Coral Color with Low Nitrates

[DraggingTail]

First, I am testing 0 but I know there has to be nitrates. I have some GHA here and there. And everything is not dead so the nitrates must not be in the water column. I even bought a new test, below, and was using the Salifert test before with a 0 reading but it was hard to tell the difference a low reading levels.

So, let me tell you what I have done recently. My nitrates were testing around 10-20 ppm and I wanted to get them down to 2 since I was having some GHA growing where I did not want it to grow. So, I started dosing NoPox at 2ppm and then 4ppm. That lowered nitrates for sure. I have since backed off to 2ppm once my nitrates bottomed out.

But, now my coral have lost some color and just look dull. I have good polyp extension at lights off but I want them to be vibrant.

Will my color come back? It seems like the coral liked a dirty tank...... I am tempted to let my nitrates come back up because my coral looked better. What is your opinion?

Here is my latest tank and test info:

Temp 77.1 F
PH 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphates 0
Calcium 460
DKH 9
Salinity 1.026
Magnesium 1380

55 tall with 30 custom sump (80 Gallon total due to rock work)
Sicce Silent 3.0
Hamilton Technology Cebu Sun 3ft MH\T5 combo (2x460nm T5 on 12 hours, 2x420nm T5 on 10 hours, 2x400W MH on 6 hours)
1/5 HP Arctica Chiller
110 OCTO Skimmer
10 Gallon Refugium with Chaeto and 28 watt CFL
Tunze ATO

Jaboe Dosing Pump (2ml Red Sea NoPox, 18ml BRS Alkalinity, 6ml BRS Calcium, 2ml BRS Magnesium)

 

[Katrina71]

Shorten the time your lights are on in the fuge for starters. Shorten the time your skimmer runs. Let things balance slowly.

 

[DraggingTail]

Shorten the time your lights are on in the fuge for starters. Shorten the time your skimmer runs. Let things balance slowly.

Could I just throw out some Chaeto? I have a ball the size of a 5 gallon bucket.

I got enough timers already. LOL. But, I suppose I could put the skimmer on one.

I have got out of the habit of changing things quickly. And, will my coral even get the color back???

 

[Crystal clear]

How many fish do you have, I would load up personally

 

[Kristonenicolas]

Could I just throw out some Chaeto? I have a ball the size of a 5 gallon bucket.

I got enough timers already. LOL. But, I suppose I could put the skimmer on one.

I have got out of the habit of changing things quickly. And, will my coral even get the color back???

That's a lot of chaeto. I'd remove some. How long do you have your fuge lights on and when?

 

[DraggingTail]

How many fish do you have, I would load up personally

2 clowns
3 Cardinal
1 yellow eye kole Tang
1 coral beauty

 

[DraggingTail]

That's a lot of chaeto. I'd remove some. How long do you have your fuge lights on and when?

When the 460nm T5s go off the CFL in the fuge comes on, when the CFL goes off the 460nm T5s come on. 12 hours. Then after 1 hour of 460nm, the 420nm T5s come on, the after 2 hours the 400w MHs come on. They ramp down the same.

460s 12 hours
420s 10 hours
MHs 6 hours
CFL 12 hours

 

[Heart of Dixie]

You need to have some PO4 & NO3 in the system. I am surprised that you do not have dinoflagellates with low levels like that. Have you identified the brown growth around the rock under a microscope? I find the best colors when my system is between 5 - 10 ppm No3 and .05 to .08 PO4.

 

[BeejReef]

Sounds like you're on the right track and just need to dial it in.

I think it's easier to regulate the photoperiod on the fuge as opposed to trying to guess how much chaeto to harvest. I let the chaeto fill the fuge (within reason) and harvest enough to keep it there so that stays a relative constant.

If you're down to a 4 hour photoperiod on your fuge and are still bottoming out N and P, then you might have to get creative.

 

[Katrina71]

+1 on removing some chaeto. I would try removing 25% per week. Nothing drastic.

 

[ReefHomieJon]

+1 on removing some chaeto. I would try removing 25% per week. Nothing drastic.

At that rate it’ll be gone in a month. It doesn’t grow THAT fast

 

[DraggingTail]

You need to have some PO4 & NO3 in the system. I am surprised that you do not have dinoflagellates with low levels like that. Have you identified the brown growth around the rock under a microscope? I find the best colors when my system is between 5 - 10 ppm No3 and .05 to .08 PO4.

But then I gha I have to pick off under the rocks. Irritates me

 

[DraggingTail]

Got some pink today. 3ppm and my coral are turning red! Yay

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Keep no3 at 5-10ppm and po4 0.05-0.01ppm for the best color. Dont let either go out of balance or bottom out to 0.00 or you will be fighting dinos which really suck.

 

[Another Newbie Reefer]

Got some pink today. 3ppm and my coral are turning red! Yay

What did you end up doing? I'm having the same issue. I shortened my fuge light to 4 hrs, but I still can't get my nitrates up. Chaeto works too well I guess.

 

[DraggingTail]

What did you end up doing? I'm having the same issue. I shortened my fuge light to 4 hrs, but I still can't get my nitrates up. Chaeto works too well I guess.

I stopped my skimmer, removed my filter sock and I dose 1/2 t Reef Roids everyday

 

[Another Newbie Reefer]

I stopped my skimmer, removed my filter sock and I dose 1/2 t Reef Roids everyday

Did the daily reef roids cause po4 to jump up too high?

 

[DraggingTail]

Did the daily reef roids cause po4 to jump up too high?

PO4 running 0.13. So, yes. Bit higher than I like but it works.