Could my tank not have enough nutrients for SPS?

[BigAirHarper]

I have a 57G rimless with fuge/skimmer/and carbon and I'm trying to figure out why my easy SPS corals (birds nest, etc.) are bleaching. I've checked off everything off the list, flow is fine, PAR is fine, Alk/CA/Mag are all fine. Phos/Nitrates etc are all non existent. My bioload is light, only 3 small fish. I feed once a day. It was suggested that my nutrient levels were too low causing my SPS to bleach and that I needed to add amino acids. Any thoughts and/or solutions on how to fix this?

[medic155]

Howe long ago were they put in the tank, and did you light acclimate them?

[shaggss]

Just try feeding some more rather than buying addidtives.

[BigAirHarper]

They were put in the tank a few months ago. I kept them along the sandbed as far from the lights as possible, then slowly moved them up, but no frag was more than 2-3" above the sandbed. They were doing fine then coloration just slowly withered away.

[ReachTheSky]

What type of equipment do you use and what are your water parameters?

[bertoni]

It's possible that a lack of nutrients is the problem, but I'm skeptical. A little more feeding should be fine, at least for the short term. I might try that. Other possible issues include any metal in contact with the water. I might try some fresh carbon, and add a PolyFilter in case there's copper in the system.

[BigAirHarper]

Running 48 3W CREE leds. Just had the PAR measured over the weekend, 230 at surface, 125-150 at different areas of sandbed and where most SPS are located. Running a Reef Octopus NW-150 Skimmer, fuge, and mag 5 return. One 1400GPH and one 800GPH koralia style powerhead. Temp 80-81. Zero on all the nitrates and phosphates. Magnesium hovers around 1400. Calcium at 425. Alk between 8-9.

[bertoni]

Those numbers are great, IMO. That's a good amount of flow, too.

[BigAirHarper]

Yea that's what I was thinking. I'm trying to do everything right, but some frags just aren't making it. I'm going to try feeding a little more and see how the corals respond.

[MentalNote]

I had the exact same problem. My SPS just wouldn't grow. They slowly bleached and STN. It took me a year and a half before I realized they were starving to death. I figured it out when reading posts from CUNAReefer about his red dragon coral.

I found Oyster Feast to be the best supplement. Amino acids helped some but oyster feast gets a major feeding response.

[TKCC]

Tagging along. Please keep us informed if you see a change by increasing your feeding?

[India]

Please describe how you feed...

[tmz]

I don't know what's causing the bleaching.

I'm not completely sold on leds for sps yet ; some report problems with them and sps bleaching.I've not used them personally though other than blue reef brites for extra color to supplement the mianstay halide and vho lighting.

Alternatively high nitrate tends to effect seriatopor a more than others, even more than difficult acro types, ime.
On the other hand feeding a small particle food like coral frenzy may be helpful if NO3 and PO4 are truly very low.
I assume you have checked sg.
What brand of carbon ae you running? There have been serious metal contamination issues with Kent reef carbon within the last few months.

[BigAirHarper]

Ok so today marks day one of amino acid supplementing. I started out pretty low. Don't want to over do it. As far as feeding my fish go, I'm just leaving the power heads on instead of cutting them off like I used to do and I'm giving them a little more food. Again slow increases.

I understand the LED issue, two of the bleached corals came from a MH setup. However the third was grown completely under Cree LEDs. I'm using the BRS carbon, the high quality one. I'll keep you guys posted.

[bertoni]

Okay, that seems like a good plan to me! Good luck!

[tmz]

Ok, sounds good. The amminos can't hurt and might help at reasonable dosing levels. I've used the rox 8 BRS carbon for years witout any negatives.
Let us know how it goes.