SPS coral discoloration

jverna1 · 03/05/2011, 08:13 AM

I have a 180 mixed reef tank and i am currently running carbon and GFO in separate Geo reactors. My phosphates are 0 and my nitrates are pretty much 0. Other levels are Ca 460, Mg 1300 and Alk 9.1. As far as flow I am running an MP60 and 2 MP40's. I dose britewell K, Fe, Strontium around 10 ml every other day and Zeovit Pohls xtra and AA concentrate on alternate days. I thought these were good parameters and my dosing is lower than the recommended dose for my water volume but I am noticing my sps corals are losing color from when I purchase them. Am I doing something wrong or does somebody recommend I do something different?

bertoni · 03/05/2011, 08:33 AM

Color changes can happen for a lot of reasons. Your tank might have a higher nutrient level or different lighting compared to the coral's previous location. Zero for nitrate and phosphate on hobbyist test kits aren't necessarily good enough for preventing color fading, for example. That's one reason that some people dose carbon in some form, for example.

chefzif · 03/05/2011, 08:42 AM

dosing stronium and the other products may have some affect on the coral! You are changing there parameters and some times it may take time! is your system low nutrients? give it time

dixiedog · 03/05/2011, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bertoni

Color changes can happen for a lot of reasons. Your tank might have a higher nutrient level or different lighting compared to the coral's previous location. Zero for nitrate and phosphate on hobbyist test kits aren't necessarily good enough for preventing color fading, for example. That's one reason that some people dose carbon in some form, for example.

Can you expand on that a little? I have very similar params to the OP and also have faded SPS. But I've been trying to bring my nitrates UP, not down, as I never heard anyone suggest fading was due to excess nutrient. I thought vodka dosing was the last thing on Earth I needed to try.

jverna1, what kind of lighting do you run and how many hours a day?

bertoni · 03/05/2011, 08:51 AM

A higher nutrient level in the water can lead to corals turning more brown, due to growth in the zooxanthellae population. That might be perceived by many people as faded colors.

dixiedog · 03/05/2011, 09:32 AM

Gotcha. We'll wait for the OP to clarify on that. "Faded" to me means pale or colorless, to the point being nearly white in some cases.

jverna1 · 03/05/2011, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dixiedog

Can you expand on that a little? I have very similar params to the OP and also have faded SPS. But I've been trying to bring my nitrates UP, not down, as I never heard anyone suggest fading was due to excess nutrient. I thought vodka dosing was the last thing on Earth I needed to try.

jverna1, what kind of lighting do you run and how many hours a day?

I am running 250W phoenix 14K's. My lighting schedule is:

ATI Blue plus T5's from 9am to 11am
Metal Halides from 11am to 6pm
ATI Blue plus T5's from 6pm to 8pm

jverna1 · 03/05/2011, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bertoni

A higher nutrient level in the water can lead to corals turning more brown, due to growth in the zooxanthellae population. That might be perceived by many people as faded colors.

When you say high nutrients, are you refering to Phosphates and Nitrates? I never test for phosphorus or silica. Are they in the nutrient category?

jverna1 · 03/05/2011, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chefzif

dosing stronium and the other products may have some affect on the coral! You are changing there parameters and some times it may take time! is your system low nutrients? give it time

I do weekly 25 gallon water changes with ESV salt. I probably should just do water changes and not worry about dosing the elements huh. Im a little dose happy. Lol. I am kind of a newbie (2 years) so I just love putting stuff in the water.

jverna1 · 03/05/2011, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bertoni

Color changes can happen for a lot of reasons. Your tank might have a higher nutrient level or different lighting compared to the coral's previous location. Zero for nitrate and phosphate on hobbyist test kits aren't necessarily good enough for preventing color fading, for example. That's one reason that some people dose carbon in some form, for example.

In your opinion, what is the best way to dose carbon?

m2434 · 03/05/2011, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chefzif

dosing stronium and the other products may have some affect on the coral! You are changing there parameters and some times it may take time! is your system low nutrients? give it time

Yes, I think most salts are pretty high in strontium. I think 8ppm is about NSW, I wouldn't go much over this. I think most salts already are and I don't believe it is consumed particularly fast. So, you will want to test this if your dosing. I'm skeptical strontium would be helpful for anything, but could certainly cause issues though, so I wouldn't bother. Just my .02 though.

chefzif · 03/05/2011, 02:12 PM

get a reactor to dose carbon!

bertoni · 03/05/2011, 06:33 PM

Phosphate and fixed nitrogen in the water column can change coral coloration. Silicate isn't an issue.

