Corals looking pale

[BetoCR]

Hello everyone,
I have a 75 gal drilled tank, 20 gal DIY sump. I set it up in May of this year (2017). I'm sort of new around here, this is my first post for sure!

I'm currently running 2 Hydras 52 HD. In the beginning I found some settings that were probably too high for my tank, UV 40 V 62 RY 100 B 96 G 24 DR 42 CW 57. Since then I lost some color on some SPS frags that I got, the corals are still fine, their polyps are open and they are growing, slowly but growing. My montipora looks very pale for sure. I changed my settings to lower a couple of weeks ago, my green stylo's polyps are getting color back for sure.

My current parameters are:
SG 1.027
Ca 440
Mg 1350
dKH 7.4
Phosphate 0 (which is weird)
pH 8
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0

I also had phosphate problems in the beginning when the tank was first stablished, my phosphate was at 0.24, I had hair algae everywhere, the cheat in my sump was growing like crazy, but I don't have that anymore.

Here are some pictures of my tank

This is when I started

This is how my first few frags looked

This is how they look now

This is the most algae I have in the tank

This is how much hair algae I had

Settings I was running before

Settings I'm running now

If anyone has any theories or knows a reason why my corals are loosing color, that would be great!
Thanks for taking your time.

 

[sfin52]

In my experience having 0 po4 and No3 is not good for the tank. If you are using a carbon dosing to control po4, I would recommend stopping it. If you are using gfo I would recommend stoping it. If you are using activated carbon keep using it.

I believe your corals are low on color because they are low on nutrients. Po4 0.1 and No3 5ppm.

Don’t over feed to get numbers up. That most likely cause more issues and you can’t measure the results. I would dose seachem phosphate to get numbers up and I would dose nitrates as well. Dosing allows for measurable results.

 

[BetoCR]

In my experience having 0 po4 and No3 is not good for the tank. If you are using a carbon dosing to control po4, I would recommend stopping it. If you are using gfo I would recommend stoping it. If you are using activated carbon keep using it.

I believe your corals are low on color because they are low on nutrients. Po4 0.1 and No3 5ppm.

Don’t over feed to get numbers up. That most likely cause more issues and you can’t measure the results. I would dose seachem phosphate to get numbers up and I would dose nitrates as well. Dosing allows for measurable results.

How long should I stop the dosing for? When I had really high gfo I was using 1 and a half cup for it. Should stop it at all or just use less??? I was gonna start using activated carbon this week. Thanks for the help

 

[McMullen]

Agree, it's likely a nutrient issue. I've paled and burned sps sooooo many times using GFO. I now only use a fuge and skimmer. Well, I run carbon as well.

 

[divewsharks]

As mentioned, your corals just appear to be hungry. What critters do you have in your tank (fish). How often do you feed them? What do you feed them? Are you adding anything to your tank besides GFO?

 

[sfin52]

Yes stop gfo. Dose till you get your numbers up and that maybe all it takes and the live stock will keep numbers up from waste. Or you may need to always dose because the po4 may never stay up. You won’t know that till you start seeing the tank with out gfo.

My tank I had to dose po4 at 5 mill a day to get Po 4 to a reading. No I keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t go below 0.1. Nitrates never worry about them. Last I checked they were high like 30ppm. I never worry about nitrates. Lps and softies at least the ones I keep don’t seem to mind.

 

[McMullen]

Dosing is a fine option, but I simply feed heavily. I like my fish to look like there American, not from Indonesia.

 

[jp_75]

What’s your Alkalinity? Swings? 0 for Phosphate and Nitrate not good!

 

[LuizW13]

I had the same issue as you. I turned my light intensity down, fed more, and did less water changes. Corals are gaining their color back and are actually growing now.

 

[Rakie]

Firstly, I want to commend you for doing such a great job of providing the information we typically need to solve a problem. I wanted to emphasize how awesome and important that was, because your particular problem didn't need all this information, but it's GREAT that you included it.

