Corals loosing color and huge algae issue.

[cane]

SPS corals loosing color and I’ve having major algae issues. Looks like green cyano. I’ve treated with chemiclean and that did nothing. I also installed my GFO reactor to help but to no avail.
Lights haven’t changed in over 6 months nor have I made any other changes. I feed usually once or twice a day depending on schedule. It’s usually pellets or frozen.

Tank is 350gal system with basement sump running a skimmer and Chaeto. 250gal display 100 gal sump.

Temp 78.5
PH 8 (8.1-8.2 range)
Phosphate 0
Nitrate 0

KH 8.1 (stopped dosing as it kept going up from usual level of 9)

Calc 473
Mag 1350

I’ve kept this tank very stable and it’s almost 2 years old. I upgraded everything from a 2 yr old 90gal to this system.

Please help as I don’t know what to do at this point. O everything else in system looks good

I included a couple old pics and I’ll add some before and after of the color loss. As they went from bright to pale in a few months.

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

you need more nutrients. Po4 and nitrate at zero is just asking for trouble. Close up pics can help of corals you talking about. Whats your water change schedule like and do you dose any additives?

 

[cane]

I was bad for about 2 months on water changes but I typically do it once a month 20%. I was dosing calc and alk but I stopped calc as I found it unnecessary but kept dosing alk. Alk use to sit at 11.5/12 but I dropped it back to around 9 when I noticed it creeping up as the corals where not using it up as normal.

 

[cane]

Before and after pics. This is all within 8 months or so. Last two are from today

 

[chefjpaul]

Lots of nutrient export.... probably too much atm.

 

[Dana Riddle]

you need more nutrients. Po4 and nitrate at zero is just asking for trouble. Close up pics can help of corals you talking about. Whats your water change schedule like and do you dose any additives?

Agreed. Nitrate is too low. Phosphate should be the algae-limiting nutrient, but not maintained at zero. The algae might be competing with corals for necessary micro-nutrients. Weekly water changes of 10% should help.

 

[Dana Riddle]

SPS corals loosing color and I’ve having major algae issues. Looks like green cyano. I’ve treated with chemiclean and that did nothing. I also installed my GFO reactor to help but to no avail.
Lights haven’t changed in over 6 months nor have I made any other changes. I feed usually once or twice a day depending on schedule. It’s usually pellets or frozen.

Tank is 350gal system with basement sump running a skimmer and Chaeto. 250gal display 100 gal sump.

Temp 78.5
PH 8 (8.1-8.2 range)
Phosphate 0
Nitrate 0

KH 8.1 (stopped dosing as it kept going up from usual level of 9)

Calc 473
Mag 1350

I’ve kept this tank very stable and it’s almost 2 years old. I upgraded everything from a 2 yr old 90gal to this system.

Please help as I don’t know what to do at this point. O everything else in system looks good

I included a couple old pics and I’ll add some before and after of the color loss. As they went from bright to pale in a few months.

What is your lighting? Lighting hasn't been changed in 6 months or lamps haven't been changed in 6 months?

 

[cane]

Lightning hasn’t been changed in 6months

 

[Dana Riddle]

Lightning hasn’t been changed in 6months

Are you using LEDs, halides, fluorescent lamps, hybrids?

 

[cane]

LED’s and T5’s

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

your corals have lost color because of nutrients are so low and they are basically starving. Tell us more about how often you change bulbs and what bulbs you run.

 

[zoous]

You checked your RO water lately?

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

What rodi unit do you use?

 

[cane]

What rodi unit do you use?

Can’t remember brand but it’s a 5 stage and it’s always at 0 and I change the DI resin when it hits 1/2.

 

[cane]

your corals have lost color because of nutrients are so low and they are basically starving. Tell us more about how often you change bulbs and what bulbs you run.

I run ATI blue plus and coral plus. They will be a yr old next month.

 

[amazongb]

I have the same problem, but zero nitrates and phosphates is due to a dino issue I'm battling. I've stopped skimming, turned off refugium, and will begin UV sterilizer when it arrives on Tuesday..

 

[cane]

I’m considering treating with Phosphate Rx to kill off algae and doing 20% water changes the next few weeks. Then dose Red Sea NO3-PO4 for algae control and Acropower for nutrition.

Do you guys think this will work

 

[cane]

I have the same problem, but zero nitrates and phosphates is due to a dino issue I'm battling. I've stopped skimming, turned off refugium, and will begin UV sterilizer when it arrives on Tuesday..

Yeah sounds like my issue. I stopped skimming but that didn’t help. I even went dark for 48hrs and ran Chemiclean twice. All of that didn’t help. I’ve had luck with phosphate Rx so I hope it works.

I did not consider a UV sterilizer, hmm

 

[amazongb]

I’m considering treating with Phosphate Rx to kill off algae and doing 20% water changes the next few weeks. Then dose Red Sea NO3-PO4 for algae control and Acropower for nutrition.

Do you guys think this will work

Wait, you have 0 phosphate, why would you use Phosphate Rx?

You might want to dose nitrates and phosphates not try to reduce what you already don't have..

 

[amazongb]

Yeah sounds like my issue. I stopped skimming but that didn’t help. I even went dark for 48hrs and ran Chemiclean twice. All of that didn’t help. I’ve had luck with phosphate Rx so I hope it works.

I did not consider a UV sterilizer, hmm

Do you have dinos?