SPS FADING...HELP PLEASE

[Joewestwood]

Joe did you ever get this under control. I am suffering from the exact same thing. Wondering was it the nutrients? Did you find anything else?

Yes thanks. It was a lack of nutrients.

I solved it by using one of 4 products. Not sure which one did the trick, maybe a combination of all? 1)Reefroids a few times per week, 2) dosing Acropower, 3) and 4) dosing Brightwells Nitrate and phosphate supplements.

My money is on the Acropower and reerfoids. I dosed heavliy on the Nitrates as well. I didn't use much phosphate and it has remained around .03. Not dosing nitrates and phosphate much anymore but still on occasion. Am guessing nitrates are at about 4ppm (It really hard to tell on Salifert kits).

This is SO WEIRD because I pulled my skimmer and GFO out and am left with filter socks only for filtration. I have a lot of corals and a fairly light fish load which must be keeping nutrients down. I've never ran a tank without a skimmer.

Now I have a Cyano outbreak, go figure, but the corals are coloring up slowly.

 

[Joewestwood]

Yes I always use dry rock because I really take my time on the aquascape using acrylic rods, zip ties and cement.

I also use Sechem's stability for initial bacteria. Yep, I really like live rock as well but enjoy getting REALLY intricate with the aquascape which I'm sure you know, is harder to do underwater. It also seems to help somewhat with dealing with pests.

For this tank, I have less fish then in the past so that also is keeping nutrients down.

Thanks for your thoughtful reply.

Did u start with dry rock? Have u ever add any Other bacteria source beside the one to cycle your tank? If u said u were in the hobby for 30 years then u should know that back then we were using live rock from the ocean which contain many strain if bacteria beneficial for the tank. All we need is to wait for the tank to mature so those bacteria can populate and keep coral healthy. Now a day everyone start with dry rock and just cycle their tank for 9 months to a year and their corals start having problems even though all parameters are good. The reason why is you dont dose additional beneficial bacteria. Corals especially sps need bacteria to be healthy because they consume them as food. Now in your case i dont see u mention dosing amino or any bacteria which mean your sps are starving no food. In the ocean they eat all day. Every brand have their own bacteria dosing u can read and find which one fit u the most and dose it.

 

[OHBA]

Yes thanks. It was a lack of nutrients.

I solved it by using one of 4 products. Not sure which one did the trick, maybe a combination of all? 1)Reefroids a few times per week, 2) dosing Acropower, 3) and 4) dosing Brightwells Nitrate and phosphate supplements.

My money is on the Acropower and reerfoids. I dosed heavliy on the Nitrates as well. I didn't use much phosphate and it has remained around .03. Not dosing nitrates and phosphate much anymore but still on occasion. Am guessing nitrates are at about 4ppm (It really hard to tell on Salifert kits).

This is SO WEIRD because I pulled my skimmer and GFO out and am left with filter socks only for filtration. I have a lot of corals and a fairly light fish load which must be keeping nutrients down. I've never ran a tank without a skimmer.

Now I have a Cyano outbreak, go figure, but the corals are coloring up slowly.

Thanks Joe! I have undetectable levels as well. Pulled all my algae out of fuge and shut my skimmer down. I have a ton of fish and feed 2x a day.
Just ordered NeoNitro and NeoPhos to see if I can’t get my levels back. I dose Brightwell aminos every day (5.5 ml in a 240). I hope I can get the numbers back. Corals are all looking rough!

thank for your reply. Your picks were spot on to what I’m seeing as well!

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

If your corals look better when those devices are off, I would leave them off.

.....

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Thanks Joe! I have undetectable levels as well. Pulled all my algae out of fuge and shut my skimmer down. I have a ton of fish and feed 2x a day.
Just ordered NeoNitro and NeoPhos to see if I can’t get my levels back. I dose Brightwell aminos every day (5.5 ml in a 240). I hope I can get the numbers back. Corals are all looking rough!

thank for your reply. Your picks were spot on to what I’m seeing as well!

I’d take it a bit slower. Ripping all algae out may be to much at once. Remember nothing good happens fast in a reef tank. Sometimes I forget the take it slow and small steps are best theory.

 

[OHBA]

I’d take it a bit slower. Ripping all algae out may be to much at once. Remember nothing good happens fast in a reef tank. Sometimes I forget the take it slow and small steps are best theory.

It stopped growing. It’s either coming out or going to die off. There is absolutely nothing in the column to feed it, so it is essentially doing nothing.

 

[Joewestwood]

Update:

Most corals are at full color and growing well. Still not using a skimmer or gfo...just filter socks and small weekly water changes. I'm still dosing nitrates and aminos but not nearly as much. Nitrates are reading around 1 or 2.

I've been unable to keep any birdsnests corals of any kind. They seem to be starving. All Acros, montis, and poccis are doing well. In addition most LPS have very poor polyp extension.

I'm also getting cyano and funky algae outbreaks that I'm having to manage.

