my corals peak intensity of 10 hours per day. I would suggest to rent a par meter, IME corals turn brown when they have insufficient light. High nutrients will also do it, yours are higher than I would like for sps, but I don't think high enough to brown corals, so I lean towards investigating the lights and par a bit more thoroughly. Good luck

 

[z0mbie10]

I’ll have to get a par meter to check I guess. Also here is my light schedule




On at 1pm ramping up to max of 75% for 2 hours and then down and off at 11pm. Moon light then comes on for another 2 hours. Spectrum is a little more blue than white