Coral color is diminishing

[luke33]

Just did one. But in the past it hasn't helped with nitrates

Generally your fuge or skimmer will pull out your trates before they become an issue, but many times non sump tank's have issue's because of lack of space for either or. A water change will temporarily fix the issue, say you do a 50% water change with 0 trate water, you'll be at 25 trates. But then a week later your back to 50. It already sounds like your feeding pretty frugal so it just must be the nutrient export that isn't happening like it should. Only thing I believe that could help would be a fuge or AS of some sort or skimmer upgrade. But until then its going to be water changes.

 

[Shineymoose]

Corals have been the same up until I stopped water changes...

Sorry, I saw this and figured you meant that you weren't doing water changes.

Nitrates should absolutely go down after the change. If not, the test is bad, or at its limit. If at the limit of the test, it will take several small water changes to show up in the test. In any case, do them to level out the nutrient issue before you mess with anything else in the tank. Start clean before you change things.

 

[dankreef]

Sounds like something is leaching to me if nitrates are still there after water change. Also test your fresh saltwater for n03. Vacuum sand slowly and blow out rocks then do WC.
As others have stated. Paleness is likely from p04 being low.

 

[domination2580]

Sounds like something is leaching to me if nitrates are still there after water change. Also test your fresh saltwater for n03. Vacuum sand slowly and blow out rocks then do WC.
As others have stated. Paleness is likely from p04 being low.

I have tested frsshwater and no n03

 

[dankreef]

Sand & or rocks.

 

[Dana Riddle]

I have a green monti and a sunset monti that are losing their color. Everything checks out. 7.8 alk, 420 cal, around 1350 mag. Just recently started happening. Nothing added in the past 4 months or so. Sbreeflights. Any idea? I did stop waste changes for about 1 to 2 months in order to figure out mag issues but that's it

Diagnosing coral color losses is a difficult thing to do without actually seeing the tank and having a lengthy conversation, but let’s start with the basics:

Are the colors fluorescent (glow under a blue lamp) or no? Non-fluorescent colors are generally induced by strong lighting, while any number of issues can affect the core (fluorophore) of a fluorescent protein.

Has anything changed in the tank? New lighting? Recently replaced lamps? If LEDs, have they been moved up, down, sideways? How often do you clean the protective clear lens? Do you monitor light levels (PAR)?

What sort of lighting? If metal halide or fluorescent lamps, how old are they?

How the water circulation pumps been cleaned lately? Were they put back in exactly the same spot? If you use a foam cover (such as EcoTech uses) has the filter been cleaned lately (a dirty filter can really reduce flow.)

Have you overdosed on kalkwasser (even once) before (or since) the color loss? Some proteins are sensitive to even a single pH swing.

Have you dosed the tank with an iron supplement lately? A bad thing (for coloration anyway) if heavily dosed. It’s a fallacy (in some, not all cases) that high nutrients will cause color loss.

Some things are really difficult to track down. For instance, a company contacted me a few years ago and said their office reef tank corals were producing a pink slime. To make a very long story really short, it turned out a chemical used in their manufacturing process (in another part of the building) was stressing the corals and causing this.

 

[domination2580]

I have sb reeflights, I haven't messed with the setting since I set the tank up, I have not cleaned the protective cover yet. I don't use kalk, nothing new, the colors have been popping nicely until this started happening. They closed great until now when they are kind of fading slowly. I have not dosed and ions, and powerheads have been cleaned about a month ago and in the same spot.

 

[domination2580]

@Dana Riddle

 

[Dana Riddle]

It looks like the orange color only is fading on the orange/green Montipora? Maybe I missed it somewhere in the thread - the other Monti - the green one - doesn't 'pop' (fluoresce) under blue light? This started 4 months ago, correct? How long have they been in this aquarium?

 

[Dana Riddle]

Here's an article I wrote about 8 years ago on coral coloration (some found in Montipora specimens):
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/4/aafeature1

 

[domination2580]

It looks like the orange color only is fading on the orange/green Montipora? Maybe I missed it somewhere in the thread - the other Monti - the green one - doesn't 'pop' (fluoresce) under blue light? This started 4 months ago, correct? How long have they been in this aquarium?

The red is fading on the monti with red and green, the green monti is losing its green.

 

[domination2580]

It looks like the orange color only is fading on the orange/green Montipora? Maybe I missed it somewhere in the thread - the other Monti - the green one - doesn't 'pop' (fluoresce) under blue light? This started 4 months ago, correct? How long have they been in this aquarium?

It doesn't per say pop but under blue lights it's almost a neon green

 

[domination2580]

Ok so tested the phosphates with a friend's Hannah checker.... got a reading of 0.03. Which is perfect... but nitrates are around 40.... Any ideas?

 

[domination2580]

Anyone?

 

[Reefer1978]

I'd either try lowering nitrates or raise alkalinity

 

[domination2580]

Alk is at 7.

 

[Reefer1978]

With higher nutrients you want higher alk

 

[domination2580]

I kind of want to go ulns but can't seem to get nitrates down

 

[Abhishek]

Here's an article I wrote about 8 years ago on coral coloration (some found in Montipora specimens):
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/4/aafeature1

Wow !! Easily the most complicated and interesting article I read on red pigmentation in corals .

Thanks @Dana Riddle for sharing it .

Not to derail the thread, but are there articles on different blue and purple pigmentation of corals ?

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[Dana Riddle]

Wow !! Easily the most complicated and interesting article I read on red pigmentation in corals .

Thanks @Dana Riddle for sharing it .

Not to derail the thread, but are there articles on different blue and purple pigmentation of corals ?

Regards,
Abhishek

Go to the AA site and use the search function to find "Riddle fluorescence" - 10 or so articles should pop up.