SPS losing colors

[Reefpro]

so I have a basically SPS dominant tsnk that is 6 months old. Up until about a week ago they were all looking great. I noticed a change in alk and ca consumption to the point they are not uptakkng much and had to turn my doser down.

I started noting cysno and immediately think I have an unbalance in nutrients.(po4 and no3) I have some green algae on rock work and small patches on the sand coupled with a nice film on glass everyday. When I tested nitrates I read it as either 5 or 10 on salifert kit and PO4 using a Milwaukie photometer repeatedly states 0 (+\- .01
I don’t believe the actual number is zero because of algae growth. Then started to think my radion G4 xr30 pros might be too low and too intense on the AB+ program so the overall intensity is now at 38% and they are roughly 16” anove top of water line.

Another thing I was thinking was my tank felt “warm” so I got to checking and remembered I did not calibrate the new APEX temp probe when I set the unit up based on other calibrated thermometers it appears to be off by 2 degrees and running closer to 80 then the 78 I had believed

150 gallon 18” tall tank
Current parameters Are
Alk 8.9
cA 420
Salinity 1.024
po4 0 per Milwaukee test
no3 5-10 per Salifert
Mg 1475

I have an aquatic life hybrid t5/radion combo with three g4 xr30 pros

2 mp40’s for foo
Ecotech vectora L1
SWC 120 skimmer
Small clump of cheatoe w Kessil h80

Any thoughts here other than it’s a new tank?

 

[GoVols]

Just to start of the conversion:

The GHA could be holding in phosphates. Can your beak it up and test again with the Hanna ULR checker?

Do you know where your ph is?

80 degrees can speed up coral growth, but other things too.

Did your mag ever drop low?

________________________________________

Six months is too young to go hard core SPS.
Which you already know...

 

[Reefpro]

Just to start of the conversion:

The GHA could be holding in phosphates. Can your beak it up and test again with the Hanna ULR checker?

Do you know where your ph is?

80 degrees can speed up coral growth, but other things too.

Did your mag ever drop low?

The green algae is very limited but Agree it could bind up the available PO4 and as we sit my PH is 8.2. I’ve had very limited growth and have about 50 sps frags in the tank of which about half are effected and as far as mg I don’t test it regularly but last check was similar to most recent reading (1450-1500)

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Just off the information provided I'd say lack of PO4.

As soon as my sps start to show any signs of paleing I check my nutrients and thats normally the culprit.

 

[mtraylor]

The first things I would have looked at would have been my aquarium flow and to clean my protein skimmer to ensure it was working properly. A good cleaning of the volute and air intake.
you have currently changed allot of things and sps like stability, so its hard to say at this point.

 

[Reefpro]

@justfreevreezit. I agree and have been adding po4 to the tank and believe it is bound up by the lack of available po4 the green algae is consuming I am adding 4 ml a day for a week and a half and see no improvements just seems like fueling the algae growth!!!

 

[Reefpro]

The first things I would have looked at would have been my aquarium flow and to clean my protein skimmer to ensure it was working properly. A good cleaning of the volute and air intake.
you have currently changed allot of things and sps like stability, so its hard to say at this point.

I don’t believe I changed much other than lighting intensity and corrected temp issues. Reducing dosing is a must when uptake is not there and that has been gradual as problem was noticed

 

[mtraylor]

I don’t believe I changed much other than lighting intensity and corrected temp issues. Reducing dosing is a must when uptake is not there and that has been gradual as problem was noticed

Exactly. Step back for a second and think what you would want stable in an established sps tank and then list the top 3 you changed. I"m guessing you changed them all relatively at the same time? What was the Alk before and after the change. How long did you go before you noticed that your alk changed? Was it a big swing?

 

[Reefpro]

Exactly. Step back for a second and think what you would want stable in an established sps tank and then list the top 3 you changed. I"m guessing you changed them all relatively at the same time? What was the Alk before and after the change. How long did you go before you noticed that your alk changed? Was it a big swing?

My alk has climbed from 8.2-9.0 in 10 days. I reduced dose by 6 ml total per day which is dosed six times per day. Temp I brought down today over 6 hours 1/2 degree each time

 

[mtraylor]

The alk change is very slight over the time period so that doesnt seem to be a contributor what so ever. Changin 2 degrees over 6 hours is not bad either. Not exactly sure what u did with the lights but it sounds reactive to what you already seen on corals.

I think you already have the culprit on phosphates. Sounds like you are already started looking at that.

Also remember with sps that changing allot of things at one time on a stressed coral is not good. Some corals may tolelrate it and others may not. Alk,temp,lightning in which you made changes are all very important and changes in these areas can alter the coral tremendously.

Good luck. Sounds like you are doing a good job and staying on top of things. That is important.