Help me figure out why some of my sps are doing good and others aren't.

[QuarantinedCorals]

Hi everyone, I'm making this post because I'm a little frustrated with my sps. Some of my sps look good, others have little to no polyp extension. A theme I'm seeing with all of my sps is that they aren't very colorful, they're nothing like other peoples sps, they're kinda faded and not as vibrant. Sorry for the bad pics, I just wanted to make this post to figure out why my sps aren't as colorful as others. My green slimer hasn't grown in months, it just encrusted and faded in color after that, it didn't even fully encrust the plug before it stopped encrusting. All my other corals are doing great, anyone know why my sps isn't as colorful?

 

[Gernader]

Have you recently checked your salinity? I know that apex salinity probe isn’t accurate.

Are you using RODI? If so, 0 TDS?

What are your nitrates and phosphates?

How much par are they getting?

Are the parameters staying stable?

Did you check for pests? Do you dip corals?

 

[RedReefer]

60.6 salinity? Maybe probe is off?

 

[QuarantinedCorals]

Have you recently checked your salinity? I know that apex salinity probe isn’t accurate.

Are you using RODI? If so, 0 TDS?

How much par are they getting?

Are the parameters staying stable?

Yea so my salinity is 1.027, phosphates are at 0.02, 0 nitrate. The parameters are stable, alk stays between 8-9. My sps gets between 120-160 par, I'm running 4 radion xr15 g4s set to 12k

 

[QuarantinedCorals]

60.6 salinity? Maybe probe is off?

Yea salinity is 1.027. Probe is super wrong idk why

 

[Gernader]

Yea so my salinity is 1.027, phosphates are at 0.02, 0 nitrate. The parameters are stable, alk stays between 8-9. My sps gets between 120-160 par, I'm running 4 radion xr15 g4s set to 12k

I would bump up your phosphates to probably around 0.1 and nitrates around 5-10. Your water is too clean. Also, I would bump up your par to around 250-300 at top.

 

[Pistondog]

What are nutrient levels?
Lighting in 2 aspects;
1) higher par brings out colors in some sps,
2) bluer, less white accentuates colors. Try turning down whites, if that is your desire.

 

[QuarantinedCorals]

What are nutrient levels?
Lighting in 2 aspects;
1) higher par brings out colors in some sps,
2) bluer, less white accentuates colors. Try turning down whites, if that is your desire.

0 nitrate, 0.02 phosphate. My g4 xr15s are running on 12k, more white for sure. I switched from 14k recently

 

[RedReefer]

Adjust one thing at a time over a period of time. Take your time making changes. Changes in any direction to quick are bad!

 

[Pistondog]

0 nitrate, 0.02 phosphate. My g4 xr15s are running on 12k, more white for sure. I switched from 14k recently

Shoot for @Gernader nutrient levels

 

[QuarantinedCorals]

Shoot for @Gernader nutrient levels

I'm having trouble with that, I got 8 fish and I feed 5 cubes a day with nori and I barely got my phosphate up. Need more fish!!

 

[Pistondog]

I'm having trouble with that, I got 8 fish and I feed 5 cubes a day with nori and I barely got my phosphate up. Need more fish!!

Feed reef roids, almost pure phosphates

 

[QuarantinedCorals]

Adjust one thing at a time over a period of time. Take your time making changes. Changes in any direction to quick are bad!

Yea I want to raise my par slowly

 

[QuarantinedCorals]

I would bump up your phosphates to probably around 0.1 and nitrates around 5-10. Your water is too clean. Also, I would bump up your par to around 250-300 at top.

I feed 5 cubes a day and half a sheet of nori daily and I was barely able to get my phosphate up from 0, need more fish for sure.

 

[QuarantinedCorals]

Feed reef roids, almost pure phosphates

I've been feeding 30ml of Red Sea AB+ daily but it's not doing anything

 

[Pistondog]

I've been feeding 30ml of Red Sea AB+ daily but it's not doing anything

Do a search for "reef roids phosphate" and see the links.
I stopped using them as I have too much phosphates.
Redsea ab+ had an adverse effect on polyp extension for me.

 

[QuarantinedCorals]

Do a search for "reef roids phosphate" and see the links.
I stopped using them as I have too much phosphates.
Redsea ab+ had an adverse effect on polyp extension for me.

I think I'm gonna stop using ab+ Been noticing a decline since using it now that you mentioned it. How can I raise nitrates?? Or will reef roids raise it up along with phosphates?

 

[Pistondog]

I think I'm gonna stop using ab+ Been noticing a decline since using it now that you mentioned it. How can I raise nitrates?? Or will reef roids raise it up along with phosphates?

Feed more to raise both.

 

[alton]

Are you running bio pellets? If so cut back on their use

 

[QuarantinedCorals]

Feed more to raise both.

My fish eat about 6 cubes of frozen and a sheet of nori a day, I guess I would need more fish.