What could cause my Orange passion to pale very badly

[Dilan Patel]

Hey guys so I have had this orange passion frag for a little over a year and it hasnt grown much. Today I noticed that it was paler than usual any thoughts.

Alk: 8.1
Calc:420
Mag: 1500(exactly)
Nitrate:5ppm
Phosphate: .29
Salinity at 1.026

Could it be on how high my phsophates are. because I am having a alk burn or some sort of tip burn on my new pink floyd which has been getting somewhat worse? Related somehow?

 

[danreefman]

A clear pic might help us to help you.

 

[CoralNerd]

Burnt tips on your other sps, maybe you overdosed a element or something?

 

[Ike]

Any lighting changes? Nothing in your post points to a reason. That PO4 won't cause a coral to pale. I would be on the look out for pests like aefw or red bugs.

 

[danreefman]

Even though you have nutrients, sometimes a blast of coral food goes a long ways. Could definitely be pest too.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Unless you post a pic everything’s going to be guesses. Well even with a pic it’s still guessing, but at least educated. I would post pics of both the op and the corals with burnt tips.

 

[Dilan Patel]

i will try to get some pics later tonight. it is only those two corals which are showinbg some type of stress

 

[CoralNerd]

i will try to get some pics later tonight. it is only those two corals which are showinbg some type of stress

Your not dosing any supplements?

 

[Dilan Patel]

nope just brs 2 part. i also run sbreeflights

 

[CoralNerd]

I would bring the 1500 mag down to 1400, no reason to have it so high. You mentioned in another thread you dropped your p04 quickly, that for sure could be your problem.

 

[Ike]

Wg

I would bring the 1500 mag down to 1400, no reason to have it so high. You mentioned in another thread you dropped your p04 quickly, that for sure could be your problem.

What’s wrong with 1500 magnesium? There’s nothing to worry about at 1500, nor considerably higher than that.

 

[CoralNerd]

Certainly you can run high mag 1500 or higher but lower mag will allow the corals to consume without being saturated . With higher mag it’ll not keep a ph due to the binding and it being saturated
At a lower mag your numbers will be within balance and present more for the corals to consume instead of fighting each other and eating up all the caco3

 

[Dilan Patel]

Certainly you can run high mag 1500 or higher but lower mag will allow the corals to consume without being saturated . With higher mag it’ll not keep a ph due to the binding and it being saturated
At a lower mag your numbers will be within balance and present more for the corals to consume instead of fighting each other and eating up all the caco3

I did not know that Thanks for the insight. Maybe something to consider to drop the mag a little(slowly lol)

 

[Ike]

Certainly you can run high mag 1500 or higher but lower mag will allow the corals to consume without being saturated . With higher mag it’ll not keep a ph due to the binding and it being saturated
At a lower mag your numbers will be within balance and present more for the corals to consume instead of fighting each other and eating up all the caco3

I do not mean this in a mean way, but I can't quite figure out what you're trying to say... What are the corals consuming? I haven't seen anything scientific that indicates magnesium levels or balanced ratios help "consumption" and growth rates. Corals don't eat up calcium carbonate, they are calcium carbonate that they form. And who's fighting,?The corals? For calcium carbonate?

 

[Jinko]

I do not mean this in a mean way, but I can't quite figure out what you're trying to say... What are the corals consuming? I haven't seen anything scientific that indicates magnesium levels or balanced ratios help "consumption" and growth rates. Corals don't eat up calcium carbonate, they are calcium carbonate that they form. And who's fighting,?The corals? For calcium carbonate?

Magnesium likes to bind to calcium so if you have a higher mag level the coral skeleton will have a high magnesium concentration, there is no benefit and prob no negative to running higher magnesium.

 

[Big E]

Magnesium likes to bind to calcium so if you have a higher mag level the coral skeleton will have a high magnesium concentration, there is no benefit and prob no negative to running higher magnesium.

I always try to stay around NSW levels of 1280

You should read Randy's article. I don't think it harms anything but it could slow growth rates. At very high Mg levels it also probably effects an imbalance for people who dose two part.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php#21

 

[Big E]

To the OP............I'd give Potassium a check (K) and make sure it's not low.

 

[Dilan Patel]

ok Thanks, I will get pics up as soon as my lights turn on. As for my pink floyd I am going to clip off the dead parts as the piece I clipped before my trip seems to be healing a tiny bit.

 

[jda]

Go back to the basics. Make sure that your temperature is right - use a laser or mercury thermometer if you need to. Double check your refractometers. ...all of that.

Although I do not like my N and P that high, this usually results in darkening and loss of brightness and contrast, not paling.

 

[CoralNerd]

Yeah, I was just suggesting the magnesium level could go lower. Didn't plan to have a conversation about 2 part dosing and Mg. I'm sure that's not the reason his coral is having issues. I like my Mg around 1400 so he's not that far off what I personally like with my 2 part. I like what BigE and also what JDA said go back to the basics. You probably did a lot of damage if you lowered the p04 drastically and it's going to take time to recover.