Red Sea color up program

[Mrfresh]

So I'm starting to get really into sps.
I have had great success with some sps and chalices and some encrusting montiporas like meteor shower.
But I have bought a few nice sps's with in the last month and I have noticed they have lost the polyp extension and some color...

It's a 90 gallon tank
I have led Vegas on my tank
I run ozone orp is 145
A fug
Euro reef skimmer for a 180 gallon tank
And I have a ton of flow

All levels r good
No amm
Nite <.05
Phos<.05
Salt 1.023


Ok so alk is a little low. I think I would like to be at 11dkh
Alk right now 8.4dkh
Cal 390
I know calls low working on bring it up
Mag 1400


I'm not sure why my millis don't have any polyp extension.
I have started the Red Sea color up program.
It's like the zeovit system but easier and less expensive. ( no reactor needed)

My question is did I just send money on something pointless or not?


I know there are a few things in the tank that need to change to make water ideal.
I know there's lots of flow so its should be that.

How long does it take for a coral to get used to its new light? Like LEDs
What do u run ur alk and cal levels at.
And anything I should change.

I do water changes every week. 15 gallons I use rodi and tropic marine pro

Thanks for reading

 

[dorky]

im not familiar with the red sea color program but i would say it would be easier if u spend some $$ on the dosing pump because it the best way to maintain the alk and cal in long term it will really help solve the color extension and coloration. i started dosing mine and it made a big differences the colors and longer PE but only issue that i have is i dont have the time to dose it everyday so i will be investing in the dosing pump and just monitor the alk and cal and as for the light. do you have a dimmer? if so ill just dimmed down or can make the photo schedule shorter and increase it every weeks

 

[Mrfresh]

The lights are dimmiable.

And bc of my alk dropping so much while I was gone I invested in two dosing pumps from brs.

Before when I was dosing daily. I would check my alk and cal levels and dose about 35mls of alk and 100ml of cal.
There so high bc I have huge chalices and quite a few sps colony's now.
I dosed that much bc I was trying to raise my alk to 11dkh from 9.6dkh. And my cal was 330 and trying to get it to 450.

I know ppl will say that alk should be at 6 to 8 like the ocean but I noticed the corals are happier with higher alk.
But with high alk I have issues with getting my cal high...

What to do what to do!!!

 

[Jay6363]

So to be honest I started on the redsea color program and the after a while trailed zeovit minus reactor. I do use the redsea no3 po4 for low carbon dosing. Works phenomenal for me.

Whe I changed over to the zeovit products tho I saw a huge difference. And yes it's expensive but in my opinion worth it.

And as "dorky" stated above the dosing pump made the world of difference as well for stability. My corals are happy!

I have a radion pro over my tank. And depending on what u had before you got the Vega's it could takes little time for ur corals to get used to your vega depending on how fast or slowing acclimated ur corals to the led system. Hope this helps a little. If u ever want to know what zeovit products I use pm me and I'll let you know.

The Red Sea program isn't bad, it worked well for me, however the zeovit made more of a difference in my opinion. I did use the Red Sea products for a good six months before trying zeovit.


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[mike007]

I use all Redsea products with excellent results. I do not use the recommened doses they recommend. You have to be carefull with the reef energy and the color up because if you use more than your corals consume you will have algae problems. I had to cut back and now everything is doing good. Great products though.

 

[kuyatwo]

11 dkh is too high for the coloring up per Red Sea if I remember correctly that is the level for growth over coloring up corals


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[fragmatic]

I'm a big fan of Brightwell products.
I dose Brightwell 1 & 2, & "Replenish"


As far as color programs I am dosing Brightwell "Koral Color" and have absolutely seen improvements in color. I am not a color chaser and dose it for the trace elements in it.. BUT it has improved my colors.. and it is a slow process. I think I noticed a clear difference by the end of the first week.

For whatever that is worth....

 

[Mrfresh]

Ok so I found out what my main issue is...
I had a lot of fuzzy crabs in the tank.
I just dipped all my corals and killed a lot of them... I'm going to keep my eye out for more and keep dipping as needed.

I am lowing my alk to 8-9 dkh
And bringing my cal up to 500ppm

The reef energy I have cut back to every other day and I use half of what it said to use.
I need to test my iodine potassium and iron levels to see where I'm at and if I need to bump up my color program or lower it...

 

[Mrfresh]

Also wanted to say thank you for the input.

I'm on another forum and people are very firm to push there ways of reefing on me.
U guys gave me ur input on the product and didn't tell me I HAVE to do it a different way

So again thank you.