For dosing carbon, I might start with a mix of vodka and vinegar, although the plastic pellets look interesting, too. Sugar seems to cause more problems.

jverna1 · 03/05/2011, 06:42 PM

I found how to dose vodka but they are saying dose MB7 with it. If I were to dose vinegar, how would I dose that in conjunction with the vodka?

bertoni · 03/05/2011, 06:48 PM

You can dose both at that same time, or just the vodka. It's not clear how much the MB7 helps, but it provides bacteria, which might (or might not) be useful.

jverna1 · 03/05/2011, 06:50 PM

How about Zeobak and Zeofood?

Rickyrooz1 · 03/05/2011, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jverna1

How about Zeobak and Zeofood?

Both are junk, look into carbon dosing. I noticed in my tank that strontium helps coralline algae growth.

dan-in-gr · 03/05/2011, 07:35 PM

Hi, I just got 12 SPS and 1 chalice coral from a local reefer last week, their coral was losing color and turning brown, within two days in my tank the color was starting to come back and as of today it is one week and all color is back. The previous person had a very mixed reef with numerous leathers, we both believe the toxins from the leathers caused the problem. If you have leathers remove them and do a couple of larger water changes. Hope this may be an option. I did get the corals dirt cheap!! I dose almost nothing, but use D-D salt and keep my nutrients as low as possible.

jverna1 · 03/05/2011, 08:00 PM

I think im give vodka a try. Is anybody using a particular brand? Dont think im gonna get any Greygoose anytime soon. Besides, my wife would finish it off before I could get it in the tank. She doesnt like Smironoff.

Rickyrooz1 · 03/05/2011, 08:26 PM

http://melevsreef.com/vodka_dosing.html

gary faulkner · 03/05/2011, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jverna1

I think im give vodka a try. Is anybody using a particular brand? Dont think im gonna get any Greygoose anytime soon. Besides, my wife would finish it off before I could get it in the tank. She doesnt like Smironoff.

Sounds like Smironoff it is then.

jverna1 · 03/05/2011, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rickyrooz1

http://melevsreef.com/vodka_dosing.html

Thanks Rick, that was very helpful.

jverna1 · 03/05/2011, 08:53 PM

Thanks for the feedback everybody.

03/05/2011, 08:13 AM	#1
jverna1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Philly Posts: 233	SPS coral discoloration I have a 180 mixed reef tank and i am currently running carbon and GFO in separate Geo reactors. My phosphates are 0 and my nitrates are pretty much 0. Other levels are Ca 460, Mg 1300 and Alk 9.1. As far as flow I am running an MP60 and 2 MP40's. I dose britewell K, Fe, Strontium around 10 ml every other day and Zeovit Pohls xtra and AA concentrate on alternate days. I thought these were good parameters and my dosing is lower than the recommended dose for my water volume but I am noticing my sps corals are losing color from when I purchase them. Am I doing something wrong or does somebody recommend I do something different?

03/05/2011, 08:33 AM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Color changes can happen for a lot of reasons. Your tank might have a higher nutrient level or different lighting compared to the coral's previous location. Zero for nitrate and phosphate on hobbyist test kits aren't necessarily good enough for preventing color fading, for example. That's one reason that some people dose carbon in some form, for example. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

03/05/2011, 08:42 AM	#3
chefzif Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Stow,Ohio Posts: 1,662	dosing stronium and the other products may have some affect on the coral! You are changing there parameters and some times it may take time! is your system low nutrients? give it time __________________ 205g AGE Starfire, ATI T5 Hybrid Lighting, Octopus Extreme 3000 Skimmer, 2-Tunze 6105, 7096 Tunze Controller, 6215 Tunze Wave Maker, Tunze Osmolator, Apex Controller, GEO 618 Calcium Reactor, 285g Sys

03/05/2011, 08:51 AM	#5
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	A higher nutrient level in the water can lead to corals turning more brown, due to growth in the zooxanthellae population. That might be perceived by many people as faded colors. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

03/05/2011, 02:12 PM	#12
chefzif Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Stow,Ohio Posts: 1,662	get a reactor to dose carbon! __________________ 205g AGE Starfire, ATI T5 Hybrid Lighting, Octopus Extreme 3000 Skimmer, 2-Tunze 6105, 7096 Tunze Controller, 6215 Tunze Wave Maker, Tunze Osmolator, Apex Controller, GEO 618 Calcium Reactor, 285g Sys

03/05/2011, 09:32 AM	#6
dixiedog Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Gainesville, Florida Posts: 1,626	Gotcha. We'll wait for the OP to clarify on that. "Faded" to me means pale or colorless, to the point being nearly white in some cases.

