SPS corals turning brown/losing color?

[Maxx Yung]

Hello!

I used to have great coloration on my few SPS, but recently they started turning brown and algae started growing on them.
The tips start losing color and then algae start taking over, but what confuses me is that the middle portion of the SPS can also turn brown, even though the tips are fine.

Testing Results
Alk - 8.6
Salinity - 1.0245
Ca - 410
Mg - 1150
pH - 8~.
Phosphate - 0.75.
Nitrate - Somewhere between 10 and 20.

The most obvious thing is the phosphate at 0.75. However, before, my tank used to be steady at 1+ phosphate. Recently, I decided to bring down my phosphate using Phosphat-E, in small doses dripped by an IV bag into a 1 micron sock. Now it's at 0.75. I don't really know if bringing down the Phosphate actually caused them to be stressed, but I'll be waiting on your opinions.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Pistondog]

Hello!

I used to have great coloration on my few SPS, but recently they started turning brown and algae started growing on them.
The tips start losing color and then algae start taking over, but what confuses me is that the middle portion of the SPS can also turn brown, even though the tips are fine.

Testing Results
Alk - 8.6
Salinity - 1.0245
Ca - 410
Mg - 1150
pH - 8~.
Phosphate - 0.75.
Nitrate - Somewhere between 10 and 20.

The most obvious thing is the phosphate at 0.75. However, before, my tank used to be steady at 1+ phosphate. Recently, I decided to bring down my phosphate using Phosphat-E, in small doses dripped by an IV bag into a 1 micron sock. Now it's at 0.75. I don't really know if bringing down the Phosphate actually caused them to be stressed, but I'll be waiting on your opinions.

Thanks in advance!

Correct way to use LC.
Maybe the corals need to adjust to reduced phosphate?
Lignts haven't changed?

 

[Shufflepig]

Hello!

I used to have great coloration on my few SPS, but recently they started turning brown and algae started growing on them.
The tips start losing color and then algae start taking over, but what confuses me is that the middle portion of the SPS can also turn brown, even though the tips are fine.

Testing Results
Alk - 8.6
Salinity - 1.0245
Ca - 410
Mg - 1150
pH - 8~.
Phosphate - 0.75.
Nitrate - Somewhere between 10 and 20.

The most obvious thing is the phosphate at 0.75. However, before, my tank used to be steady at 1+ phosphate. Recently, I decided to bring down my phosphate using Phosphat-E, in small doses dripped by an IV bag into a 1 micron sock. Now it's at 0.75. I don't really know if bringing down the Phosphate actually caused them to be stressed, but I'll be waiting on your opinions.

Thanks in advance!

How long did the corals have great coloration? High phosphate can definitely produce browning of sps. IMO bringing the phosphate down is not causing your problem. Prolonged exposure to high levels of phosphate is likely causing your problems.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Dosing LC can stress them. GFO would be better.

What lights are you using?

 

[Maxx Yung]

3 XR30 G4 Pros on 200g.
Lights did not change, at least recently.
Corals had great coloration for a year + until 2 months back~.
Would LC stress them even when dosing slowly and into 1 micron sock?
GFO is too $$$, so I went with LC.

 

[Flippers4pups]

3 XR30 G4 Pros on 200g.
Lights did not change, at least recently.
Corals had great coloration for a year + until 2 months back~.
Would LC stress them even when dosing slowly and into 1 micron sock?
GFO is too $$$, so I went with LC.

I have not used LC, but I’ve read from the community at times that it can be stressful to SPS. It’s not the slow drip or dosing all at once, it’s just the chemical has that effect sometimes.

 

[Maxx Yung]

I have not used LC, but I’ve read from the community at times that it can be stressful to SPS. It’s not the slow drip or dosing all at once, it’s just the chemical has that effect sometimes.

Ah okay. I never saw it, guess I missed some articles.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Ah okay. I never saw it, guess I missed some articles.

I’ve never heard that. LC is all I use and I use a little everyday. I had nothing but stress and coral death when using gfo. So....there you go.

Phosphate E is what wwc uses as well so I wouldnt worry about the LC. How high was your po4 before you started?

 

[SeaDweller]

I’ve never heard that. LC is all I use and I use a little everyday. I had nothing but stress and coral death when using gfo. So....there you go.

Phosphate E is what wwc uses as well so I wouldnt worry about the LC. How high was your po4 before you started?

1.0+

 

[SeaDweller]

How long were they in your system when you “had great coloration” when your PO4 was 1.0+?

 

[Silent]

Maybe you could try acropower or similar. Maybe over time something has depleted.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I’ve never heard that. LC is all I use and I use a little everyday. I had nothing but stress and coral death when using gfo. So....there you go.

Phosphate E is what wwc uses as well so I wouldnt worry about the LC. How high was your po4 before you started?

+1.0 is a little vague. How quick did it go from +1.0 to 0.75? Dropping po4 by 0.25 ppm too quick could definitely cause a problem. Doesn’t really matter if it’s still 0.75 ppm

 

[jda]

LC and GFO are fine as long as you go slow and avoid the large spikes of:

• LC/GFO added, water level spikes down a bunch
• Rock/Sand releases P and water level spikes back up
• ...repeat

The idea is to go really slow so that the rock and sand release at the same rate that you are removing from the water columns. The spike are the problem, not the media. This will require many small doses over many weeks or months. You want this to look like a slow linear downward line like driving though Kansas from the Rocky Mountains to Missouri where you lose like 3000 or elevation feet over hundreds of miles. You do NOT want this to look like an EKG.

Phosphate level at .75 certain can brown out some acropora and even cause some slow tissue loss. However, others will likely not care at all other than maybe some slower growth.

