Coral turning brown

[kemper6120]

I have a 30 gallon rimless cube with 11 corals and a pair of black ice clownfish. All corals are growing and color is good except for my green birds nest. It's turned brown but polyps extend fully everyday. So my question is, why would the birds nest turn brown?

Placed high in the aquarium with medium to high flow.

Lighting is ai sol W35% B40% RB40%

Parameters are:
ph - 7.8
Alk - 6.7
Cal - 470
Amm - .25
Salinity - 1.026
Phos - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
Temp - 79

 

[Rob.D]

I have a 30 gallon rimless cube with 11 corals and a pair of black ice clownfish. All corals are growing and color is good except for my green birds nest. It's turned brown but polyps extend fully everyday. So my question is, why would the birds nest turn brown?

Placed high in the aquarium with medium to high flow.

Lighting is ai sol W35% B40% RB40%

Parameters are:
ph - 7.8
Alk - 6.7
Cal - 470
Amm - .25
Salinity - 1.026
Phos - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
Temp - 79

Your alk is low and are you sure you have .25 ammonia???

 

[kemper6120]

It is very odd with my ammonia. Idk know why it was up. After testing I did two 5 gal water changes two days apart. These tests was taken on tuesday. I will test it again to makes sure but that's what it read

 

[kemper6120]

Retested and ammonia is reading 0 ppm. Maybe false reading when I tested Tuesday

 

[Tahoe61]

If your using API to test ammonia it common to show a 0.25, the test is just not that accurate in my experience.

Yes and bring your alk up to at least 7 consistently.

 

[kemper6120]

If your using API to test ammonia it common to show a 0.25, the test is just not that accurate in my experience.

Yes and bring your alk up to at least 7 consistently.

Your correct. I do use API for ammonia but Red Sea for the rest. But the API just read 0 it his time.

How would I got about getting my alk up? Two part dosing ?

 

[Tahoe61]

Your correct. I do use API for ammonia but Red Sea for the rest. But the API just read 0 it his time.

How would I got about getting my alk up? Two part dosing ?

Water changes with a decent salt directed at providing higher alk levels and mag.
Baking soda.
Two part dosing.

I use all three at one time or another. Mostly a 2 part though. You should get a mag level as well, a low mag might contribute to your low ALK.

 

[kemper6120]

Mag level?

I do weekly 5 gal water changes using salinity brand salt.

Ok, I will start researching and learning about two part dosing and start that ASAP!

 

[Anthony35]

+1 on the low ALK, If you are going to use Baking Soda to raise the ALK make sure to bake first in the oven to burn off the Co2 which will lower your ph even more.

 

[kacrocorals581]

+1 on the low ALK, If you are going to use Baking Soda to raise the ALK make sure to bake first in the oven to burn off the Co2 which will lower your ph even more.

if you are to bake it is 300° for 1 hr however baking well cause pH to raise temporarily and not baking it well lower temporarily however both are minimum and not long lasting and as far as your birds nest being brown is more than likely from excess nutrients in your tank and not from the alk issues almost sure of that and water changes well fix the alk issue and the excess nutrient levels my tank stays between 6.8 7.2 dkh and none of my acropora or any corals are remotely discolored so I'd do some water changs give it a bit make sure your not over feeding in a tank with that small of water volume it wouldn't take much to get to much nutrient in the tank and cause a sps coral to turn brown and the reason for this happing is the zooxanthellae algea is able to pull nutrient out the water column and when the is excessive amounts the become saturated and plentyful and the coral becomes brown and looses the coloration the florescent pigment within that brings the coral the color you won't to see hope this helps also if you do not have a skimmer running carbon well help remove organic build up chemipure would be good and poly pads

 

[pelagic]

I have a 30 gallon rimless cube with 11 corals and a pair of black ice clownfish. All corals are growing and color is good except for my green birds nest. It's turned brown but polyps extend fully everyday. So my question is, why would the birds nest turn brown?

Placed high in the aquarium with medium to high flow.

Lighting is ai sol W35% B40% RB40%

Parameters are:
ph - 7.8
Alk - 6.7
Cal - 470
Amm - .25
Salinity - 1.026
Phos - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
Temp - 79

1. What test kits did you use for Nitrate and Phosphate? and how long is the light cycle?
2. How long have you had the birds nest?
3. Any changes to your fish tank before it turned brown?
4. Did you move it?


Usually, the SPS turns brown when
1. Not enough light intensity
2. High phosphate/Nitrate

 

[kemper6120]

1. What test kits did you use for Nitrate and Phosphate? and how long is the light cycle?
2. How long have you had the birds nest?
3. Any changes to your fish tank before it turned brown?
4. Did you move it?


Usually, the SPS turns brown when
1. Not enough light intensity
2. High phosphate/Nitrate

1- I was Red Sea marine care test kit for everything buy ammonia and phos. Use API for those two but also have a Hannah checker for phos.
2- I have had the birds nest for about two months
3 - since owning the birds nest no changes to the aquarium. Just routine maintenance
4- yes I did move it down about 4" in aquarium when the discoloration started but it continued to turn brown but someone told me to put it back to the highest point so I did which is where I had it in the first place.

 

[kemper6120]

if you are to bake it is 300° for 1 hr however baking well cause pH to raise temporarily and not baking it well lower temporarily however both are minimum and not long lasting and as far as your birds nest being brown is more than likely from excess nutrients in your tank and not from the alk issues almost sure of that and water changes well fix the alk issue and the excess nutrient levels my tank stays between 6.8 7.2 dkh and none of my acropora or any corals are remotely discolored so I'd do some water changs give it a bit make sure your not over feeding in a tank with that small of water volume it wouldn't take much to get to much nutrient in the tank and cause a sps coral to turn brown and the reason for this happing is the zooxanthellae algea is able to pull nutrient out the water column and when the is excessive amounts the become saturated and plentyful and the coral becomes brown and looses the coloration the florescent pigment within that brings the coral the color you won't to see hope this helps also if you do not have a skimmer running carbon well help remove organic build up chemipure would be good and poly pads

Well I already do a water change every Sunday. Maybe it could be feeding but my clowns consume all foods within two mins of putting food in there. I feed three different things at different times. Byrne, mysis, and SA pellets.

 

[ibbennyb]

sps browning out is almost always low alk.,.

 

[kemper6120]

sps browning out is almost always low alk.,.

Ok. I will get my alk up. Gonna buy two part off brs this coming week. Thank you!

 

[cee]

Ok. I will get my alk up. Gonna buy two part off brs this coming week. Thank you!

I'd shoot for 8.0 dkH on the alkalinity. Any idea why your ammonia is 0.25? It really should not register at all in a mature reef tank. You can use baked baking soda with the same results as one poster suggested (I've done this for literally 1/2 a decade or longer, as you get old, your concept of time tends to be off a bit).

 

[pelagic]

common causes for sps browning - zeovit.com

Natural sea water parameters. - Reef Central Online Community

I am not sure if most of the brown out is caused by low ALK, I might be wrong, but your ALK is lower than most of the reef tanks out there.

 

[kemper6120]

common causes for sps browning - zeovit.com

Natural sea water parameters. - Reef Central Online Community

I am not sure if most of the brown out is caused by low ALK, I might be wrong, but your ALK is lower than most of the reef tanks out there.

Alright, thanks man. I will start with getting the alk up then go from there.