SPS brown base color tips? help

[kitten0304]

okay let start with stats
ph 8.3
nitrate, ammonia, nitrite 0
phos 0
alk 9-10
cal 380-400
I have a 100 gal bare bottom 72x18x12 topless too hehe. Filtration is a 55 gallon tank with a filter sock, 50lbs live rock, reef devil deluxe skimmer. Lights are 2 luminarcs with 400watt 20k's. Temp swings running about 78.5 to 81 deg would be the biggest but not usually its about 79.5 to 81.
feeding cyclopeeze and photo every 4days, coral frenzy every 2 weeks day or so before water changes, feeding fish flakes and brine most nights.
dosing alk and cal as needed, vc, amino acid, iron, potassium iodine.
Problem is things is my sps are loosing their color around the base and main part of the body they will keep color on the tips and as the tip grows the brown will keep creeping upward. ?? any ideas here's some pics
this is when i got it

and now

these are about 4 months apart but it only takes about a month before i can notice some color loss on new things. I have been trying to figure this out for a while now any help would be much relief. Thank you

 

[gflat65]

By color loss, you just mean the bases are deep brown rather than as colorful as the tips, right? That's pretty common. Certainly nothing to be worried about. I have several SPS that have brown bases, but nice color half way down the stalk. You can sunburn the coral by slowly getting it higher and higher until it 'bleaches' out the brown, but it looks like a healthy coral. Controlled sunburning can add colors, but you can also kill corals if they don't take to the higher light. When I ran 250W DE AB 10K's, ever SPS in the tank was sunburnt...

 

[cee]

In spite of what your test kits are telling you, I doubt your nutrients are as low as indicated. Some of the things you're adding are driving the nutrients up and are typically only added in a nutrient-poor system. Filter socks are notorious for adding nitrates unless you clean and change them out about every couple of days. Also, I believe your skimmer may be a bit undersized for the size of your tank. However, and gflat indicates, the coral looks healthy, so in my book that's more important than whatever color issues you're having.

Dave

 

[gflat65]

Yeah, I forgot a super low nutrient system would give you lighter/brighter corals, too. I've never been able to get one that clean, though:D.

 

[dots]

You would be suprised how some just need to be placed in the back, up higher in the tank and left alone. I looks like this one could turn green to me with bluer tips.

 

[Dejavu]

I have had experience with tanning corals due to lack of nutrients when I was running a ULN system. I dosed AA's with some improvement but the best results were seen when I just added more fish.

I do agree that you need to make sure the test kits are actual reading zero. I some case test kit will give you a false zero. Phosphate test kit is notorious for this. I my case my hanna was reading zero PO4.

 

[aquarius77]

The coral looks healthy to me. With that being said it appears you either have excess phosphate or organic compound build up, high nutrient. no biggie, more water changes more gfo, better skimer and some carbon and watch the colors pop out. If you overfeed the tank that is the source.

 

[kitten0304]

okay sorry my weekends are very hectic, thank you for the responses here's some more info. i cant test iodine lfs doesn't test that, i ordered one. I re tested everything with new kits the 0's are still the same my cal is a little lower then the other test said but its api so reading arnt specific. :( nitrate may be +1 but thats it. I change my socks every 3 days and run carbon which i change every 10 days I vacume out any debre that collects from the tank and the sump when i do wc every 2 weeks. I only started adding amino,iron,and potassium when the colors started to brown so for maybe 6 weeks. The sps in the pic is as high as he can go if he keeps growing he'll be out of the water. i have a sohal,sixline,blk perc,damsel,mandrin,engineer goby, and a yellow assor, dont know if that helps any, i know brown is healthy but i would like a little more color without hurting them right now i have a healthy brown coral tank lol. Thank you for all your help

 

[bellareef]

You posted zero phosphate. What test kit do you use?

Many PO4 kits (like API) will test zero, when levels are higher than they should be. Most kits won't test below 0.1 ppm, and you want to be less than 0.03 ppm. Pristine coral reefs are 0.005 ppm (mg/l) or less. :)

 

[kitten0304]

ya its a api i added phosguard just in case i will change every 10 days with carbon, i should mention i use my water it comes off a well, had it tested a few years ago nothing bad showing on test but i know things could change. Could this be it?

 

[bellareef]

Yes, for testing phosphate in a reef, you will need a better test than the API. I like the API Alk, Ca & pH kits, but the API phosphate kit doesn't have enough resolution at low levels to be useful.

I don't think it's a good idea to use Phosguard in a reef, as it is an aluminum based phosphate remover. Try an iron based PO4 remover instead.

Well water could be ok for a reef, but really not the best idea for topping off for evaporation, as even low concentrations of stuff will accumulate over time. RODI would be better.

If you want a better PO4 kit, I'd recommend Merck or Hanna. Salifert isn't terrific, but would be better than the API.

Hope that helps. :)

 

[kitten0304]

thank you i will get those and test again.

 

[bellareef]

You're welcome! Let us know how it goes. :bigsmile:

 

[kitten0304]

well just wanted to update i have had a bit more color come up on my sps, i am being extremely diligent about my maintenance and i started using bio digest and bioptim with good results. I'll try to get some updated pics on, thanks everyone.

 

[steve99999]

You should get a seachem low randge nitrate test kit .....will test below 1mg.....very easy to read i have seen other test show o when this kit has a reading of 5.....has a reference sample of 10 to compare....great colors really start when you get below 1......nice price also.