So -- Here's the problem

- Phosphate 0 (which is weird)
- Nitrate 0

I really do mean that I'm glad you provided all that information, because it's not only good practice, but it will allow us to help with other issues we may not of thought of without being told that stuff. But seriously, this ONE time, we only needed the above information, sorry!

If it were me, I'd dose kno3 (potassium nitrate -- from a freshwater planted tank company, like NilocG) and Phosphorous (phosphates, I like Seachem, but NilocG my also carry phosphorous).

I like dosing stuff from a freshwater planted supplier because they're just as anal as we are about things, and frankly, Spectracide Stump Remover has a slight chemical smell to it, that leaves me uneasy. the kno3 from NologC is odorless.

 

[Zack K]

What’s your Alkalinity? Swings? 0 for Phosphate and Nitrate not good!

“DKH 7.4”

 

[BetoCR]

Thanks to everyone that has given me some input! I really appreciate it.
I’m gonna try what I’ve learned from all of you. I will update when I have answers!

 

[BetoCR]

As mentioned, your corals just appear to be hungry. What critters do you have in your tank (fish). How often do you feed them? What do you feed them? Are you adding anything to your tank besides GFO?

I have 1 lanmower blenny, 1 fire fish, 1 hawkfish, 2 black ocellaris and 1 diamond goby. I feed them Omega One flakes (I’m waiting to run out of it to buy something better) in the morning and that’s it. I stopped feeding a lot since I had po4 problems so I was scared of having problems again.
I add Kalkwalser 1 tsp per gallon, I wanna bring it up to 2 per gallon. I also started using Reef Fuel like two weeks ago.

 

[Zack K]

I have 1 lanmower blenny, 1 fire fish, 1 hawkfish, 2 black ocellaris and 1 diamond goby. I feed them Omega One flakes (I’m waiting to run out of it to buy something better) in the morning and that’s it. I stopped feeding a lot since I had po4 problems so I was scared of having problems again.
I add Kalkwalser 1 tsp per gallon, I wanna bring it up to 2 per gallon. I also started using Reef Fuel like two weeks ago.

Awe man. Flakes are packed with nutrients that just decays and drive up nitrates and phosphates. Aside from that, fish benefit from live and frozen foods a lot more. Frozen and live also do not add as much nutrients to the tank if left uneaten. You could feed frozen 2 times a day and still get less nutrients. IMO

 

[BoomCorals]

Firstly, I want to commend you for doing such a great job of providing the information we typically need to solve a problem. I wanted to emphasize how awesome and important that was, because your particular problem didn't need all this information, but it's GREAT that you included it.

So -- Here's the problem



I really do mean that I'm glad you provided all that information, because it's not only good practice, but it will allow us to help with other issues we may not of thought of without being told that stuff. But seriously, this ONE time, we only needed the above information, sorry!

If it were me, I'd dose kno3 (potassium nitrate -- from a freshwater planted tank company, like NilocG) and Phosphorous (phosphates, I like Seachem, but NilocG my also carry phosphorous).

I like dosing stuff from a freshwater planted supplier because they're just as anal as we are about things, and frankly, Spectracide Stump Remover has a slight chemical smell to it, that leaves me uneasy. the kno3 from NologC is odorless.

great advice here. If possible I’d always dose vs overfeed to get nutrients as over feeding often adds more of other things you may not want.

 

[._Z_.]

OP got an update? My sps are looking pale and I'm beginning to think its my low nutrients

 

[._Z_.]

oops double post

 

[Zbutcher]

I had the same issue as you. I turned my light intensity down, fed more, and did less water changes. Corals are gaining their color back and are actually growing now.

How long did it take.for.you to notice the corals coming back?

 

[LuizW13]

How long did it take.for.you to notice the corals coming back?

Man (probably?), that was such a long time ago..probably a few weeks. But that didn't last long. Back then I had two factors contributing to my lack of success with corals, lack of detectable nitrates and phosphates, and crappy lights.

 

[stripe14631]

Thanks to everyone that has given me some input! I really appreciate it.
I’m gonna try what I’ve learned from all of you. I will update when I have answers!

Why do people rarely report back. It would back the thread a lot more useful to others struggling with the same issue like me lol