SPS blah... Question for the pros - HELP!

Stpatrick · May 7, 2012

I am about 10 months into my SPS tank and my corals are really blah and lack color. Here are some of my params. ALK = 9.3, PH = 8.2, MAG = 1400, Phosphate = .04, Nitrates = about 10 ppm.
Tank is 110 gallon. 26X30X24 high.
Light are two AI sol blues and 4 35" ATI Blue + bulbs.
Bio-pellet reactor
BRS dual reactor running 1 cup of BRS carbon and 1 cup of BRS GFO.
OTO running through a kalk reactor.
OCTO 2000 skimmer kicking but
Ozone for 1 hour at 100 mgs

I dose 4 drops of amino acids (ZEO) daily
1 ml of MB7 daily
4 ml ZEO coral snow every other day.
Lugos 4 drops once aweek.

Corals are all encrusting and growing (very slow). I am getting lots of green fluorescing colors especially when the royal blues are one. But there are no deep blues or reds. Green & orange corals seem to be fine. I am worried they are fading away to nothing then STS.

Examples of colors.
JF unknown is a light purple.
Red planet is kind of brown with green skin.
German Blue polyp is light green.
Blue tenus is light blue.
My tri color is brown.

But some corals look great. Thoughts or suggestions anyone?

Aquaph8 · May 7, 2012

By no means am I an expert but my advice would be to just hang in there. Keep things stable and the ones that seem like they're encrusting for days will eventually take off and grow faster and faster with time. Everyone has their trouble corals, sometimes they come around and sometimes they seem to torch overnight.

Stpatrick · May 7, 2012

I hear you. I just think I am over thinking this and either over dosing or under dosing. I guess no one said it would be easy

Big E · May 7, 2012

I'd swap out 2 of your blue + for 2 Ati purple +. You also might want to buy one Coral+ to try. This should help with reds.

Ozone one hour a day? Why bother..............run it 24/7 or not at all.

You don't need any of this-----

I dose 4 drops of amino acids (ZEO) daily
1 ml of MB7 daily
4 ml ZEO coral snow every other day.
Lugos 4 drops once a week.

In a nutshell................simplify things........it's only difficult because you're making it that way.

3mm3 · May 7, 2012

Your running bio pellets and dosing mb7
Check your potassium Im guessing your low.

pumarjr · May 7, 2012

I've had some of the best results with PE, growth, and coloration, when I actually stopped trying to get them. i.e... relax a little, do your normal husbandry and enjoy. Now, that being said, continue to dose your normal supplements, just make sure what your adding to your tank, and remember, if you cannot test for it, do not dose it.

CoralFragZ · May 7, 2012

My set-up on my frag tank is very similer with the same dosing. I went through this and what I found was that my tank was too clean. The combo of biopellets, Gfo, and MB7, oversized skimmer and wetskim starved the tank. I solved it by adding a school of fish which were 12 chromis. I also feed a mixture of coral frenzy, Cyclops eZe, reef chili and oyster eggs every other day in the morning when the lights are off and PE is at its greatest. The colors imporved 3 days in and were back after two weeks. One other think is to find the balance with your skimmer. Orginially I very wet skimmed as I was also running biopellets then moved it to dry. Colors imporved but there was a slight onset of algae moving it to medium skim did the trick. Finally I think you are using too much MB7 It should only be a few drops a day.

kuyatwo · May 7, 2012

Get some pohls xtra and mix it with the coral snow

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swannyson7 · May 7, 2012

I'd guess that your biggest problem is excess nutrients. Your phosphate is a bit high and that along with a nitrate level of 10 ppm eliminates the need for any AA dosing. I would reduce/stop your AA dosing and keep an eye on your parameters. Unless you're running an ULNS, there's really no need to dose aminos as a way of feeding them. Elevated levels of phosphate will slow/stunt growth and result in loss of coloration.

Aquaph8 · May 7, 2012

Just noticed your running bio pellets, get your alk down to no higher than 8. Any higher than eight and you'll burn the tips of your SPS. As far as nutrients go, take it easy on the AA's.

Madreef · May 7, 2012

Alk down to 8 and cut the GFO to 1/4 cup or less. 1 cup is way more than I'd suggest using. Other than that I'd keep adding the amino acids and keep with the iodine if you have zoas.

-Logzor · May 7, 2012

Simply remove the GFO. This will make dramatic improvements.

CoralFragZ · May 7, 2012

tdb320reef said:
My set-up on my frag tank is very similer with the same dosing. I went through this and what I found was that my tank was too clean. The combo of biopellets, Gfo, and MB7, oversized skimmer and wetskim starved the tank. I solved it by adding a school of fish which were 12 chromis. I also feed a mixture of coral frenzy, Cyclops eZe, reef chili and oyster eggs every other day in the morning when the lights are off and PE is at its greatest. The colors imporved 3 days in and were back after two weeks. One other think is to find the balance with your skimmer. Orginially I very wet skimmed as I was also running biopellets then moved it to dry. Colors imporved but there was a slight onset of algae moving it to medium skim did the trick. Finally I think you are using too much MB7 It should only be a few drops a day.

Correction – I miss interpreted when you said, “Lack Color” I thought that you meant your corals were pale. Upon reading further I can see were you gave examples that they were brown. Therefore my advice was incorrect and I agree with those below that brown represents that you have a high nutrient issue which is opposite of the advice I gave.
Therefore I agree to minimize the phosphates and nitrates. I am not sure that removing the GFO is the solution but perhaps changing the media.

Reefing8EZ · May 7, 2012

-Logzor said:
Simply remove the GFO. This will make dramatic improvements.

+1, I also have seen improvement since taking the GFO offline. I used to lose acros monthly and noticed it was every time I changed the GFO in my TLF reactor.
No losses since.. HTH.. :wink:

VegasRick · May 7, 2012

It sounds a little mixed, some corals are brown and some have light colors. Are the ones with light colors under the strongest light? Possibly too much light? Common with LEDs. The browning sounds like high nutrients. I would stop dosing all the extra "goodies". Maybe swap put a couple of the t5s to a purple.

Stpatrick · May 7, 2012

Big E said:
I'd swap out 2 of your blue + for 2 Ati purple +. You also might want to buy one Coral+ to try. This should help with reds.

Ozone one hour a day? Why bother..............run it 24/7 or not at all.

You don't need any of this-----

I dose 4 drops of amino acids (ZEO) daily
1 ml of MB7 daily
4 ml ZEO coral snow every other day.
Lugos 4 drops once a week.

In a nutshell................simplify things........it's only difficult because you're making it that way.

Great input.

3mm3 said:
Your running bio pellets and dosing mb7
Check your potassium Im guessing your low.

Hmm. I never thought of that. Another great tip. Thats why the amino acids. No potassium in the AAs?

pumarjr said:
I've had some of the best results with PE, growth, and coloration, when I actually stopped trying to get them. i.e... relax a little, do your normal husbandry and enjoy. Now, that being said, continue to dose your normal supplements, just make sure what your adding to your tank, and remember, if you cannot test for it, do not dose it.

So hard to relax. I agree that I may over think things a bit. I read a lot of threads from guys having great success and I try to mirror what folks are doing.