My acros are acting like they are starved, but....

Pennywise the Clown

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...they shouldn't be.
My acros are beginning to go pale, and the tips are dying. It is like they are starving but my nutrient levels are currently 25 and 0.2.
I have zero, and I really mean, zero algae in the display and I really don't have to clean my glass more than once a week. I find this strange as with those levels I would expect there to be some algae.
My easier sps, digis, montis and birdsnest are doing well.
My alk is a very constant 8.3.
Any ideas what is going on?
 
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Pennywise the Clown

Pennywise the Clown

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Dosing 2 part and that's it at the moment. I was dosing Red Sea A and B and also Reef Roids but my nutrients started to rise so I stopped a month or so ago.
Export wise, just running a skimmer. For the first 18 months of the display I struggled to get any nutrient reading at all and dosed as I had a bad dino outbreak.
This is the first time I have had to worry about my nitrates and phosphates getting on the high side.
I have started dosing Microbacter7 in the last week.
 

DancingShark

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Have you done any cleaning lately. I vac my sump once in awhile and get the same effect. I have to do it slowly, spread out to a few days.
 

Sallstrom

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Not all SPS corals do well in higher nutrients. I saw the same reaction just a month ago when the PO4 got up to 0,24ppm in an experiment tank with different Acroporas.
I lowered the phosphate and the corals seems to heal well at the moment.
 

TexasReefer82

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I've experienced the same thing. I recently started feeding coral foods heavily and have seen a large improvement in a short time. Was dosing nitrate and phosphate up to 10 and 0.1 and some acropora still weren't happy.

It's been my experience that many of the more challenging, colorful, and desirable acropora require a good amount of food/nutrition/feeding. Many others for some reason are perfectly happy in oligotrophic conditions making all their own food from the light. Nitrate/ammonia and phosphate can be absorbed by coral but aren't the preferred nor ideal source of these elements (N and P), food is the best source. I use Oyster feast, phyto feast, easySPS, Reef Energy AB+, polyp Booster, Reef Roids, and I feed my fish daily using Rod's Food or LRS Reef Frenzy. There is a lotta marine foods hitting these acropora for eating or absorption (whichever they do) and they've responded well.

I'd suggest restarting Red Sea Reef Energy (either A&B or AB+) but go easy on the Reef Roids - that product is well known to spike phosphate. Maybe use reefs Roids once or twice a week preferably to spot feed LPS.
 

Lasse

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If possible - try a Hanna Checker

That you do not have a lot of algaes on your windows can indicate that your PO4 test shows to much. Did you have to clean the windows more frequently when everything was going well?

Sincerely Lasse
 
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Pennywise the Clown

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If possible - try a Hanna Checker

That you do not have a lot of algaes on your windows can indicate that your PO4 test shows to much. Did you have to clean the windows more frequently when everything was going well?

Sincerely Lasse
Every other day. I've got the slightest dusting now which is only visable through the side glass. I haven't cleaned the glass in about a week.
 

Dave Cureton

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Have you done an ICP test? My acros were doing the same thing. Recent ICP test pointed out low trace minerals like Iodine, Strontium, etc. I'm adding KZ trace elements at half the recommended dosage to see if it helps recover coloration. FWIW PO4 was .04 and NO3 was 2.5.
 
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Pennywise the Clown

Pennywise the Clown

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Sorry for the delay, I'll try and answer your questions.

@Chaswood79 I have altered my lighting schedule. I took a long drive to the best LFS in my region. There they had a Reefer 250 set up, lit by Hydras. It was very much like mine (apart from the fact that it was superb) acros up top and mixed lower down. They ran the Eddie Putra schedule, an Ai signature. Much more white during peak. And I loved the look of it so I am slowly acclimating to this schedule.
Things were looking ropey before the change and I am sure that this has probably stressed the acros out further.

I definitely need to do an ICP test. Unfortunately, both my wife and I are not working at the moment due to lockdown and funds are very stretched. I can't justify any unnecessary expense and I'm just trying to limp my Reef tank through the next few weeks.

I have got enough salt for water changes so I might step that up in the hope of replenishing any trace elements that are lacking.

I appreciate everyones input, thank you.
 

Lasse

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Sorry for the delay, I'll try and answer your questions.

@Chaswood79 I have altered my lighting schedule. I took a long drive to the best LFS in my region. There they had a Reefer 250 set up, lit by Hydras. It was very much like mine (apart from the fact that it was superb) acros up top and mixed lower down. They ran the Eddie Putra schedule, an Ai signature. Much more white during peak. And I loved the look of it so I am slowly acclimating to this schedule.
Things were looking ropey before the change and I am sure that this has probably stressed the acros out further.

I definitely need to do an ICP test. Unfortunately, both my wife and I are not working at the moment due to lockdown and funds are very stretched. I can't justify any unnecessary expense and I'm just trying to limp my Reef tank through the next few weeks.

I have got enough salt for water changes so I might step that up in the hope of replenishing any trace elements that are lacking.

I appreciate everyones input, thank you.
IMO - you are in a crossroad just now. Everyone (but not me - at least not totally) is convinced of some lack of trace compounds (or lack of nutrients others than N and P (NO3 and PO4) @Sallstrom (who is a wise guy sometimes :p -during normal situations - we work together - i know him well) point out too high PO4. IMO - it could be this way and a serie of WC can change the situation for you. However - if you follow that road - watch your corals closely and looks if they get better. If not any signs of better health during a week - you should maybe run back to the crossroad - sell your soul to the devil (me) and dose PO4. :p. it is a long shot - maybe it is wiser to test WC first if there is a deficiency of any other type of compounds.

Sincerely Lasse
 

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