Open Brain Color loss

[Jk120]

OK I have a open brain Lossing color. Tank has been running about 6 months brain has been in it about 4 months. This coral had a lot of color and now the color is there just not as Brit. Was bold purple green yellow and now it's like a pastel purple green and yellow. It sits on substrate under 2-250 watt 14K HQI on 6 hrs per day and 1-150 watt 20K HQI on 8 hrs per day.Bulb are 1week old and light fixture is 8 inches from top of tank that is 24 inches deep. This coral is always puffed up and has it's feeding tentacles out day and night. Spot Feeding it LRS Reef Frenzy once a week but wasn't covering it so I think Tang had been stealing it's food. Just started to cover it with plastic container long enough for it to eat. Didn't realize how long it takes for it to draw food into its mouth. Tank temp is 77.7 lights of and 78.4 lights on. PH is 7.80 morning 7.98 mid day . PH never raises above 8.00. keep window open as mush as I can but doesn't really help. Temp and PH is monitored by apex and pH probe calibrated and checked last week. Nitrate is 5.0 DKH is 10 Calcium 400 Mag 1500. Dose B-Ionic 2 part. Salinity at 1.024 that stays constant from ATO. Use RODI water those filters about 3 mo old and make 30 gal water a week. It's rated 75 gl per day but do 10% weekly water changes and ATO water for the week that's about 30 gl per week needed. Nutrient export is the water change weekly Carbon reactor with Carbon changed every 3 weeks Phosbane in bag in high flow. Don't really know phosphate level. Have tested it with API test that read 0 but don't hold mush value to API test kits. And 2 filter sock that I change out once a week. I've been washing in washer low setting than rinsed with RODI water. So that's what's been going on and I have this always puffed up sometimes like a balloon feeding tentacles always out open brain. Any advise

 

[anthonys51]

It's really hard to tell and it's just a guess. Could be the light change. You said you changed out the bulb a week ago. Lights get weaker as the bulbs get older. So changing the bulbs makes them stronger again. Open brains don't need a lot of light Also get a better test kit for phosphates. Higher levels can cause colors to loose color. It also can be thst your feeding the coral too much. I heard from a guy that over feeding his Acans caused it to lose color. So try lowering coral see if that works then if it doesn't stop feeding it once every 10 days you can give it a treat

 

[Tahoe61]

Hi and welcome to R2R, :D

Even though that sounds like enough par for LPS, the coral is probably over illuminated, especially if you have it under MH with somewhat new bulbs. I would move it to an area of less intensity.

 

[Jk120]

It's really hard to tell and it's just a guess. Could be the light change. You said you changed out the bulb a week ago. Lights get weaker as the bulbs get older. So changing the bulbs makes them stronger again. Open brains don't need a lot of light Also get a better test kit for phosphates. Higher levels can cause colors to loose color. It also can be thst your feeding the coral too much. I heard from a guy that over feeding his Acans caused it to lose color. So try lowering coral see if that works then if it doesn't stop feeding it once every 10 days you can give it a treat

OK I will move it and see how it reacts to less light. Thanks.

 

[Jk120]

Hi and welcome to R2R, :D

Even though that sounds like enough par for LPS, the coral is probably over illuminated, especially if you have it under MH with somewhat new bulbs. I would move it to an area of less intensity.

Thanks going to try less light