 

[King Turkey]

It will balance out and algae will stop coming back. Watch out for false readings on nitrate and phosphate if you get a good amount of alage Birds nest and real sensitive to changes like a acro might be fine and a birds nest could wither and die.

 

[Joewestwood]

It will balance out and algae will stop coming back. Watch out for false readings on nitrate and phosphate if you get a good amount of alage Birds nest and real sensitive to changes like a acro might be fine and a birds nest could wither and die.

Thanks!

I've kept birdsnests for years and they've usually done well...one of the easiest SPS, unlike that finicky Acro family! I'm guessing Seriatoporas need dirtier water.

 

[GenicanthusGuy]

had the same situation as you.
ULN, low kh and dry rocks.
These take a pretty long while to get balanced.
really great for ycnibrc pointing that out.
never forget to calibrate testers and not be reliant on just one.

But considering the above and all other factors to be balanced.
I twigged with my white spectrum of lights.
increasing them bleached the montis and Seriatopora, but reducing them keep their colours.
u can even increase the blues intensity.
if u ask me i will say its creating too much need for food with too little nutrients.
so long my system has enough nutrients. the white spectrum can stay strong with no ill effect on those corals.
These few types are more sensitive from what i have gathered. also require not as much light as the other high profile ones for very good growth.
hope that helped.

 

[King Turkey]

Thanks!

I've kept birdsnests for years and they've usually done well...one of the easiest SPS, unlike that finicky Acro family! I'm guessing Seriatoporas need dirtier water.

I'm not sure. Iv kept acros and they alwes do better for me idk why cuz it sould be other way around.

 

[merereef]

Corals generally fade if they are starving of nutrients... feed more or dose nitrates and phosphates to bring those levels up

 

[Joewestwood]

had the same situation as you.
ULN, low kh and dry rocks.
These take a pretty long while to get balanced.
really great for ycnibrc pointing that out.
never forget to calibrate testers and not be reliant on just one.

But considering the above and all other factors to be balanced.
I twigged with my white spectrum of lights.
increasing them bleached the montis and Seriatopora, but reducing them keep their colours.
u can even increase the blues intensity.
if u ask me i will say its creating too much need for food with too little nutrients.
so long my system has enough nutrients. the white spectrum can stay strong with no ill effect on those corals.
These few types are more sensitive from what i have gathered. also require not as much light as the other high profile ones for very good growth.
hope that helped.

That's an interesting point. Thanks so much.

I have a par meter and some of the birdsnests were getting about 275 while others were around 150 or even lower. I might dial back the whites a bit though. Its a tough balance because some of my wild-caught Acros need at least 375 or else they start to suffer.

Talk about a crazy hobby!

 

[GenicanthusGuy]

That's an interesting point. Thanks so much.

I have a par meter and some of the birdsnests were getting about 275 while others were around 150 or even lower. I might dial back the whites a bit though. Its a tough balance because some of my wild-caught Acros need at least 375 or else they start to suffer.

Talk about a crazy hobby!

since we are at it.
the oceanic reefs are not 20k blue light at high noon.
so the whites really can do good for wild caught imo.
issues with white spectrum should be more on those aquaculture types as well. due to their initial sources.
even after a year of tuning for some of mine. they dont fair that well.
wild colonies. you can probably blast them depending where u got them from but do remember the sea brings lots of food with the waves as well.
my light set happens to be able to create extreme strong whites.
so the situation is still unique to each his own.
Strong blues with strong intensity cant seem to go wrong. thats where all the leds are heading.
with some balance of course.

 

[Joewestwood]

Also, for anyone following this thread, should I be putting my skimmer back to fight algae?

I'm starting to have algae and cyano problems but am still needing to dose nitrogen or else I lose corals. Should I be running the skimmer while still dosing nitrate?

Seems counterproductive to me.

 

[ReefGeezer]

I think corals fade when they are starving. It not for lack of N&P though. It's lack of food. That means organic based matter. Bacteria, bacterial mulm and other small particulate matter, and even dissolved organics can be the food needed. Where these are insufficient, amino acids help, but may not completely make up for the lack of available food. F

Fish poop is the best organic food available. More well fed, fat & happy fish means better coral color.

 

[dwest]

Also, for anyone following this thread, should I be putting my skimmer back to fight algae?

I'm starting to have algae and cyano problems but am still needing to dose nitrogen or else I lose corals. Should I be running the skimmer while still dosing nitrate?

Seems counterproductive to me.

I personally would try running the skimmer again but no carbon dosing or gfo.

 

[Joewestwood]

Thank you for the constructive comments.

I am still struggling to get nitrates above .5. Algae is beginning to get out of hand also. I'm going to beef up my cleanup crew and am thinking about putting the fuge back or the skimmer. Thoughts?

 

[Reefer40b]

I would put the skimmer back online and probably a fuge too seeing how algae is getting out of hand and just monitor.

 

[SeaDweller]

Cut the fuge light time and or skim drier.

how out of hand is the algae though?