Bleached Rainbow Bubble Tip! HELP!

[Jms460]

This tank has been running for 8 months. The RBT has been in for 5 months. During this time marine velvet killed 6 of our 9 fish (heartbroken) So the tank was fallow for 80 days. During this time, we noticed, bubble algae growing on the rocks. Since there were no fish, and we heard great things about Vibrant, we used it to get rid of the bubble algae before it gets out of hand. Used Vibrant at half the recommendation. Both our RBTs shrunk down to a 1/4 their previous size and have bleached out. Vibrant as the only thing we have added. We have since stopped using Vibrant but the colors have not come back! Please help! Top pic is what it looks like today.

 

[Paleozoic_reefer]

What are your parameters? what type of lighting are you using? 8 Months is really a short time to have an established tank ready for a nem but not impossible if done right.

 

[GeoSquid]

Just my opinion, but stay away from quick fixes. I used chemiclean once and it cured my cyano but two months later I got Dino's and I've been fighting it for months. I would do water changes, run carbon and keep parameters in check and let everything settle down.

 

[John3]

These are pretty hardy and will live bleached for a long time. They can take well over a year to gain back full deep coloring.

 

[Jms460]

Thank you very much for your responses.
nitrites 0
Nitrates 2
Ammonia 0
All 8.1
Mag 1320
SG 1.024
Temp 77
Calcium 350

These are the parameters that have been in the tank since it started. I wasn’t trying for a quick fix, I was trying for something else I hadn’t thought of. I had heard good things about the vibrant, but it turns out my RBT’s did not like it at all. I will feed them every other day for the foreseeable future. Thank you all again for your help.

 

[reef lover]

The vibrant most likely isn't the cause. With being fallow the tank has lil to no nutrients and the nem is starting to starve. Ghost feed the tank to get detectable nitrates and phosphate until u get fish back in there.

 

[Jms460]

Fish were reintroduced into the tank on March 20. A Hippo, 2 Mocha clowns and the favorite ONE green chromis that has managed to survive everything! The nutrients are slowly coming up and we will introduce a few more fish after they finish quarantine, which will be in 3 weeks. I will keep feeding the RBTs every other day as I patiently wait for them to return in all their glory.