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Tajjo
02/19/2009, 11:01 PM
Some of my corals arnt the color there sapposed to be. 2 of my caps are way discolored, one is grey the other is brown. I've put it in my brothers tank and it colored up in a week. Then put it back in mine and in three days it was brown again. When I pick up the coral and tilt it at an angle toward the edge of the glass almost in a shadow I can see the color it's sapposed to be. My lights are 14k pheonix bulbs 4 months old. No actinic suppliment at the moment. Any ideas?

austin93
02/19/2009, 11:10 PM
What are your parameters. Nitrates? Are you feeding? I am working out a similar problem w/ my tank. More details are needed.

Tajjo
02/19/2009, 11:18 PM
All perams are good. Ph 8.0, nitrate 0, phos 0, calc 420, dkh 10, mag 1450 water temp 78

MileHighFish
02/19/2009, 11:39 PM
What kelvin is your brothers light? What photo period are you running?

Tajjo
02/20/2009, 09:36 AM
Same bulb 14k pheonix bulb. Mine is on from 7-6. His is 10-9

mille239
02/20/2009, 09:43 AM
Well, with identical lighting, it has to be a water quality issue. Your parameters; (if accurate and stable) seem perfect, so the only thing I can think of is:

C) Salinity?

B) Have you checked for any Stray Voltage in your tank?

A) your system may be TOO low in nutrients... Usually this results in fading/pale colors, but it could quite possiby account for a color shift. (I'd verify your readings with a second test kit to mkae sure)

I'd check these things in the above order.

Otherwise I'm out of suggestions...

Tajjo
02/20/2009, 01:13 PM
I know for a fact I have stray voltage. I'll try to find it. It's only in the mornings though at least that I can feel. Any suggestions.

mille239
02/20/2009, 01:50 PM
One by one, unplug your equipment until you stop 'feeling it' then you've found your culprit. (though I suggest a safer way and get a cheap volt meter.) :)

Peter Eichler
02/20/2009, 02:13 PM
IMO volt meters are virtually useless for meauring stray voltage in water, you will always get a reading. Also, I feel stray voltage and possible negatives are blown way out of proportion in this hobby. The chance that stray voltage is the cause of what you're describing is slim to none IMO.

My intitial thought is possibly too much light or too low nutrients. Do you feed any SPS specific foods such as oyster eggs or rotifers? What's your fish load like and how often do you feed them? Do you run a lot of GAC or GFO? Any carbon dosing? Where are you placing the corals in the tank? Is your brothers MH system at the same height above the tank and is he using the same photoperiod and reflectors as you?

Tajjo
02/21/2009, 02:05 PM
We both use 250w mh, phoenix bulbs, he uses lumen max elite reflectors, placed 6" above the water. He has a coral vue calcium reactor, uses kalk top off. Icecap ballasts.

I use same bulbs same ballasts, odyssea reflectors. Placed 5" above the water. Knop c calcium reactor. Kalk top off.

Anymore ideas peter?
Thanks.

Peter Eichler
02/21/2009, 02:36 PM
Well, the reflectors are probably making a good difference but doubt that's the problem.

You didn't answer a lot of my questions, so answer those and hopefully we can get a bertter grasp on what's going on.

Tajjo
02/21/2009, 04:50 PM
I feed coral frenzy ance a night. I have a med medium bio load 6 fish 2 of which are tangs, whom I feed twice a day. I did use gfo because I was hearing that my problem was phos, but no luck. I use carbon once a few months for a week. I add vodka 3 ml.

Peter Eichler
02/21/2009, 05:26 PM
Bteween the GFO and vodka I'd imagine they're starved for nutrients more than lacking it. I've seen a lot of people struggle with coloration on caps when carbon dosing and running low nutrient systems. Some approriatley sized coral food might help as well, such as DT's oyster eggs and or rotifers.

Tajjo
02/21/2009, 06:58 PM
What about coral frenzi? So you recomend not vodka dosing, carbon or gfo, for a bit?

Tajjo
02/21/2009, 11:01 PM
One would like to know, what one could do to bring up neutrients.
Thanks
Please get back to me Peter or other rc members.

Peter Eichler
02/22/2009, 02:21 PM
Stop the vodka and keep feeding and your nutrients will naturally come back up but it'll take a little while for the corals to color back up if that is the problem. Some pictures of your tank and problems corals would really help. Have you dosed the vodka all along and have you always bhad this problem with the caps? How are the colors of other SPS?

Tajjo
02/22/2009, 07:28 PM
No I haven't dosed all along just a few months. It was supposed to help with the color. No luck. With the caps I've only had for a few months so for the duration of them inhabiting my aquarium they've been in this current state.

Marklu
02/22/2009, 11:05 PM
I'm in a very similar problem. Same size tank, similar lighting, sps dominant, vodka dosing etc...I'll check back in on this thread to see if you find a successful solution that you can share. I recently added a few fish and started feeding zooplankton and oyster eggs because I keep getting told that my nutrients are too low. I'll let you know if I have any luck.

Tajjo
02/23/2009, 09:02 AM
Marklu thanks I'd realy appretate it I'm so frustrated. Well let me know what works for you.


Peter I'll try and get some pics up tonight.