How can half my SPS be thriving while the other half is dull looking?

[disaster999]

Little back story, my tank just recently suffered from high nitrates followed by high alkalinity previously but I have gotten those issue under control and it is pretty stable currently. My soft and LPS corals doesnt seem to be bothered by them, but my SPS did suffer where some have burnt tips, while some RTN.

After getting my parameter under control, I can see half of my SPS corals bouncing back, but the other half just looks dull and some even STN. I have a few millies in my tank and 1 of them have started to spread its base and growing out new branches, while the others just seems like its hanging on a thread. My Red Planet and Strawberry Shortcake is kind of frozen in time, there is no polyp extension, but the color is still there, be it a little thin like it is in a zeovit/ULN tank. The stylos and monti are growing, pretty well. the stylo have excellent polyp extension, while one monit doesnt look as good, but it is growing, while another type of monti is growing very well. While all this is going one, my coralline algae are spreading around nicely in my tank. They look like confetti sprinkled all over my rocks and my barebottom, but its coralline algae none the less.

Its been like this for around 2 months, the SPS that is doing ok is growing nicely, while ones that isnt doing that good stayed the same. Not sure what else I could to help the those dull looking SPS corals when others are growing nicely. My parameters are:

Calc: ~450-500ppm
Alk: 7dkh
Mag: 1400ppm
NO3: ~10-15ppm
PO4: 0.04-0.08ppm
pH: 8-8.35

Kalk top off 4L daily
Dosing Aquaforest's Amino, Vitamins, Build and Energy

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Do you have pictures?

 

[bobnicaragua]

It can take a lot of time for some acros to recover (Walt Disney). Keep your tank as stable as you can and they should come around.

I have one suggestion based on your write up. Dose all your kalk overnight, over about a 12 hour period. It will minimize your nightly PH drop and you should see an increase in alkalinity uptake.

 

[Merge_595]

Little back story, my tank just recently suffered from high nitrates followed by high alkalinity previously but I have gotten those issue under control and it is pretty stable currently. My soft and LPS corals doesnt seem to be bothered by them, but my SPS did suffer where some have burnt tips, while some RTN.

After getting my parameter under control, I can see half of my SPS corals bouncing back, but the other half just looks dull and some even STN. I have a few millies in my tank and 1 of them have started to spread its base and growing out new branches, while the others just seems like its hanging on a thread. My Red Planet and Strawberry Shortcake is kind of frozen in time, there is no polyp extension, but the color is still there, be it a little thin like it is in a zeovit/ULN tank. The stylos and monti are growing, pretty well. the stylo have excellent polyp extension, while one monit doesnt look as good, but it is growing, while another type of monti is growing very well. While all this is going one, my coralline algae are spreading around nicely in my tank. They look like confetti sprinkled all over my rocks and my barebottom, but its coralline algae none the less.

Its been like this for around 2 months, the SPS that is doing ok is growing nicely, while ones that isnt doing that good stayed the same. Not sure what else I could to help the those dull looking SPS corals when others are growing nicely. My parameters are:

Calc: ~450-500ppm
Alk: 7dkh
Mag: 1400ppm
NO3: ~10-15ppm
PO4: 0.04-0.08ppm
pH: 8-8.35

Kalk top off 4L daily
Dosing Aquaforest's Amino, Vitamins, Build and Energy

Could be those Amino's I stopped dosing them years ago would always turn my Acro’s color's. Since I've just focused on the basics I've had much more growth, PE, & jus overall tank health..some Acro’s jus don't have much color so I just try to pick one's that already have natural colors..

 

[disaster999]

It can take a lot of time for some acros to recover (Walt Disney). Keep your tank as stable as you can and they should come around.

I have one suggestion based on your write up. Dose all your kalk overnight, over about a 12 hour period. It will minimize your nightly PH drop and you should see an increase in alkalinity uptake.

I dont dose all 4L at once, its spread out 24 times throughout the day to minimize the "shock" factor, but from monitoring my pH level, I usually dont see a significant increase of pH after dosing.

