Brown Sand and Corals not growing

Thraciandrummer · Jan 28, 2016

Hi All,
I am recently noticing that the top layer of my sand is beginning to turn brown. Also, I am noticing a lot of what looks like bubble algae on one of my rocks that seems to be spreading pretty quickly. In addition to all that, I have added several Zoa colonies/frags over the last few months as well as two heads of candy cane corals that do not seem to be growing at all. One zoa colony actually completely died recently. I did do a lighting upgrade within the last month from a fairly crappy LED light (Current USA Orbit Marine LED) to 3 Kessil A360 LEDs. My zoas never grew under the other light either, so that problem is the same regardless of light. I was actually hoping the upgraded light would show me more growth, but the opposite seems to have occurred as a full colony of zoas actually died under the kessils. Anyway here are the details that should help in answering my questions...

- Lighting 3 Kessil A-360s
- Tank size 125G 6 feet long with 36 gallon sump/Refugium.
- Running 2 filter socks, Reef Octopus Space Saver Skimmer rated for 300 gallons
- 15 pounds of Miracle Mud in Refugium
- BRS dual Carbon/GFO reactor
- 3 11-ounce bags of ChemiPure Elite
- Cleanup crew includes several species of snails including, Dwarf and Florida Ceriths, Nessarius, and Nerite Snails. I also have a Coral banded Shrimp that does whatever he decides to do. (I have noticed a fair amount of empty shells lately so some die off of my cleanup crew has occurred).
- Tank has been up for exactly 1 year
- Inhabitants include (aside from cleanup crew mentioned above) 1 blue hippo tang, 1 FoxFace, 1 Flame Angel, 2 Firefish, 2 Black Ocellaris Clowns, 2 Blue/Green Chromis, 1 Royal Dottyback. I would definitely not consider this to be an overstocked tank, in fact I am looking to get 1 or 2 more fish in the near future.
- I use RODI water to make saltwater and to top off the tank (BRS 4 Stage RODI System)
- Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate all = 0
- Calcium - 446
- Alkalinity - 146
- PH 8.2-8.3
- Salinity - 1.024
- Temp steady 78

saltyfilmfolks · Jan 28, 2016

zoas can be light flow and nutrients. But a thought. when was the last time you deep cleaned your sand bed?

Saltine · Jan 28, 2016

If you upgraded from a non PRO Current Marine LED to the Kessils, I would bet you melted them. Unless you did a very slow ramp up with the Kessils, how did you make the change? What % did you start the Kessils at?

Also the increased Lighting would cause brown sand if the nutrients were there before but didn't have enough light to grow. Now they have both an abundance of light and nutrients..

Salt

Thraciandrummer · Jan 28, 2016

How much flow is proper for Zoas? I hear mixed opinions about this. Some people say light flow some say heavy flow, some say moderate. I really don't know whats best. I would say that some of my zoas get a moderate flow while some get light flow. It seems the ones getting light flow are doing better. I do a water change once a month usually around 30%. I will vacuum as much of the sand as I can get to during each water change. I usually end up only being able to clean the front of the tank this way because the back of the tank is nearly impossible to clean with a gravel vacuum due to the rock placement. Oddly enough, the brown sand is showing up on the areas that I am always able to clean and not the spots that have gotten no cleaning other than my CUC.

Saltine · Jan 28, 2016

Thraciandrummer said:
How much flow is proper for Zoas? I hear mixed opinions about this. Some people say light flow some say heavy flow, some say moderate. I really don't know whats best. I would say that some of my zoas get a moderate flow while some get light flow. It seems the ones getting light flow are doing better. I do a water change once a month usually around 30%. I will vacuum as much of the sand as I can get to during each water change. I usually end up only being able to clean the front of the tank this way because the back of the tank is nearly impossible to clean with a gravel vacuum due to the rock placement. Oddly enough, the brown sand is showing up on the areas that I am always able to clean and not the spots that have gotten no cleaning other than my CUC.

Flow isn't going to wipe out a colony of zoas in my experience. Different Zoas prefer different flow. Again I think you melted them with your new light.

Salt

Thraciandrummer · Jan 28, 2016

I admittedly did not do a proper ramp up with the Kessils. I set them up to about on a timer and let them go. The max intensity that they hit each day is 85% though as I thought anything above that was too much.

