Green Slimer brown and closed up

[Hans-Werner]

I recommend to stop nitrate dosage. This is it what makes algae grow and what kills the corals like already stated above. Corals do not need nitrate, algae like nitrate. Finally you are depleting phosphate with nitrate and this is what causes your problems.

 

[Mattrg02]

I recommend to stop nitrate dosage. This is it what makes algae grow and what kills the corals like already stated above. Corals do not need nitrate, algae like nitrate. Finally you are depleting phosphate with nitrate and this is what causes your problems.

This is what initially brought the corals color back. I’ll back off and see what happens.

As for export, I have a skimmer running. It’s really just there for better oxygenation for pH.

 

[Hans-Werner]

I dosed nitrate only once. That was enough to see that it can kill corals when phosphate is low at the same time. Now I rely on the scientific papers and these say that indeed nitrate increases zooxanthellae numbers before it bleaches and kills the corals. It is thought that second effect is the consequence of the first effect. Imagine it like a screw: After "tight" there comes "off".

If the corals seem too pale to you: What kind of light are you using and can you dim down it a bit?

 

[nigelmansell]

I didn't see the same result as Hans-Werner.

I had 0 phos (hanna ULR) and 0 nitrate (salifert). I dose nitrate and everything improved. I continued to dose until it was stable at 2.5. I then dosed phos until it was stable at 0.03.

Nothing died, everything is gradually getting its colour back. Maybe it depends how long they've been starved for, how much nutrition (plankton etc rather than nitrate/phos) is in the water etc.

 

[Mattrg02]

I’ve noticed that my corals are turning green and just staying green.

Today I’ll start dosing only phosphate until it seems to stabilize.

 

[cobra2326]

I recommend to stop nitrate dosage. This is it what makes algae grow and what kills the corals like already stated above. Corals do not need nitrate, algae like nitrate. Finally you are depleting phosphate with nitrate and this is what causes your problems.

Citation please. Your claims are not supported by anything I’ve read on nitrate and corals. Here’s one study showing they need nitrate, the exact opposite of what you’re saying: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.4319/lo.2003.48.6.2266/full.

Nitrate can therefore be considered as an important source of nitrogen for corals, at least when ammonium concentrations are low in seawater.

 

[ps2cho]

Well I've added a full size damsel and a small clownfish and things are slowly getting better. Some SPS have grown a good inch or so, others, including the suspected green slimer, have not, however color is coming back.
For the first time in 6-8 months I am reading 0.2-0.5ppm NO3. No PO4 showing yet, so its less than 0.03, but I'm trying to keep up with the feeding. I'm going to be adding a filefish to see if it will hit up the Aiptasia, and possibly a couple peppermint shrimp, so that may be key to getting me above zero.

I'll post some photos tomorrow since lights are out so you guys can see the changes.

 

[cobra2326]

Awesome, good to hear things are improving!

 

[ps2cho]

untouched photo, but you can see some growth on the middle SPS coral...Slimer is regained some color other than at the base, but no growth. I'm hoping with the extra fish I added 3 weeks ago, it will push up growth from the extra poop.

Here was the photo from November. What do you guys think?

 

[cobra2326]

Definitely better color than October, slightly better than November. I'd be getting impatient though. Any idea on PAR? Sometimes it can take a while to restart growth.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Is this your display tank or a frag tank? Do you have live rock or a sand bed in the system?

Frags on a frag rack just doesn’t scream healthy thriving reef ecosystem to me.

 

[jmp21677]

What is everyone using to dose nitrates? I've never had an issue keeping phosphates above .04

 

[ps2cho]

Definitely better color than October, slightly better than November. I'd be getting impatient though. Any idea on PAR? Sometimes it can take a while to restart growth.

I’ll double check PAR but I believe top row is 250-300 and 2nd row is 150-200.

I need to replace both T5 bulbs in the next month or two as they are 11mo old now.

Is this your display tank or a frag tank? Do you have live rock or a sand bed in the system?

Frags on a frag rack just doesn’t scream healthy thriving reef ecosystem to me.

I have a very large piece of Pukani off to the side and I have more in the sump. Should be plenty for a 40b. This is a separate frag tank. No sand bed.

 

[derek yoonie]

My green slimer is reddish more red then brown I'm start back up dosing acro power as my tank nitrate is undetectable , been dosing KNO3 z don't run skimmer nor Gfo , how does acropower compare with red sea a and b . To orginal poster

 

[Cnidoblast]

What is your current phosphate level?
seems like acropora need phosphate more than nitrate - stop dosing nitrate and start dosing dipotassium phosphate or similar

 

[ps2cho]

Updating...I think I'm beginning to hit the happy growth stage now!

The green SPS in the original post has returned to full green color, and I am seeing new branches starting. You can color change below behind the thin SPS.

What's the ID on this SPS that seems to be growing super fast? From a few posts back, you can see 2-3 months growth has been pretty decent I think.

 

[dave57]

Updating...I think I'm beginning to hit the happy growth stage now!

The green SPS in the original post has returned to full green color, and I am seeing new branches starting. You can color change below behind the thin SPS.

What's the ID on this SPS that seems to be growing super fast? From a few posts back, you can see 2-3 months growth has been pretty decent I think.

What do you think brought about the colors and growth on these sps? Nitrate dosing? Increase feedings? Or adding more fish?

 

[ps2cho]

What do you think brought about the colors and growth on these sps? Nitrate dosing? Increase feedings? Or adding more fish?

Honestly more fish. Skimmer is still off as well. I feed one half cube per day plus algae pellets and once a week reef roids

 

[Reefltx]

Updating...I think I'm beginning to hit the happy growth stage now!

The green SPS in the original post has returned to full green color, and I am seeing new branches starting. You can color change below behind the thin SPS.

What's the ID on this SPS that seems to be growing super fast? From a few posts back, you can see 2-3 months growth has been pretty decent I think.

Whatever it is, give me a frag!

 

[ps2cho]

Whatever it is, give me a frag!

Was hoping it could be identified as I want to see how far off on color I am. It’s under a reefbreeder 24” LED and 2x T5’s (retrofit)