Faded SPS Colors

[ssavader]

I'm having problems with my SPS. Newly purchased colorful corals tend to brown and are very slow to color up if they do at all, and growth rates on those that do keep there color are very slow.

Set up:
125 reef with refugium
Turnover 20x/hr
Lighting- 250 W MH x 2 plus flourescents
Fish load- 8 total, all 5" or less in size
Labs- Ammonia, phosphates, NO3, and NO2 all "zero" according to test kit (API)
- CA++- 460 ppm
- alk- 11 dKh, working on reducing this to 8-9
- Mg- 1350 ppm

Any thoughts?

[TandN]

whats your tds on yout ro/di

[Logzor]

Everything is fine but your turnover. Increase to 60x and they will color up just fine.

Good luck!

I increased my turnover from 30x to 60x and my bali green slimer colored up almost immediately.

This is in my 55 gallon. Since you have a much larger tank I could see you doing over 60x. Ask any SPS person and they will say turnover is the key.

[Nanook]

I don't go for the flow on the colors. I would think that excess phosphate would be the key factor in slowed growth and lack of coloration. What are you doing for phosphate removal and how old are your lights?

[muttley101]

Yeah ... check your PO4..... phosphates kill the color...

[ssavader]

Phosphates read zero on my API test kit- do you recommend another test kit that is more accurate?
MH bulbs are less than 1 year old (about 9 mo.)
Boost turnover to 60x!???

[fijiblue]

Keep in mind it is always harder / takes longer to bring a coral back from brown than it does to keep it from turning brown. Increasing flow is not the answer. I would have to agree with everyone else with checking your nutrient levels and adjusting accordingly. Good Luck.

[TandN]

check your PO$ coming from your RO. Also 9 months is time to changew your bulbs out.

[Logzor]

Yeah I could be wrong on the flow. I was referring to your in-tank turnover rate.

I always thought the more the better for sps. Mine seem to love it.

[kev apsley]

How long is your photoperiod & how far are the corals from the lights?

[TandN]

Log lots of flow is great. But one of the biggest things about flow that alot of people forget is the flows pattern random flow at lower levels works just as good as just lots of flow directed in the same area all the time.

[cwegescheide]

Hannah Meter!!! I bet ya you've got some serious P04 going on. I thought I didn't have a Phosphate problem till I tested with a hannah meter.

[ssavader]

Cwegescheide, I will have to research as to what a hannah meter is, but my assumption is that it is far more accurate than 2-agent liquid phosphate tess, like API has in their Reef Masters kit?

Also on the flow, I have 2 Vortech pumps by Ecotech marine set on variable counter-current flow and they blow like mad!. I could turn the flow up even further but don't want to recreate "Twister" in my tank. Anybody with these units, how do you have your's positioned on the tank and set?