Stylo Trouble

[calimatty]

This is my Sapce Jam Stylo. I have had him for 4 months. He has grown quite a bit, has polyps out, but seems to be losing color. He is at the bottom of my tank in a medium flow area, fed reef roids 2-3 times a week. He has been slowly losing color for awhile (didn't look great when he arrived but got a bit better). I have 2 reefLED 90's that have been on acclimation and are up to 77%. I had a bout of 0 Phosphate 0 Nitrate about 2 month ago but parameters have been steady-ish for a month
Salinity 1.026 Salinity
PH 8.1
Ammonia .1
Nititres 0
5-10 Nitrates
Phosphate .04-.06
Alk 9.6 (slowly treading up)
Calcium 385 (slowly trending down)
Mag 1500

Is this just a lighting issue or is something else going on?
Thoughts?
The picture isn't great but you can see the poor color.

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

Ammonia really should be 0. I would try to bring the nitrates up a little higher to 15 or 20, especially as you are increasing light. In fact I would drop the light back down a little, and see if things improve. How do the rest of your SPS look ?

 

[calimatty]

Ammonia really should be 0. I would try to bring the nitrates up a little higher to 15 or 20, especially as you are increasing light. In fact I would drop the light back down a little, and see if things improve. How do the rest of your SPS look ?

Thanks for your reply. The ammonia is probably zero, as my test consistently shows the same color, but it's slightly hard to tell. I haven't seen this advice on the issue about raising the nitrates, I will look into it. I'm a bit nervous about bringing the light down too much because everybody else looks very happy. My only other SPS is an electric daisy stylo. It came in the same shipment, so was a bit rough when I got it. I'm sort of having the opposite problem with it. The color is good but little growth and the polyps don't appear to open very much. That one I am trying to find the right flow for, but it doesn't feel as urgent because it's keeping color.

 

[homer1475]

If thats a stylo, then I'm the president. Looks more like some encrusting monti to me. Maybe a better picture would help.

 

[blasterman]

Whatever it is.....SPS don't eat reef roids.

 

[calimatty]

If thats a stylo, then I'm the president. Looks more like some encrusting monti to me. Maybe a better picture would help.

WWC called it a Space Jam Stylo so congrats on becoming president lol.

 

[Jack Ravensbergen]

What's the distance between the coral and the light , seems to me it could have a higher place.
I would not raise the nitrate but lower the alk to 7.5/8 , lower it in a week , nine days....

 

[RuuToo]

WWC called it a Space Jam Stylo so congrats on becoming president lol.

Stylophora != Stylocoeniella

Can I be president now?

 

[Garf]

Stylophora != Stylocoeniella

Can I be president now?

Welcome President RuuToo

 

[Jack Ravensbergen]

Stylophora != Stylocoeniella

Can I be president now?

Would you want to?

 

[Jack Ravensbergen]

So a Stylocoeniella does not need a lot of light , but what i wrote about your alk is i think the best option

 

[calimatty]

Whatever it is.....SPS don't eat reef roids.

Really? According to everything I've read they do. What would you recommend that might be better?

So a Stylocoeniella does not need a lot of light , but what i wrote about your alk is i think the best option

Yeah the alk has me thinking (and reading (and sweating a bit too)) but I'm not seeing great, clear info for that. So what is my best option for lowering it? I'm realizing the increase may be because I have started doing smaller water changes 1x a week as opposed to larger changes 1x every other week. Am I on the right track?

 

[Jack Ravensbergen]

Really? According to everything I've read they do. What would you recommend that might be better?

Yeah the alk has me thinking (and reading (and sweating a bit too)) but I'm not seeing great, clear info for that. So what is my best option for lowering it? I'm realizing the increase may be because I have started doing smaller water changes 1x a week as opposed to larger changes 1x every other week. Am I on the right track?

That's always better , one of the worst things for sps is an alk that's not stabil.
Grtz jack

 

[homer1475]

Never knew what a stylocoeniella was. I read stylo, and was thinking stylophora. You learn something new everyday.

No I would not really want to be president!

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is a stylo:

Some of your readings are off.
Alk and mag High, calcium low. Having coral in sandbed will allow sand to get on it and irritate it. Ammonia is elevated and light appears inadequate.
What is needed:
Moderate light and water flow
Temp 77-79
ph 8.1-8.3
salinity 1.025
nitrate < .4
phos < .04
Ammonia < .03
mG 1300
Alk 8-9
CA 440

 

[Rmckoy]

Fish poop is the best coral food .

A little Nitrates and phosphates ,
Stable alk , cal and temp .

 

[Rmckoy]

This is a stylo:

Some of your readings are off.
Alk and mag High, calcium low. Having coral in sandbed will allow sand to get on it and irritate it. Ammonia is elevated and light appears inadequate.
What is needed:
Moderate light and water flow
Temp 77-79
ph 8.1-8.3
salinity 1.025
nitrate < .4
phos < .04
Ammonia < .03
mG 1300
Alk 8-9
CA 440

When I read stylo I thought the same ...
branching ease sps .
the one posted looks like some type of encrusting sps .

 

[Rmckoy]

After battling extremely high phosphates and zero nitrates I stopped reef roids realizing all the food they needed was nutrients and stable conditions ,

 

[calimatty]

I may have used stylo incorrectly. I never heard of stylophora before.
Update: I upped my overall flow and put him in a spot at the bottom where he only get light from the lens on the other side of the tank. Polyps are open and now time will tell if he ends up with better color.

 

[1ocean]

Hi... New York rules... I am a Bronx guy... anyway try a little less light.