Losing color can't figure it out

[atp0726]

Sounds like the nopox drove the nutrients down and they were starving. Keep your nitrate up a where it is and po4 between .03 -.07 and I bet you see an improvement.

 

[Scubapro13]

Should I keep the lights running where they are at or would it hurt for me to slowly give them more power

 

[Acrofiend]

I'd try using one AI prime and run the whites at 50% at 4 hours peak with a 3-4 hour ramp up/down.
Keep the alkalinity up around 10-12dkh. Also keep the nitrates around 5-10 ppm and phosphates around .3 ppm. Once all that's achieved give it time.

 

[Robbie1031]

Had a similar problem with my tank losing colors in sps started dosing with acro power and have had some decent a results in regaining color try adding some aminos to your tank slowly and see if that helps any.

 

[Scubapro13]

I'd try using one AI prime and run the whites at 50% at 4 hours peak with a 3-4 hour ramp up/down.
Keep the alkalinity up around 10-12dkh. Also keep the nitrates around 5-10 ppm and phosphates around .3 ppm. Once all that's achieved give it time.

How about all the other colors. I would make these changes over time I want to get the nutrients a little higher before I start messing around to much

Would do something like that to start

 

[ahiggins]

I'd try using one AI prime and run the whites at 50% at 4 hours peak with a 3-4 hour ramp up/down.
Keep the alkalinity up around 10-12dkh. Also keep the nitrates around 5-10 ppm and phosphates around .3 ppm. Once all that's achieved give it time.

I don't agree at all with the alk. You can get away with running high alk in ULN system but once his nitrates and phosphates catch back up, he's going to have another problem getting the alk back down the normal.

OP you're on the right track getting your nutrients back up to where they were. I would cut the lights 25-40% of original. So instead of 60% intensity, do 40% or so. I think they will bounce back those all seem like the hardier sps

 

[Scubapro13]

I don't agree at all with the alk. You can get away with running high alk in ULN system but once his nitrates and phosphates catch back up, he's going to have another problem getting the alk back down the normal.

OP you're on the right track getting your nutrients back up to where they were. I would cut the lights 25-40% of original. So instead of 60% intensity, do 40% or so. I think they will bounce back those all seem like the hardier sps

I'm not going to mess with my alk I like it lower everyone I have tried it in the past I had problems. I'm just going to change my light cycle up a bit and run higher stable nutrients and see what happens.

 

[atp0726]

I run radions and not familiar with AI lights but if that is the duration and intensity you had them st before dosing the nopox and things seemed stable I would just leave them. I wouldn't make to many changes at once. Focus on running a low nutrient system with no3 around 5 and po4 at around .o3 and see if colors start improving over the next couple weeks.

 

[Centerline]

For the past couple weeks my corals have started to white out pretty bad and I can't seem to get it to stop. I figured tank did not have enough nutrients in it so I have been feeding tank more fish food, reef chili, and reef roofs but I have still not seen improvement. This all started a month ago when I started to use the red sea no3 po4 x realizing after I didn't need to use it. Only coral starting to get any color back is my orange monti cap. My birds nest are almost completely white. Always seems to happen with me with hard corals with both of my tanks. Any help would be nice.

Tank jbj 30
Lights: 2 ai primes
Hang on back reef octopus skimmer
3 fish
Calcium 420
Alk 8.6
Mag 1350ish
Nitrates 1 to 5ish
Phosphates undectable
Salinity 1.026
Ph ranges from 8.1 to 8.3 (apex)
Temp 78 to 78.5

Had the same thing happen. Dose reef energy and feed heavy. You need some nitrates.

 

[Centerline]

I'm not going to mess with my alk I like it lower everyone I have tried it in the past I had problems. I'm just going to change my light cycle up a bit and run higher stable nutrients and see what happens.

If you were running high alk and this happened it may have killed the coral. Leave your alk alone for the moment.

 

[Centerline]

Should I keep the lights running where they are at or would it hurt for me to slowly give them more power

Leave them.

 

[Centerline]

Should I keep the lights running where they are at or would it hurt for me to slowly give them more power

I would not kick that white channel up man. Leave it at 20 % of the Blues. Maybe loose the r/going for the moment as well. Remember your not trying to grow coral at the moment just to get them nice and healthy. N03 and a touch of p04. Feed a bunch and maybe reef energy (worked for me)

 

[Travis Stewart]

I'd try using one AI prime and run the whites at 50% at 4 hours peak with a 3-4 hour ramp up/down.
Keep the alkalinity up around 10-12dkh. Also keep the nitrates around 5-10 ppm and phosphates around .3 ppm. Once all that's achieved give it time.

Dang that's high whites. I get mine up to about 31%..any success with that amount?

 

[ahiggins]

If you were running high alk and this happened it may have killed the coral. Leave your alk alone for the moment.

100% agree. I had a massive bleaching event at high alk. Now I dont run above 9.3

 

[Centerline]

It is worth remembering that hi alk and very low N03 can produce some nasty side effects. When bio pellets first became popular I had a tank that was all ORA corals. I had had great results running a full meal deal quick growth program (bare bottom / alk 12/ cal 500/ mg 1450 / aa / vodka etc..) on my previous tank and wanted the same results on the ORA tank. Rather than dose vodka on the ORA tank I installed a pellet reactor to help keep the N03 in check as I was dosing AA & plankton over night - little did I know just how effective bio pellets could be! At the same time I traded a pair of XM 250 MHs for a pair of shiny new Rapid Led Onyx lights. At first everything was growing like fire and then I watched the tank go from health to death in about 8 weeks. At the time I blamed the LEDs .

 

[Scubapro13]

Dang that's high whites. I get mine up to about 31%..any success with that amount?

When it was all going good for my tank I had the single light at like 75 for all purple and blue channels and 35ish for the other colors

 

[Centerline]

When it was all going good for my tank I had the single light at like 75 for all purple and blue channels and 35ish for the other colors

I'm not sure where I heard this but I think a good safe rule of thumb is 70 / 30 ratio blue to white. 80 / 20 is what I'm using now on my Hydra 52 HDs and it seems to be working for SPS fairly well.

 

[Centerline]

100% agree. I had a massive bleaching event at high alk. Now I dont run above 9.3

I still run at 12 but I really have to hustle to make sure my N03 is around 10 or so. I have one of those tanks that has a hard time keeping N03 detectable and really am considering drop my alk down to a more manageable level such as yourself to avoid a problem.

 

[CeeGee]

don't have time at the moment to read through the thread but if it hasn't been mentioned add check for stray voltage leaking into the tank. Seen that drain color before.

 

[Centerline]

don't have time at the moment to read through the thread but if it hasn't been mentioned add check for stray voltage leaking into the tank. Seen that drain color before.

No kidding! I have never heard about that though it makes sense as enough current could do nothing but stress out everything.