Galaxea lost color?

[ArtsyAxolotl]

A few things in my tank are this funny tan color. My frogspawn, which I posted about a little while ago, is sort've a fleshy brown color. I was assured that it was happy and since I couldn't remember what color it was when I bought it, I let it go.

But now I'm sure some of the corals are losing color, mostly my LPS. A few weeks ago I bought a galaxea (or at least I think that's what it is), that was red on the outside and green on the inside. Glowed teal under the actinics. Super cute little coral. But now? It's the exact same fleshy brown color as the frogspawn.

Before | After


My monti, zoas, birds nest, and xenias are all fine colorwise. My sponge looks great. But the frog, torch, galaxea, alveopora, and duncan all have the same weird pinkish-brown color.

Is that like... ok? Are they fine? I was told my frogspawn's brown-ness could just be it's color, and I'd be fine with that, its just the fact that all my LPS are like this.

Temp: 78
SG 1.024
KH 8.4 (honestly a bit hard to tell from the API kit. Its around .2 and .4ish though)
CAL 460
Nitrate 5<
Phos .25 (I'm going to guess this has something to do with it?)

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

yea could be browning from higher nutrients. What lights are you using?.

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

It's an Orbit Current, LEDs. I think I have it set to run 8ish hours and then it goes to actinics for 4? I can go check, it's been a while since I had to mess with the timer. It's a pain to reprogram...

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It's an Orbit Current, LEDs. I think I have it set to run 8ish hours and then it goes to actinics for 4? I can go check, it's been a while since I had to mess with the timer. It's a pain to reprogram...

I have one. I used the M4 and just modded it.
is is the pro model(the led has lenses, circles) the one i have has squares.
How deep is the tank and what % do you run.

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

Oh ok cool! I think its the pro, yea. I have the round lights. The tank is a 10 gallon and I'm pretty sure my %s are 100% blue and 75% white, although I've never been sure if that was too bright. I just liked the way it looked at that balance.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

wow, yea thats actually a lot of light(it totally fine) the tank is acclimated for it. I like a lot of light.

In just that little 10, id just do a couple weeks of better water changes. See if it helps the nutrients a bit and replace a lot of trace elements.

Id go there first, then you could extend the amount of time the lights are on. thatll give them more time to process the nutrints in the tank.
or you could do both really.

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

Ok yea, I'll definitely do both of those things! I didn't know nutrients caused browning out so yea, I'll try to drop that a bit.

How long would you recommend the lights being on for? I just double checked my lights and yea, they're 100/75 and they're on for 10 hours before a 15 minute sunset and then 4 hours of actinics, then off until sunrise. To be fair, I wish the lights would say on all night and never turn out. My male clown doesn't like the dark and splashes when the light goes out lol

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ok yea, I'll definitely do both of those things! I didn't know nutrients caused browning out so yea, I'll try to drop that a bit.

How long would you recommend the lights being on for? I just double checked my lights and yea, they're 100/75 and they're on for 10 hours before a 15 minute sunset and then 4 hours of actinics, then off until sunrise. To be fair, I wish the lights would say on all night and never turn out. My male clown doesn't like the dark and splashes when the light goes out lol

hahah. clowns are nerds. You could go another 2 of W/B pretty safely I think, but Idd add slowly. try the water changes I think.

I am playing with a theory on too much only blue for too long. I have some coral that goes a bit green close to the lights. hmm.

I do wish the orbit had more control rather than just the 30min ramp..

 

[ArtsyAxolotl]

Haha they really are though. I'm amazed at how much amusement aquatic animals bring.

Another 2 of W/B... do you mean another 2 hours of each? I wouldn't mind that if it'd be good for them! I'll definitely do the water changes first. I didn't realize I had phosphates at all until now. I should have been checking more :/

That's the one downside to the orbit imo. Its hard enough to program in the first place..

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

do you mean another 2 hours of each?

yes, but start with an hour to acclimate.

I should have been checking more :/

eh, overrated imo.
but yea the WC's will help on a lot of levels.