Corals browning

[reefing4days]

Im wondering if anyone here has some suggestions. Ive recently been dealing with hair algae and after starting nopox it is almost gone though still lightly there. Because of the algae I reduced light time to around 4 hours a day at reduced intensity.

• The hair algae killed some of my corals but the ones that are left have browned or dulled and havent shown growth since the algae started. My duncan lost all color and is now a pale translucent color. My nuclear implosion palys are brown when they used to be an awesome green. My leather coral is sad looking and not extending though another leather is doing just fine. All red corals are dulled though still a pink color. Tank is mostly soft coral with a handful of lps and sps
  
  
  

Could this be due to my lighting? I'm worried if I amp up the lights the algae will come back full force.
Parameters (according to my crappy api kit)
Temp 79
PH 8.2
Nh3 and nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
Phos .25
All 7dkh
Calcium 380
Nitrate 5

 

[Spare time]

The corals need the light. Your main problem for algae is your high phosphates. Get something to eat the algae and get some phosphate media to remove the phosphates to between 0 and 0.1. Just remember that 0 is just as bad as high phosphates. Also your alkalinity is low and so is the calcium You want to keep these at what your salt mixes to. You need to test those frequently, especially alkalinity and you need to dose.

 

[GoVols]

I would trust API for cal and alk, but that's where I'd move on to better test kits.

Can you get:
Magnesium - Salifert
Nitrates - Salifert or NYOS
Phosphates - Hanna Phosphate checker

Your nitrates and phosphates may be to low for those corals.

 

[john90009]

Is that first coral a Blasto? I have never ever seen an lps stretch that hard for light lol

 

[reefing4days]

The corals need the light. Your main problem for algae is your high phosphates. Get something to eat the algae and get some phosphate media to remove the phosphates to between 0 and 0.1. Just remember that 0 is just as bad as high phosphates. Also your alkalinity is low and so is the calcium You want to keep these at what your salt mixes to. You need to test those frequently, especially alkalinity and you need to dose.

In terms of light, I know i need more but I have been trying to be slow about turning it up so the algae wont just overtake again. I manually remove algae whenever it gets long enough to grab but what do you recommend to eat it? Ive tried all types of snails that dont touch it and a lawnmower blenny didnt touch it either. Its a 40 gal so cant exactly get a tang lol. Its really gone down with the nopox but do you think gfo would be a good option for phos removal? If not what would you recommend? I thought my alk and calcium was within the ideal range. What should it be?

 

[Spare time]

In terms of light, I know i need more but I have been trying to be slow about turning it up so the algae wont just overtake again. I manually remove algae whenever it gets long enough to grab but what do you recommend to eat it? Ive tried all types of snails that dont touch it and a lawnmower blenny didnt touch it either. Its a 40 gal so cant exactly get a tang lol. Its really gone down with the nopox but do you think gfo would be a good option for phos removal? If not what would you recommend? I thought my alk and calcium was within the ideal range. What should it be?

I think that you need to get the phosphates lower and then resume nopox. Emerald crabs may help. You could also try flux rx. GFO would work, or any other phosphate remover.

As for light, you need to have it on for the corals. Otherwise you are going to end up with a tank of dead corals and the algae still being alive. Again I would just get a bag of some phosphate remover and throw it on your filter.


And I really think your lps are going to continue to suffer unless you fix your alk and calcium. Have you thought about just doing one big water change?