 

[180galreef]

Just my 2 cents. I see your going to 8-9 on your alk. I would keep it there, I use to run mine at 11 and every time I turned around I had a swing. 11 is very hard to keep a constant level.

 

[Mrfresh]

Yeah I just don't know how to let it drop. I did a water change and that should help lower it. But I feel like if I don't dose and let it drop to 8 dkh the corals would go though a shock. But I really don't want to lower the levels over a month... But I feel like 3 days would be to fast to let it drop...not that that's how fast it would drop but just saying...

I think I will cut back my alk from 30ml to 20ml.
And I might keep my cal at the same until it his 450ppm. Then I will jcut it back to maintain the level at 450.

FYI
30ml of alk a day keeps my alk at 10dkh
110ml of cal raises cal up 5ppm a day. I'm still only at 375ppm...
Lets see how this changes while I drop my alk

 

[Mrfresh]

Yeah I just don't know how to let it drop. I did a water change and that should help lower it. But I feel like if I don't dose and let it drop to 8 dkh the corals would go though a shock. But I really don't want to lower the levels over a month... But I feel like 3 days would be to fast to let it drop...not that that's how fast it would drop but just saying...

I think I will cut back my alk from 30ml to 20ml.
And I might keep my cal at the same until it his 450ppm. Then I will jcut it back to maintain the level at 450.

FYI
30ml of alk a day keeps my alk at 10dkh
110ml of cal raises cal up 5ppm a day. I'm still only at 375ppm...
Lets see how this changes while I drop my alk

 

[o2manyfish]

I would order some ORP Calibration fluid. And ORP of 145 is a very low number and represents some dirty water.

Especially with Ozone in an ideal system your ORP should be closer to 400 and ideally over it.

Are you using carbon? Are your filter socks clean? How do you clean your filter socks?

You say you have good flow for your corals, but what about behind and under the rocks? Do you have areas with collecting detritus ?

Dave B

 

[Mrfresh]

I am trying to bring my orp up, I'm not sure if my Red Sea ozone is reading the water right or not. It's the 50mg/h one and I run it all day all the time... It just won't go past 147 for some ready. I do run a carbon reactor that I change every 3 months....
I have 3 inch filter socks I use. There the small ones so I don't wash them just toss them out.

I have a lot of cleaner shrimp fire shrimp and peppermint shrimp, along with sand sifting stars and Toby's to keep things moving where there isn't flow.
I do sometimes get it in my sump but I take a power head and siphon it out when I do a water change.
I try my best to keep my tank clean from any of that stuff building up.

 

[Mrfresh]

I am trying to bring my orp up, I'm not sure if my Red Sea ozone is reading the water right or not. It's the 50mg/h one and I run it all day all the time... It just won't go past 147 for some ready. I do run a carbon reactor that I change every 3 months....
I have 3 inch filter socks I use. There the small ones so I don't wash them just toss them out.

I have a lot of cleaner shrimp fire shrimp and peppermint shrimp, along with sand sifting stars and Toby's to keep things moving where there isn't flow.
I do sometimes get it in my sump but I take a power head and siphon it out when I do a water change.
I try my best to keep my tank clean from any of that stuff building up.

 

[fragmatic]

If you want to lower your alk, dose calc. If you want to bring your alk up dose it.
........inversely........
If you want to lower your calc, dose alk. If you want to bring your calc up dose it.

 

[Mrfresh]

Yes but it's also a question about how fast to allow it to change

 

[o2manyfish]

I would take some time to sort out the ORP. 147 is some dirty water. Chances are your probe needs to be replaced or cleaned and calibrated. I am a huge supporter of Ozone, but in smaller systems you can do damage with it if not monitored closely. From Marine Depot you can order calibration fluid. I am not familiar with how to calibrate your controller, but you would at least know for sure if it is working or if it's just out of calibration.

You can start by soaking the probe in vinegar for an hour. Then see if your reading changes. Then put it in a cup of RO mixed salt water. You should see a reading in the mid 200's in fresh Salt water.

If the probe continues to read 147 or close to that, it might be time to order a new probe.

Dave B

 

[Mrfresh]

I have an apex controller so I am going to get an orp prob for the apex instead.

 

[Mrfresh]

So I took out my orp cleaned it and my orp is now reading at 216.
It's a little bit better then what it was but I still am shooting for that 400range.
The color up program seems to be working well and my call over 400 finally!!! And Allks still in the 9.5 range but still not really seeing my sps extending the polyps...

It's only been a week I need to wait it out...