 

[disaster999]

Do you have pictures?

Ill take some tonight

 

[eggie]

I would stop dosing the Aquaforest products they are made more for ULN tanks. Dosing aminos while your nutrients are 15-20 could make your corals look dull.

Try doing an ICP test maybe there is an element that is to high and could cause the dull color

Search also for flatworms,Turkey baster the corals that are closed and see if you see anything flying off them

 

[Dburr1014]

Do you do any water changes?

That may help with things that are depleted or to much in the tank. Kind of a reset. 2 or 3 20% changes may help.

 

[disaster999]

Do you do any water changes?

That may help with things that are depleted or to much in the tank. Kind of a reset. 2 or 3 20% changes may help.

yeah I do them regularly. Esp when I start to see elevated parameters or things not looking so hot in my tank.

I would stop dosing the Aquaforest products they are made more for ULN tanks. Dosing aminos while your nutrients are 15-20 could make your corals look dull.

Try doing an ICP test maybe there is an element that is to high and could cause the dull color

Search also for flatworms,Turkey baster the corals that are closed and see if you see anything flying off them

The corals that are doing good arent looking dull. they are vibrant. Some that have stunned growth while retaining color are looking like they are in a ULN system The ones that are doing really bad all look dull...so not entirely definitive.

Just mailed in my ICP so lets see

Also 100% positive no flatworms

 

[disaster999]

Here are some pictures.

Corals that are doing great and or growing

purple stylo

Things that have good color but little to no growth at all
Red Planet

Strawberry Shortcake

Things that arent looking so hot or havent grown at all
Green Stag

bubblegum digi

pink cadillac (but i THINK the base is finally spreading)

Had this birdsnest for more than half a year and it never grew

Red Acro

 

[Borat]

I have had some corals from past - that went through turbulent times and they just stick around without much growing (literally for a year) or very slowly perish.. I just gave up on them - letting them either stick around or disappear.

 

[Reefer Matt]

Different species, and even individual coral take different amounts of time to recover, if at all. Correcting tank deficiencies and then leaving it alone will usually recover the coral. It often takes a day or less to injure them, but can take months to a year+ to recover sometimes.

 

[eggie]

yeah I do them regularly.

The corals that are doing good arent looking dull. they are vibrant. Some that have stunned growth while retaining color are looking like they are in a ULN system The ones that are doing really bad all look dull...so not entirely definitive.

Also 100% positive no flatworms

Ill give you my recent example.
I use Moonshiners to do monthly element corrections. Tank was looking very nice I got too happy and dose some Aquaforest Energy and Aminos ,started to see my colors get darker and and less florescence. So I started to do water changes and colors improved back. There is Copper Sulfate in the Energy that makes the corals look pale since it reduces the zooxanthellae. It affects some corals not all

 

[disaster999]

It often takes a day or less to injure them, but can take months to a year+ to recover sometimes.

so true

I have had some corals from past - that went through turbulent times and they just stick around without much growing (literally for a year) or very slowly perish.. I just gave up on them - letting them either stick around or disappear.

I guess time will tell.

Ill give you my recent example.
I use Moonshiners to do monthly element corrections. Tank was looking very nice I got too happy and dose some Aquaforest Energy and Aminos ,started to see my colors get darker and and less florescence. So I started to do water changes and colors improved back. There is Copper Sulfate in the Energy that makes the corals look pale since it reduces the zooxanthellae. It affects some corals not all

I guess it doesnt hurt to stop dosing all together and see what happens

 

[Dburr1014]

You placed these in your good pile. Looks like burnt tips and dino on the tips.
I seriously would start by stopping everything and doing 20% water changes for a few weeks. Lower the lighting by 10%.



After a few weeks, start going slow to ramp everything up again if you wish. 1 at a time. See what happens, if you get any negative effects.

 

[disaster999]

You placed these in your good pile. Looks like burnt tips and dino on the tips.
I seriously would start by stopping everything and doing 20% water changes for a few weeks. Lower the lighting by 10%.



