Vibrant and SPS

blebs · Apr 12, 2018

I was considering using vibrant to get rid of some turf algae ive been dealing with too long.

I used peroxide and it worked wonders, but the algae slowly creeping back on certain rocks.

Anyone have issues with sps bleaching/paling??

drawman · Apr 12, 2018

blebs said:
I was considering using vibrant to get rid of some turf algae ive been dealing with too long.

I used peroxide and it worked wonders, but the algae slowly creeping back on certain rocks.

Anyone have issues with sps bleaching/paling??

I've never used it in an SPS tank but it is good at knocking down NO3 so I would watch this closely so you don't bottom out. Hopefully others can comment on their experiences.

blebs · Apr 15, 2018

nobody used vibrant with their acros?

AdamNC · Apr 15, 2018

I’ve used it with no issues to sps. Just start light and build them up to it.

Mrod · Apr 15, 2018

I had a terrible experience with loss of several coral after just a short period trying it. That being said a lot of people claim it works and my tank is also small and no skimmer. If you have a skimmer and a bigger tank maybe you will be fine but I suggest you go very slow and dose less than recommended at first if you try.

USMC 4 LIFE · Apr 15, 2018

I used it on two tanks.

Tank 1:
20g with no sump or skimmer
Tank had tons of bubble algae
Mainly LPS with two montis
Dose 2ml twice a week. Bubble algae was completely gone after two months. No issues with corals or inverts. Pod population was sustained as well.

Tank 2:
90g with skimmer (rates for 280g) and refugium sump.
SPS dominate (acros)
Dosed heavy as well (10ml twice a week)
Cheato was removed when dosing was started. Vibrant removed the Bubble algae in three months but all the corals looked like crap. Alive but I had no polyp extension and some corals changed color slightly. Growth also slowed down considerably. Did a 80% water change when I was done dosing and added cheato again to the refugium. Acros bounced back in two days. Polyp extension was great even during the day. Growth and color is slowing coming back. Also had a very bad case of cyano. Film algae was non existent during dosing of vibrant which worries me because I think I may have bottomed out on phosphate which could have attributed to the corals acting and looking the way they did.

I wouldn’t hesitate to use it. Works well and does what it’s suppose to do! But.....watch your tank closely

TexasReefer82 · Apr 16, 2018

I used vibrant successfully to knock out Dino's. However it never fully killed off the hair algae, although it did knock it back a lot. Overall I do recommend the product.

However, as previously said, vibrant will bottom out your nitrates and phosphates! Especially with SPS my recommendation is to test regularly for both of these (weekly) during use of vibrant and dose both nitrates and phosphates whenever needed to maintain levels at 5ppm and 0.05ppm, respectively. They should be raised to these levels before vibrant is started as well.

Bottoming out one or both of those nutrients for any length of time can seriously skunk your acropora, and it can takes months of correct nutrient levels for them to recover.

TexasReefer82 · Apr 16, 2018

I might recommend vibrant + fluconazole + 3 day blackout for the turf algae. Just hit it from all directions at once.

Waters · Apr 16, 2018

I had RTN on a bunch of Acros after using it, but it was my own fault. As other stated, it bottoms our your nutrients.........they recommended to me to dose nitrates while using Vibrant, which I wasn't doing. That said, it did wipe out my Gorgonians in another tank (3 separate, healthy colonies). Not sure if they are sensitive to Vibrant or if it was just bad luck.

Graffiti Spot · Apr 16, 2018

The best thing for turf algae is Mexican turbo snails. I doubt anything will get rid of turf algae completley.

DougBouma · Oct 7, 2018

TexasReefer82 said:
I used vibrant successfully to knock out Dino's. However it never fully killed off the hair algae, although it did knock it back a lot. Overall I do recommend the product.

However, as previously said, vibrant will bottom out your nitrates and phosphates! Especially with SPS my recommendation is to test regularly for both of these (weekly) during use of vibrant and dose both nitrates and phosphates whenever needed to maintain levels at 5ppm and 0.05ppm, respectively. They should be raised to these levels before vibrant is started as well.

Bottoming out one or both of those nutrients for any length of time can seriously skunk your acropora, and it can takes months of correct nutrient levels for them to recover.

How would you recommend increasing the phosphates? More feeding? I have a 260 display and two 110 gallon dumps and a 70 gallon spa all connected.

MTBake · Oct 7, 2018

DougBouma said:
How would you recommend increasing the phosphates? More feeding? I have a 260 display and two 110 gallon dumps and a 70 gallon spa all connected.

I would dose phosphates. You can make up a mix with trisodium phosphate and ro/di water. Or buy a ready to go phosphate additive. Like Brightwell Neophos. Trisodium phosphate is readily available on Amazon. I use the Loudwolf brand, if you do decide to make a solution.

DougBouma · Oct 7, 2018

Yes, I will buy it now, what is the dosage on it?

TexasReefer82 · Oct 7, 2018

MTBake said:
I would dose phosphates. You can make up a mix with trisodium phosphate and ro/di water. Or buy a ready to go phosphate additive. Like Brightwell Neophos. Trisodium phosphate is readily available on Amazon. I use the Loudwolf brand, if you do decide to make a solution.

Agreed. You can try increased feeding... Many people say that works for them... But it does nothing for me. I dose phosphate with a planted tank product called Activate by AquaVitro.

MTBake · Oct 7, 2018

DougBouma said:
Yes, I will buy it now, what is the dosage on it?

I use this link for a calculator. Just plug in your numbers and it'll tell you how to make the solution.

I also use this calculator for making a nitrate solution as well. I use reactor grade sodium nitrate from Amazon. It's sold by Shor on Amazon's website.

Calculator link;
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

MTBake · Oct 7, 2018

I add 2 grams of trisodium phosphate to 250ml of ro/di water. Adding 1ml of this solution to my 40gal system increases my phosphates by .04ppm. I use a Hanna ulr phosphorus checker for testing phosphates.

DougBouma · Oct 7, 2018

Dang, thank you man!! This helps a lot!

MTBake · Oct 7, 2018

And I'm also dosing Vibrant into my SPS reef at an aggressive dose. I follow the dosage amount but am dosing every 3 days right now. I did notice a slight paling of some coral but they're bouncing back nicely. I check nitrate and phosphate levels every other day.