Just remember that though all of this, you still need to feed your fish and have building blocks available to your acropora. Without feeding the fish, then the zoox get no nitrogen since microalgae cannot really use no3 and need to get their N from ammonia/ammonium. A lot of people cut back on feedings to which actually starves their coral.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

Have you done a ICP test? Always a good idea when you’re scratching your head.
If you could upload some pictures it would also be helpful.

 

[Maxx Yung]

How long were they in your system when you “had great coloration” when your PO4 was 1.0+?

For a year. Obviously, when I said great coloration I don't mean WWC level, but good enough for me.

Maybe you could try acropower or similar. Maybe over time something has depleted.

Interestingly enough, I started dosing aminos (Acropower, and Brightwell's Coral Amino) before the coral started turning brown. I stopped because reading through the forums, people said that aminos only help those with ULNS systems or at least low nutrient levels. Not sure if stopping the amino dosing caused this issue.

+1.0 is a little vague. How quick did it go from +1.0 to 0.75? Dropping po4 by 0.25 ppm too quick could definitely cause a problem. Doesn’t really matter if it’s still 0.75 ppm

My P test kit (Salifert) is a bit vague, so it's less than 3 but greater than 1. Dropped it by 0.1 every week using LC dosing. It took me 3 weeks to get to ~0.75 so it probably was around 1.0 or 1.1.

LC and GFO are fine as long as you go slow and avoid the large spikes of:

• LC/GFO added, water level spikes down a bunch
• Rock/Sand releases P and water level spikes back up
• ...repeat

The idea is to go really slow so that the rock and sand release at the same rate that you are removing from the water columns. The spike are the problem, not the media. This will require many small doses over many weeks or months. You want this to look like a slow linear downward line like driving though Kansas from the Rocky Mountains to Missouri where you lose like 3000 or elevation feet over hundreds of miles. You do NOT want this to look like an EKG.

Phosphate level at .75 certain can brown out some acropora and even cause some slow tissue loss. However, others will likely not care at all other than maybe some slower growth.

Just remember that though all of this, you still need to feed your fish and have building blocks available to your acropora. Without feeding the fish, then the zoox get no nitrogen since microalgae cannot really use no3 and need to get their N from ammonia/ammonium. A lot of people cut back on feedings to which actually starves their coral.

Yeah, before I started LC dosing, I cut back on feeding, almost by half. Now I dose LC, I increased the amount I feed again.

Have you done a ICP test? Always a good idea when you’re scratching your head.
If you could upload some pictures it would also be helpful.

I was going to get a ICP test if nobody could figure it out here at R2R. Probably will get it this weekend if there isn't a clear reason as to why.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

For a year. Obviously, when I said great coloration I don't mean WWC level, but good enough for me.



Interestingly enough, I started dosing aminos (Acropower, and Brightwell's Coral Amino) before the coral started turning brown. I stopped because reading through the forums, people said that aminos only help those with ULNS systems or at least low nutrient levels. Not sure if stopping the amino dosing caused this issue.



My P test kit (Salifert) is a bit vague, so it's less than 3 but greater than 1. Dropped it by 0.1 every week using LC dosing. It took me 3 weeks to get to ~0.75 so it probably was around 1.0 or 1.1.



Yeah, before I started LC dosing, I cut back on feeding, almost by half. Now I dose LC, I increased the amount I feed again.



I was going to get a ICP test if nobody could figure it out here at R2R. Probably will get it this weekend if there isn't a clear reason as to why.

You should be fine if you’ve cranked the feedings back up. Either feed less or up the export, but not both at the same time

 

[jda]

The last thing that you want to do is to cut back on feedings - this is the only thing that gets the coral what they need (after the fish have their way with it, anyway). Up the export if you need to.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

What changed right around (or as much as a couple weeks before) the time you started seeing issues? Often there can be a delay. Have you always run your salinity at 1.0245? That seems quite low. But I think everyone is on the right track with the Phosphate. That's some extraordinarily high phosphate and it sounds like you're making big adjustments (0.1 at a time). I can't imagine acros would like that. I worry when mine get off by 0.03.

 

[Maxx Yung]

What changed right around (or as much as a couple weeks before) the time you started seeing issues? Often there can be a delay. Have you always run your salinity at 1.0245? That seems quite low. But I think everyone is on the right track with the Phosphate. That's some extraordinarily high phosphate and it sounds like you're making big adjustments (0.1 at a time). I can't imagine acros would like that. I worry when mine get off by 0.03.

I understand. Some things that have changed before I started seeing issues:

1. Temperature decreased from 82-83 to about 78~ now (winter).
2. Stopped dosing Amino Acids until after I get P lowered since people have said Aminos only really work in low nutrient tanks.
3. Instead of feeding 4 cubes, started feeding 2 cubes a day. Also rinsed the food under RODI water.
4. Started the dosing of Phosphat-E, reducing Phosphate by .1 a week.

Anyways, when I was researching about La, many people here said that a drop of 0.1 a week was fine.
Yeah, I don't really know why I didn't test phosphates before, but my corals looked fine then so I didn't change anything.
I thought the salinity range was anywhere from 1.024 to 1.027?

 

[KrisReef]

I would also consider increasing magnesium level closer to 1300. 1150 is getting bottomed out ime.
Based upon your written descriptions, I have also seen anecdotal improvement in N/P numbers by adding a few drops of Microbacter7 (1x/wk-max) & increasing tank circulation which increases O2 exchange to improve discoloration and nutrient imbalances.

The problem is that changing everything at once won't help you figure out your specific issue. That said, increasing O2 exchange & circulation can often be done by pointing water current towards the surface of your tank.

Just some thoughts, hoping for the best- Kris