Green slimmer brown out

fishmaster818 · May 12, 2015

My green slimmer browned out because i had too high of nitrates for a couple of weeks. I have done a nice size water change and brought my nitrate to less then 5. If i keep my nitrates low will my color come back. What can i do to get the color back quicker. I herd i can turn my light intensity up.

hart24601 · May 12, 2015

I have a blue tip green slimer and it never has a problem with nitrates, it seems to like about 5ppm, but it does go brown at the 1st suggestion of phosphate. I still sometimes use it to tell when my gfo is ready to change, but if I let it get too brown it takes a month or longer to color back up (or color down I guess) so I try to change gfo before that happens. Are you sure it browned up from nitrates and not phosphate? Either way mine takes a long time to become green again.

fishmaster818 · May 12, 2015

hart24601 said:
I have a blue tip green slimer and it never has a problem with nitrates, it seems to like about 5ppm, but it does go brown at the 1st suggestion of phosphate. I still sometimes use it to tell when my gfo is ready to change, but if I let it get too brown it takes a month or longer to color back up (or color down I guess) so I try to change gfo before that happens. Are you sure it browned up from nitrates and not phosphate? Either way mine takes a long time to become green again.

Yeah i had my phosphates tested with hanna checker at it was less then .0 and my nitrates were up around 30. Will it still grow when brown

hart24601 · May 12, 2015

It very well might grow even faster while brown. The brown is from lots of zooxanthellae that thrived with more nutrients. If the phosphate is low (since it can impede calcification) the greater number of zooxanthellae might feed the coral more. But it sure won't harm growth.

markalot · May 12, 2015

MY slimer was intense green in 15 nitrates and near .1 phosphates. When I browned it by removing a coral and releasing a toxin in the tank it regained color in about 3 weeks. Fast and easy SPS so if you're having issues it might be a good idea to review everything from salinity to phosphates to how often you feed the tank.