After a few weeks, start going slow to ramp everything up again if you wish. 1 at a time. See what happens, if you get any negative effects.

yeah that millie has burnt tips, but its the only one that has new growth from the base. Also that other sps...not really sure what it is, it has no burnt tips and it doubled in size throughout the whole ordeal so yes, they are in the good pile.

 

[Dburr1014]

Something is off.

I see dull colors, browned acros, burnt tips, and little to zero polyp extension. Everyone but 1 or 2 in your pics has an issue or 2. Dinos forming on some.

I'm not saying this to be a jerk, I want to help. This looks tank wide to me.

I repost, stop dosing, get a reset, lower the lights.

Get everything stable. The only thing, IMO, is work on stability which to me is alk, cal, mag. Dose those if needed. Also stability is temp and salanity. Keep up flow and lower light temporary until you see some healing.

 

[disaster999]

Something is off.

I see dull colors, browned acros, burnt tips, and little to zero polyp extension. Everyone but 1 or 2 in your pics has an issue or 2. Dinos forming on some.

I'm not saying this to be a jerk, I want to help. This looks tank wide to me.

I repost, stop dosing, get a reset, lower the lights.

Get everything stable. The only thing, IMO, is work on stability which to me is alk, cal, mag. Dose those if needed. Also stability is temp and salanity. Keep up flow and lower light temporary until you see some healing.

appreciate the suggestions but you must have some sort of crazy high expectation of your corals when you say every single one of my corals are dull, brown and have burnt tips with no polyp extension when clearly some do look vibrant and have lots of polyp extension.

I will stop dosing the aquaforest stuff, more water changes and lower my lights a tad and see if that helps.

 

[Reefering1]

you say every single one of my corals are dull, brown and have burnt tips with no polyp extension when clearly some do look vibrant and have lots of polyp extension.

"Or"...
I agree with dburr. But he said "or", not "and". Every one doesn't have all those conditions, but most have at least one. Ime, it's not a good sign when the polyps are so retracted that it just looks like holes...

 

[Dburr1014]

appreciate the suggestions but you must have some sort of crazy high expectation of your corals when you say every single one of my corals are dull, brown and have burnt tips with no polyp extension when clearly some do look vibrant and have lots of polyp extension.

I will stop dosing the aquaforest stuff, more water changes and lower my lights a tad and see if that helps.

Let me back pedal a bit.

Something is off.

I see dull colors, browned acros, burnt tips, and little to zero polyp extension.

Yes, I said this...

Everyone but 1 or 2 in your pics has an issue or 2.

And this. I was referring to pics you posted. I did see a green stag w/ purple tips that looked very vibrant.

Some have nice colors but the skin is very thin. Like the first Pic. I'm not sure either of what that particular coral is but the branches look good, the base, not so much. The flesh looks thin, it lost the color. Maybe it's supposed to be like that? But based solely on the picture, to me, it doesn't "look right".
The next picture, in the good pile, had burnt tips and dinos.
The stylo looks okay but my stylo has prominent white growth tips. Basing on your Pic, it's growing, I agree, just slowly for a fast growing coral.

After the stylo is a picture of an acro that's basing out but totally browned out.
Then the green stag that looks pretty good.

All the rest you say have problems not growing or not looking good.


We are here to help. We base what we say(or I do) on pictures and your replies to questions.

IME, browned, thin skin, burnt tips across the tank means something is off. But all (sorry, most) of the coral are having different problems. So how do you address 4 or 5 different problems at the same time?

For me, big water changes to get back to baseline. Not 1 big change but several larger than normal ones. The solution to pollution is dilution and it also goes for things that are low that you can't test for that may be in the salt.

When things start getting burnt tips across the tank I will back off the light. It's either too strong, but probably not, or something's going on and they're stressed. To relieve the stress, I relieve the light, take that factor out.

I tried to think of my tank as a living thing, which it is. I start thinking methadically, what's going on how can I alleviate the situation while working out a solution.

It's late, good luck with the tank. Good night.
If you think of anything else or have another question, I'll be around.