Slow growth and pale color in some frags why?

[Bmasculine]

Hi y’all I’ve finally decided to take the plunge back into SPS after several failed attempts. I added a handful of frags back around February and while all are living, some have colored up great some have gotten pale, some have exploded with growth, some have completely stalled. I don’t want to start adjusting and changing, every time I’ve started doing that I’ve run into more problems. I’ll list my parameters below as of today. Will be doing a water change later.

params
Nitrate-2
PO4-.05
Alk-8-8.2
Calcium-440
Mg-1275
Salinity 1026
Lighting is 4 T-5 blue plus and a Radion G5 blue set at 60% AB+ schedule on a 60 gal cube.

 

[T-J]

Which ones are pale, and do you know what PAR they are in?
Your parameters look fine, so I'm guessing it might be the lights. Too much light can cause them to get pale, or bleach out.
As far as growth, it can be a combination of a number of things. Flow being one of the more common issues. I've had some SPS just sit before exploding in growth.

 

[ScottB]

Numbers are fine but you knew that already.
System age?
Dead/live rock start?

All these animals have slightly different preferences. And their preferences can even shift a little this way/that. So you are well served to just keep things "as they are" and let them come around.

 

[Bmasculine]

Tank is about 2 years old it was started with dead rock dead rock and a few pieces of live from another tank. TCK Skywalker and RRC Electra are the two that are most pale. I have a Seneye I can hook up to get par readings but I haven’t done it.

 

[Bmasculine]

Also this is a BB tank, I have a Gyre 250 that sits at the bottom of the tank behind my rock work and two mp-10 up top

 

[Bmasculine]

I will get par reading and post

 

[REEFTIDE]

IMO nutrients are way too low, I would try to bring that up if possible. I had a similar issue in the tanks trying to keep them too clean

 

[Bmasculine]

I just checked the par with seneye not sure if I believe it or not but numbers seem lower than I would’ve thought. Showing about 300 par where most my sps sit about 230 where the ones I feel are pale sit at but only reading 415 at the surface of the water. There’s a shelf where most my sps sit about 10 inches below the surface.

 

[Bmasculine]

IMO nutrients are way too low, I would try to bring that up if possible. I had a similar issue in the tanks trying to keep them too clean

I was thinking this also but I don’t really try to keep it super clean. I use a filter pad and a skimmer. Feed three times a day I dose aminos in the evening and I add Dr Tim’s probiotic bacteria with my water change. This is all I do other than two part and sometimes manually dose MG. However there isn’t a trace of algae in my tank other than the film I clean off the glass every other day.

 

[ScottB]

Don't go losing the Elektra; that stuff is gorgeous when happy.

If you feed the fish 3+ times per day -- or if you have excess GHA -- you can disregard but a little more nitrate wouldn't hurt. Or increase your nutrient throughput a little. More IN and more OUT.

I just checked the par with seneye not sure if I believe it or not but numbers seem lower than I would’ve thought. Showing about 300 par where most my sps sit about 230 where the ones I feel are pale sit at but only reading 415 at the surface of the water. There’s a shelf where most my sps sit about 10 inches below the surface.

I can't speak to Seneye accuracy but 230 won't cut it for most acropora. But you knew that already.

I was thinking this also but I don’t really try to keep it super clean. I use a filter pad and a skimmer. Feed three times a day I dose aminos in the evening and I add Dr Tim’s probiotic bacteria with my water change. This is all I do other than two part and sometimes manually dose MG. However there isn’t a trace of algae in my tank other than the film I clean off the glass every other day.

Nothing makes my acros happier than a lot of fish poo. My fish are pretty happy about it as well.

 

[Bmasculine]

Here are a few picks I know everyone likes those. Here is tck skywalker and Electra in the back, and closeup of skywalker

 

[REEFTIDE]

I was thinking this also but I don’t really try to keep it super clean. I use a filter pad and a skimmer. Feed three times a day I dose aminos in the evening and I add Dr Tim’s probiotic bacteria with my water change. This is all I do other than two part and sometimes manually dose MG. However there isn’t a trace of algae in my tank other than the film I clean off the glass every other day.

We usually try to keep nitrates at the 10ish mark and phos at .01 With a good cuc you shouldn't have algae issues but you will get a little more haze on the glass. However, I'd rather clean the glass and get awesome colors than not

 

[Bmasculine]

Here are a few progress pics, these are from beginning of April-now this is TCK cotton candy

 

[Bmasculine]

Here is pink bear

 

[Bmasculine]

This is CRT dragonking

 

[homer1475]

Other then a lack of PE(which IMO means nothing), your corals look great to me.

 

[Bmasculine]

Other then a lack of PE(which IMO means nothing), your corals look great to me.

Yeah that’s another thing when my lights turn off I have crazy PE but as soon as they come on boom nothing

 

[ScottB]

Other then a lack of PE(which IMO means nothing), your corals look great to me.

I agree on both counts. Looks like they are encrusting just fine for February frags.

I do think you could get some darker colors with a little more nutrient.

 

[homer1475]

I agree on both counts. Looks like they are encrusting just fine for February frags.

I do think you could get some darker colors with a little more nutrient.

And I would agree with you on higher nutrient levels.

I get the best color and growth at around 10ppm nitrate, and .1 phosphate.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Yeah that’s another thing when my lights turn off I have crazy PE but as soon as they come on boom nothing

What fish do you have?