Sps always lose color and go dormant b4 re coloring

[MattL22]

I’ve got a 180 about 10 months old
alk 8 rock solid with ghl doser and brs 2 part
No3 bit high 15
Po4 .04
all these parameters are stable flow is good 2 mp 60s
Light should be good 8 bulb 60” ati and 1 reef bar actinic blue bar
Dosing 14 mls no pox ( wondering if I should stop this but worried nutrients will spike)

So question / issue
I’m buying beautiful sps locally and they get glued in usually encrust slowly then over course of weeks and weeks slowly lose color and pe they sit for months b4 finally coloring back up a bit and slowly growing again
I’m gonna try and get few pictures later today

 

[MattL22]

If all else seems good is it a matter of just being patient and letting system / sps get established

 

[jda]

It could also be the source. Are these all from the same place, or do you switch it up? I have found that some local stores have corals stress when I bring them home and others do not even notice.

In any case, anything in an eight-month SPS tank is gravy, so enjoy. It should get easier as the tank matures more and more.

 

[MattL22]

That’s encouraging thank you

It could also be the source. Are these all from the same place, or do you switch it up? I have found that some local stores have corals stress when I bring them home and others do not even notice.

In any case, anything in an eight-month SPS tank is gravy, so enjoy. It should get easier as the tank matures more and more.

 

[ScottB]

I'll second @jda on tank maturity. I have two separate systems at home; one (DT 140G) is ~6 years, the other (FT 320G) about 14 months. Same water, flow, and light parameters.

My "newish" frag system keeps sticks alive. But when I move them into my "old" display they explode. It is very noticeable. I remain hopeful that my "growout" system will soon grow up.

 

[lemonade]

How high is your fixture off the water?

 

[MattL22]

I had it 10” up but slowly over few weeks lowered with chain link down to 3 -4” above water

 

[lemonade]

That is way too low imo for that fixture, and probably why you're seeing the corals fade out. 8-10" is good

 

[MattL22]

Hi lemonade ty for advice I dropped it thinking if my no3 was bit high then I’d really need to blast the brown outs to get them to color up a bit
Maybe I’ll raise them

 

[lemonade]

I think it would be best. Even on a mature reef tank 6-7" would be about the max I'd drop that fixture to. It's a powerful light.