Anyone have red corals fade to pink?

[Firedawg1983]

Curious if anyone has had red corals fade to a pink color? Only red montipora and orange setosa fading. Haven’t changed anything recently other than salt from RS blue bucket to tropic Marin. I know my nitrate and phos are a little higher than normal I over did it on my coral feeding two days ago. Usually it’s 10 nitrate and .5 phos
Alk 8.6-8.9
mag 1400
Cal 430
Nitrate 20
Phos .10

 

[AZMSGT]

Could be lighting.. but it sounds like you might be missing a trace element or something that the red pigments need.

From my readings red comes from Potassium and Boron.

I’m no expert, just have been reading up on trace elements and what ones corals use.

 

[Firedawg1983]

I’ve got radion G4 pros. Running the AB+ program. I initially thought maybe they are getting bleached from too much light but they have been in there months. I did turn them down regardless. I have heard that about the potassium. I have been slightly dosing it just to see if there is a difference but nothing yet. I do not have a potassium test kit. Interesting about the boron as well. Not sure what to do maybe I’ll just do a very large WC and see how that turns out

 

[jda]

It is most likely from a lack of red, green and yellow spectrum. If you are changing water, then you are likely fine with traces.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m not a believer that specific elements being low relates to specific colors being weak. I think someone found that at the center of many chromophores is a metal ion, and made the unsupported leap that low levels meant less of that chromophore. The Reefing world then ran with it as supplement suppliers could try to make more enticing claims why to use their product.