Euphyllia losing color/translucent (first reef2reef post)

[Stsnelling]

Hello! Ive been running my 14 gallon Nuvo for about 4 months now and have had good success so far. My tank consists of mainly zooas and euphyllia and uses a Radion xr15 4th gen. Ive noticed the color in the euphyllia (mainly the frogspawn) has not been as clear as I have seen in others tanks of the same strain. From what I have read this is most likely due to an issue with the light. Aside from the light I am keeping the water parameters consistent and feed them Reef Roids 1/week. The reason I am posting this thread is to hopefully get some help in figuring out what could be wrong with my lighting or if they are fine and I'm being paranoid. The lighting settings and measurements are listed below along with my test results along with photos.

Light Details:
-Radion xr15
-7.5 inches from water surface
-euphyllia located 5 in below water surface
-peak from 1pm to 6pm 35% intensity & 16K

Water Parameters
Temperature: 77-77.8 fluctuation
Salinity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 4 ppm
Phosphate: 0
Calcium: 410 ppm
Alkalinity: 9 dkh
PH: 8.2

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thats a few zeros. Are you by chance using API test kits?
Color loss is likely due to lack of zooxanthele and a result from lighting, flow, or ca/alk issues.

 

[Stsnelling]

Thats a few zeros. Are you by chance using API test kits?
Color loss is likely due to lack of zooxanthele and a result from lighting, flow, or ca/alk issues.

I use Red Sea test kit and I test every other day. In regard to Calcium and Alk, they have been pretty stable since introduction. All three pieces get nice flow as well. I would say it is an issue with the light. I just don't know if its because I have too much or too little. Don't have quite enough money to buy a par tester yet

 

[Oldreefer44]

While it is possible, IMO lighting is rarely the primary issue in this situation. Agree that it is likely a water chemistry/flow issue. Zero phosphates, if accurate are also an issue as corals need some.

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

shade them for a while... feed more..

 

[fuelman]

i would also say 0 po4 is the most likely problem, i normally run in the 0.08-0.12 ball park & i have to dose to do it, if i start slipping & forget to dose & my level dips down in the 0.02 range my euphyllia let me know they are not happy about it. i dose back up to normal level & the next day they look fine again. I'm not suggesting that you need to run your po4 as high as i do, just that having 0 on your test kit is a problem.

 

[Stsnelling]

While it is possible, IMO lighting is rarely the primary issue in this situation. Agree that it is likely a water chemistry/flow issue. Zero phosphates, if accurate are also an issue as corals need some.

Thanks for the response! I upped the flow a little bit and am looking at the phosphate issue

 

[Stsnelling]

i would also say 0 po4 is the most likely problem, i normally run in the 0.08-0.12 ball park & i have to dose to do it, if i start slipping & forget to dose & my level dips down in the 0.02 range my euphyllia let me know they are not happy about it. i dose back up to normal level & the next day they look fine again. I'm not suggesting that you need to run your po4 as high as i do, just that having 0 on your test kit is a problem.

Thanks for the heads up. From what I have heard zooas and euphyllia like dirty tanks so idk why I threw purigen and phos guard in there. Also you think target feeding with reef roids will help as well?

 

[fuelman]

Thanks for the heads up. From what I have heard zooas and euphyllia like dirty tanks so idk why I threw purigen and phos guard in there. Also you think target feeding with reef roids will help as well?

it wouldn't hurt, in the short term even shutting your skimmer off for a hour & broadcast feed some reef roids would help raise your po4, & give your coral some food. it's not the best way to raise po4 & i wouldn't use it as a long term plan. but for now it should bump your level up off zero. you can try to feed your fish a bit more or get some trisodium phosphate. & dose to keep your level off zero.

 

[fuelman]

Thanks for the heads up. From what I have heard zooas and euphyllia like dirty tanks so idk why I threw purigen and phos guard in there. Also you think target feeding with reef roids will help as well?

i would remove the phos guard & see how that affects your p04 you might not need to dose to keep your level up once that's out of the system. still feed some reef roids for now to help bump the p04 off zero.

 

[Lovefish77]

IMHO translucent and faded colors could be from lack or light OR too much light. You can only be the judge, but considering you are using Radions i would doubt it is too much light.

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

Regardless of light or low phosphate, etc, if they are bleaching, its a stress response. I would find them some shade or reducing lighting schedule or duration... fix up parameters, then acclimate them to lighrs again. In other words they are shedding colors for some reason... more light for whatever reason will hasten that process...

My 2 cents