Need help~ about SPS' color

[stan410]

Dear guys,

I am glad to find this forum and seek the solution.
Recently i bought a few frags, but the color didn't goes well.
here are my status:
ALK :8.6
CA: 425
Mg: 1420
No3:0
No2:0
temp: 26 C

Here are my questions, if you have any tips, please tell me. thanks .
1. Is that a regularly status to SPS?

2. This is my red planet, i put it in a stronger water flow, and medium lights. but it never goes green, and right now, it looks like a little bit white ...
Is that means it going to dead? what should I do?

3. This pic has a similar situation with red planet, it's in a stronger water flow, and medium lights.
is it dying?

4. In this pic, i mark it with a red circle, in this area, is that means the light is too strong to make it upset?

5.If anyone has this reef and already colored , please tell me is that its final color? or i can wait it in hope.

Thanks you!

 

[twilliard]

You are deficit in no3 and what is your po4 at?

And welcome to the R2R community!

 

[stan410]

You are deficit in no3 and what is your po4 at?

And welcome to the R2R community!

My po4 is 0, and thanks to reply quickly!

 

[twilliard]

There is one of 2 things you can do
Lower alkalinity or raise no3 and po4
Don't let po4 exceed no3

 

[twilliard]

@Russ265 are you in today?

 

[stan410]

There is one of 2 things you can do
Lower alkalinity or raise no3 and po4
Don't let po4 exceed no3

OMG. I thought the best things to do is make NO3 and Po4 zero....
and i think this is not easy to increase those two states. any tips for raising?
Btw, what is the standard status about ALK?

 

[twilliard]

Alkalinity is dependant on available nutrients
For instance I run 8.6 dkh 5ppm no3 and .018 po4
Feed more would be the easiest way to raise them

 

[Russ265]

id target

5-10 nitrate
.02- .08 po4

the reason you want to bump your alk if nutrients are available is because zooxanethellae uses alk/carbon as well as the coral. bumping alk beyond 7 has shown that your coral's growth wont stunt if alk is elevated.

 

[twilliard]

id target

5-10 nitrate
.02- .08 po4

the reason you want to bump your alk if nutrients are available is because zooxanethellae uses alk/carbon as well as the coral. bumping alk beyond 7 has shown that your coral's growth wont stunt if alk is elevated.

And russ does it again!
Spot on buddy :)

 

[DaveRaz]

As said, target those nutrient levels and keep them there. Eventually you will know exactly how much food it takes to keep them there, or close to it anyway. Once I kept my levels stable and N03 between 5 and 8 and P04 at .02 to .06 everything came to life color wise. As a new reefer is was very difficult to find the tanks balance but now it's cake. <knocking on wood>

 

[ReefBum]

Agree with keeping some slightly elevated levels of nitrates and phosphates. You don't want to starve your corals. I like to keep a lot of fish and fish poop will provide some added fuel/nutrients for SPS.