Need help with SPS coloration

[iGotJokess]

Trying to figure out what is causing lack of coloration and growth in my tank. I have a mixed tank, SPS heavy. I have a few corals with great polyp extension, encrusting, but very dark to brown coloration. I also have another the same but very light, almost bleaching. Majority of the corals have good coloration but im struggling with my sticks. Parameters are as follows.
ALK - 7.7-8.1
Cal - 420-430
Mag - 1350-1370
Phosphate - .06
Nitrate - 1
Par - 200-300

90 gallons, 2 g5 xr30 blues, 2mp40's

 

[iGotJokess]

Salinity 1.026
PH 8.2 - 8.35
Red Sea Blue Bucket
Dosing Kalkwasser and B ionic ALK + Cal

 

[Geebs19]

Pics may help

 

[vetteguy53081]

Submit pics under white lighting

Sme causes are:
High or low salinity
Shading from light
high alk
Low Calcium
Low nutrients
Lack of flow
Pests
Temperature too warm

List goes on

 

[iGotJokess]

Submit pics under white lighting

Sme causes are:
High or low salinity
Shading from light
high alk
Low Calcium
Low nutrients
Lack of flow
Pests
Temperature too warm

List goes on

 

[iGotJokess]

I’ll take some better ones also. Parameters are listed above. If needed, can post the test kits used also

 

[iGotJokess]

Here’s a few more

 

[Big E]

Those are all frags................the brown ones are probably fine. They need to continue to encrust and when new sprouts pop up that's when the color will show up.

Any frags that are light/bleaching you need to put lower in the tank and let the zoo fill in.

Get those frags off the racks and find places to mount them. Be flexible to move any that stall and don't grow or bleach.

There is no need to make changes to your system.......................just be patient. Growth= Color

 

[vetteguy53081]

Trying to figure out what is causing lack of coloration and growth in my tank. I have a mixed tank, SPS heavy. I have a few corals with great polyp extension, encrusting, but very dark to brown coloration. I also have another the same but very light, almost bleaching. Majority of the corals have good coloration but im struggling with my sticks. Parameters are as follows.
ALK - 7.7-8.1
Cal - 420-430
Mag - 1350-1370
Phosphate - .06
Nitrate - 1
Par - 200-300

90 gallons, 2 g5 xr30 blues, 2mp40's

ALK - 7.7-8.1 - Alk slightly low. 8-11 desired

Cal - 420-430

Mag - 1350-1370

Phosphate - .06 - Just slightly up - you want <.04

Nitrate - 1

Par - 200-300 = A little low

What test kits are you using ?

 

[iGotJokess]

ALK - Trident, Hannah

Cal - Trident, Red Sea, Hannah

Mag - Trident

Phosphate - Hannah

Nitrate - Nyos

Par - Apogee 510

 

[iGotJokess]

Those are all frags................the brown ones are probably fine. They need to continue to encrust and when new sprouts pop up that's when the color will show up.

Any frags that are light/bleaching you need to put lower in the tank and let the zoo fill in.

Get those frags off the racks and find places to mount them. Be flexible to move any that stall and don't grow or bleach.

There is no need to make changes to your system.......................just be patient. Growth= Color

I agree and i appreciate your response. Part of my concern is that they are still frags, some are over a year old. What would you consider an ideal range for new frags? Obviously when you get them they look a lot different than they do now, i also understand the many factors that cause this. I see extension and new growth, just undesirable coloring. Im with you on the patience, but 1-1/2 years and a frag is still a small frag it makes me think of what can i do better?

 

[Big E]

A frag on a rack for months is never going to thrive because most people have the rack attached to the outer edges of the tank. So it's getting crappy light and flow.

Get them mounted so you have flow and lighting in a 360 degree fashion.

What are the dimensions of that tank? From the picture I don't like your lighting..........you need a lot more coverage. Coverage is of paramount importance.

 

[BrianReefer]

Order a Triton or ATI ICP test and report the results back. That will help solve this puzzle. Though PAR IS a bit low, but would be good to know where trace and nutrients are before you adjust anything

 

[iGotJokess]

A frag on a rack for months is never going to thrive because most people have the rack attached to the outer edges of the tank. So it's getting crappy light and flow.

Get them mounted so you have flow and lighting in a 360 degree fashion.

What are the dimensions of that tank? From the picture I don't like your lighting..........you need a lot more coverage. Coverage is of paramount importance.

It’s a 90, 48x23x18.

 

[shakacuz]

an ATI ICP test and an addition to an aliexpress LED bar or two, you should be able to find out the root cause(perhaps trace element deficiency), and lack of PAR.

 

[iGotJokess]

an ATI ICP test and an addition to an aliexpress LED bar or two, you should be able to find out the root cause(perhaps trace element deficiency), and lack of PAR.

Went one step ahead and ordered two of the new quanta bars, interested to see how those test with the radions

 

[iGotJokess]

Finally got around to an ICP Test and the results are below. Please take a look and any input is helpful

//lab.atiaquaristik.com/share/ae679e298e766f52810c

 

[Macdaddynick1]

Finally got around to an ICP Test and the results are below. Please take a look and any input is helpful

//lab.atiaquaristik.com/share/ae679e298e766f52810c

Raise CA by 20 ppm, but that shouldn't cause any coloration issues.
Your zinc is elevated, check for any rust. I always have issues with Tin in my system and it wrecks corals, causing browning, bleaching, and RTN at elevated levels. I am not sure if zinc can cause similar issues, but it's probably worth taking a look at.
Add a bit more blue spectrum light on your radions, but do it slowly.
Check for pests, very tiny white or brown bugs. They don't kill corals, but they will make corals either brown or force them to lose patches of color, a kinda spot bleaching. They are almost impossible to spot, and I would check with a flashlight, during the night.
That being said IMO your corals look pretty good, frags usually lose color for a while, especially if the coral came from a wild colony.

 

[iGotJokess]

Raise CA by 20 ppm, but that shouldn't cause any coloration issues.
Your zinc is elevated, check for any rust. I always have issues with Tin in my system and it wrecks corals, causing browning, bleaching, and RTN at elevated levels. I am not sure if zinc can cause similar issues, but it's probably worth taking a look at.
Add a bit more blue spectrum light on your radions, but do it slowly.
Check for pests, very tiny white or brown bugs. They don't kill corals, but they will make corals either brown or force them to lose patches of color, a kinda spot bleaching. They are almost impossible to spot, and I would check with a flashlight, during the night.
That being said IMO your corals look pretty good, frags usually lose color for a while, especially if the coral came from a wild colony.

I believe the zinc is an issue with my source water. I also had my RODI tested, results are below

//lab.atiaquaristik.com/share/4ada1a4a81234a469416

 

[Big E]

It’s a 90, 48x23x18.

Quanta should help with some fill in. I would not get the Meso blues as you have plenty of blue you can supply from your radions.

Are you dosing elements? Reading your ATI results it looks that way.

All metals are nasty for Sps. Get the aluminum and zinc to read 0.