03/05/2011, 06:33 PM	#13
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Phosphate and fixed nitrogen in the water column can change coral coloration. Silicate isn't an issue. For dosing carbon, I might start with a mix of vodka and vinegar, although the plastic pellets look interesting, too. Sugar seems to cause more problems. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

03/05/2011, 06:42 PM	#14
jverna1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Philly Posts: 233	I found how to dose vodka but they are saying dose MB7 with it. If I were to dose vinegar, how would I dose that in conjunction with the vodka? __________________ Hi my name is Jay and im a coral crackhead! Current Tank Info: 180 gallon Aquarium Obsessed custom 4'x3'x2' SPS dominated reef tank, 100 gallon rubbermaid sump, 4 AI Vega's, Super Reef Octopus XP 3000 ext. (3) MP 40's. Apex controller, ESV B ionic via Bubble Magus Doser, Avast Marine Kalk reactor

03/05/2011, 06:48 PM	#15
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	You can dose both at that same time, or just the vodka. It's not clear how much the MB7 helps, but it provides bacteria, which might (or might not) be useful. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

03/05/2011, 06:50 PM	#16
jverna1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Philly Posts: 233	How about Zeobak and Zeofood? __________________ Hi my name is Jay and im a coral crackhead! Current Tank Info: 180 gallon Aquarium Obsessed custom 4'x3'x2' SPS dominated reef tank, 100 gallon rubbermaid sump, 4 AI Vega's, Super Reef Octopus XP 3000 ext. (3) MP 40's. Apex controller, ESV B ionic via Bubble Magus Doser, Avast Marine Kalk reactor

03/05/2011, 07:35 PM	#18
dan-in-gr Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 385	Hi, I just got 12 SPS and 1 chalice coral from a local reefer last week, their coral was losing color and turning brown, within two days in my tank the color was starting to come back and as of today it is one week and all color is back. The previous person had a very mixed reef with numerous leathers, we both believe the toxins from the leathers caused the problem. If you have leathers remove them and do a couple of larger water changes. Hope this may be an option. I did get the corals dirt cheap!! I dose almost nothing, but use D-D salt and keep my nutrients as low as possible.

03/05/2011, 08:00 PM	#19
jverna1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Philly Posts: 233	I think im give vodka a try. Is anybody using a particular brand? Dont think im gonna get any Greygoose anytime soon. Besides, my wife would finish it off before I could get it in the tank. She doesnt like Smironoff. __________________ Hi my name is Jay and im a coral crackhead! Current Tank Info: 180 gallon Aquarium Obsessed custom 4'x3'x2' SPS dominated reef tank, 100 gallon rubbermaid sump, 4 AI Vega's, Super Reef Octopus XP 3000 ext. (3) MP 40's. Apex controller, ESV B ionic via Bubble Magus Doser, Avast Marine Kalk reactor

03/05/2011, 08:26 PM	#20
Rickyrooz1 Acropora Nut Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Newtown, PA Posts: 2,453	http://melevsreef.com/vodka_dosing.html __________________ 120 Gallon Acropora dominated tank, barebottom, APEX Controller, ATI Sunpower 8x54w, Skimz SM163, Jebao DCT 6000 return pump & two Jebao OW-40. Current Tank Info: SPS Dominated

03/05/2011, 08:53 PM	#23
jverna1 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Philly Posts: 233	Thanks for the feedback everybody. __________________ Hi my name is Jay and im a coral crackhead! Current Tank Info: 180 gallon Aquarium Obsessed custom 4'x3'x2' SPS dominated reef tank, 100 gallon rubbermaid sump, 4 AI Vega's, Super Reef Octopus XP 3000 ext. (3) MP 40's. Apex controller, ESV B ionic via Bubble Magus Doser, Avast Marine Kalk reactor

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