I figured that I may see an algae bloom with the additional lighting, but my Nitrates have ALWAYS read 0. I use an API kit to test for the nitrogen cycle, so it's probably not the best kit to use, but I'm sure if that is reading 0 the Nitrate can't be too high unless those kits are insanely inaccurate.

saltyfilmfolks · Jan 28, 2016

A good way to match intensity of light is a lux meter. $15 for a decent one. meter what you have from one light and match it to the new light and ramp from there.
In my experience zoas will look fine and then will melt all at once quickly. from flow or light. Been experimenting with cheap zoas lately on that. So if they were weak already light may have been the last straw.
FWIW every time I have had a major issue my basic test kits said O fine. Took water to 4 LFS and got the same results.

Saltine · Jan 28, 2016

Thraciandrummer said:
I admittedly did not do a proper ramp up with the Kessils. I set them up to about on a timer and let them go. The max intensity that they hit each day is 85% though as I thought anything above that was too much.

I figured that I may see an algae bloom with the additional lighting, but my Nitrates have ALWAYS read 0. I use an API kit to test for the nitrogen cycle, so it's probably not the best kit to use, but I'm sure if that is reading 0 the Nitrate can't be too high unless those kits are insanely inaccurate.

What about phosphate? 85% on a kessil is probably 4-500% stronger than your old light.

Thraciandrummer · Jan 28, 2016

Phosphate is dead 0. I have a Hannah checker for phosphate, calcium and alkalinity so I trust those results. I also run GFO and carbon in a dual BRS reactor, so I am confident my phosphates are zero.

joshkirkland83 · Jan 28, 2016

Whats your Mg?

Thraciandrummer · Jan 28, 2016

I have not tested for that.

2xal · Jan 28, 2016

are zoas that reactive to mag? I'm betting light. +1 saltyfilm and saltine

joshkirkland83 · Jan 28, 2016

Thraciandrummer said:
I have not tested for that.

Ok well ive had huge colonies of zoas and single polyps. What ive noticed is they eat the crap out of Mg. If you arent testing for mg then your tank isnt balanced. Your alk is at 14.6??

Thraciandrummer · Jan 28, 2016

146ppm which converts to 8.162 dkh which is within a good range.

joshkirkland83 · Jan 28, 2016

Thraciandrummer said:
146ppm which converts to 8.162 dkh which is within a good range.

Yeah id check that mg.

joshkirkland83 · Jan 28, 2016

2xal said:
are zoas that reactive to mag? I'm betting light. +1 saltyfilm and saltine

I agree with the light too, but corals are not going to grow well at all with an improperly balanced environment. Gotta get that straight first IMO.

2xal · Jan 28, 2016

joshkirkland83 said:
I agree with the light too, but corals are not going to grow well at all with an improperly balanced environment. Gotta get that straight first IMO.

That's true, I would consider lighting part of the bigger 'balanced environment' picture too

Thraciandrummer · Jan 29, 2016

Ok I will test for Mag as well. Can anyone recommend a good test kit for magnesium? I do have BRS' 2 part dosing which I have yet to actually dose because water changes alone have kept my calcium and alkalinity at good levels. I don't have many corals at all yet, so the pull on calcium hasn't been enough to warrant supplemental dosing.

Is there anyone on here that uses Kessil A360s that can recommend good settings to use? I definitely don't want to over light the tank.

Saltine · Jan 29, 2016

Thraciandrummer said:
Ok I will test for Mag as well. Can anyone recommend a good test kit for magnesium? I do have BRS' 2 part dosing which I have yet to actually dose because water changes alone have kept my calcium and alkalinity at good levels. I don't have many corals at all yet, so the pull on calcium hasn't been enough to warrant supplemental dosing.

Is there anyone on here that uses Kessil A360s that can recommend good settings to use? I definitely don't want to over light the tank.

If you haven't already I would low the intensity to only reach 45% of max for now, and see if things start opening back up. I don't personally have any recommendations on the Mag kit, since I also have never tested for it

.

Salt

Thraciandrummer · Jan 29, 2016

Whatever Zoas are left are now opened up. The candy cane heads I have open up about 50% each day but they aren't opening up big light they did when I got them. Maybe I'll go down to a 50% intensity for a few weeks and then go from there.