What am I doing wrong??

[Daddy-o]

My Disney looks like this:

And I want it to look more like this

Is it lighting spectrum, nutrients or??
Cheers! Mark

 

[tsouth]

Can you please share your lighting, lighting spectrum, parameters, and/or give us an idea of your nutrient levels?

Also, did it ever look like the second picture and it gradually faded or?

 

[DivingTheWorld]

I agree pic #1 looks unhappy, but pic #2 looks a bit unrealistic (dare I say photoshopped?)... IMO this is what a full spectrum WD should look like:

 

[Daddy-o]

It had pretty good colors a year or so ago under a MarsAqua 300w. Then I changed out to a 6 bulb T5 fixture. I ran the following tubes:
2x actinic
2x 10,000k
2x 6,500k
I wasnt happy with that so at xmas I swapped to running:
4x 6,500k
2x actinic
Tank still didnt grow well so a couple weeks ago I added a ReefBright blue Led and last week swapped 2 of the 6,500 tubes for 2 ATI Coral Plus (15,000k)

 

[Daddy-o]

This is an actual picture of a frag from my colony that another reefer is growing. So my colony has the ability to be a lot nicer?

 

[Daddy-o]

KH = 11.5
Nitrates 15

 

[jda]

Forget about the color, that WD looks pretty bad in the first photo. I would step back and exam all of your parameters and stuff. Forget about PE... there is nothing and the skin looks thin. WD should be hairy even with nippers in the tank - this is a hairy coral. Are you sure that is legit WD? I would expect more pronounced radial corallites, but corals can grow weird when they are small.

First, if you want solid acropora, then get that dKh down to about 8, although 7 would be better. Keep the calcium at 425 and find a way to dose so that it is rock solid. Calibrate your refractometer and check your heater using something with mercury in it. I would keep your N near 5 and P detectable, but low (like .03 to .05, or so) - don't chase if you are close to this.

Once you get all of this figured out, you do need some trick lights to make WD look like the photoshopped pics, but your reef bar should take care of that.

 

[T-J]

In additiona to what @jda said, I'd like to add that it seems you've swapped/modified your lights no less than 3 times in the past 6 months. That's a lot of lighting changes in a short time. Perhaps that has something to do with it? I know light changes are supposed to be very gradual.
Just a thought.

 

[jda]

Chaning T5 bulbs is usually less dramatic than moving a LED in the slightest amount. I would not sweat this. Many people change all of them at once at regular intervals and nothing misses a beat. People are right to heed the advice not to mess with LEDs all that much, but T5 and MH are not as big of a deal.

 

[Reefer40b]

I agree pic #1 looks unhappy, but pic #2 looks a bit unrealistic (dare I say photoshopped?)... IMO this is what a full spectrum WD should look like:

100% that's exactly how it should look! Great picture!

 

[stephj03]

Have you had any nutrient imbalances/bottom outs?

I had several corals look like this and slowly waste away during a recent N defeciency.

Is it like this with a lot of your Acros?

Keep in mind you've used a lot of full spectrum light lately. Tenuis don't pop as well under those, but they should still grow like weeds.

Best T5 color is prob gonna come from blue+, purple +, coral + type bulbs with an LED bar for accent.hth

 

[Daddy-o]

Thanks for the input everybody!

First, if you want solid acropora, then get that dKh down to about 8, although 7 would be better.

Is high alk. causing this?

 

[jda]

Not likely on it's own, but it might with a conglomeration of other things.

 

[BAUCE]

You sell frags of your WD really cheap over on the other forum right? any pests in the tank?

 

[Daddy-o]

You sell frags of your WD really cheap over on the other forum right? any pests in the tank?

Havent sold any WD in a long time - no pests! I really think the problem started when I went below 10,000K on the T5s. The whole tank took on a real ugly look. My game plan going forward:

1- Change last 2 T5s from 6500k to Coral Plus 15,000k
2- Use the last of my Red Sea Coral Pro salt and swap to blue bucket to get DKH down a bit.
---Nutrients may have bottomed at the beginning of the pandemic so
3- Feed fish twice a day instead of once (over 40 fish)
4- I have a whole bottle of aminos so will dose every day.
5- Continue feeding Oyster Feast that I started last week.
6- Keep up on GFO ( I let the reactor run for a month or more without changing)
Once I get the Dkh down, then I will work more on nitrate reduction.

Sound like a good plan??
Cheers! Mark

 

[Daddy-o]

This is the last frag that found a new home. It was in my frag tank which shares the same water but has different lighting.

 

[BAUCE]

1. cant hurt
2. can use acid buffer or muriatic acid to drop kh. Just make sure to wait a few days for it to mix so the ph can raise back up.
3. ok
4. I wouldnt do it every day. Follow directions on bottle or even do at half of their dose.
5. ok just watch nutrients
6. I dont use gfo so no comment

 

[Reefer40b]

You mention your nutrients bottoming out so why are you using GFO. My advice never use it and save money.. Also I think doing lower Alk would help a lot with your Acros and also save you money again win win!

As far as amino's or anything extra I wouldn't be doing right now, focus on the main ALK, CA MAG and feed fish.

 

[Daddy-o]

1. cant hurt
2. can use acid buffer or muriatic acid to drop kh. Just make sure to wait a few days for it to mix so the ph can raise back up.
3. ok
4. I wouldnt do it every day. Follow directions on bottle or even do at half of their dose.
5. ok just watch nutrients
6. I dont use gfo so no comment

My salt mixes at 11-12 DKH (Red Sea Coral Pro) so I dont really want to add acid to drop only to have it go up with water changes.

 

[Daddy-o]

You mention your nutrients bottoming out so why are you using GFO. My advice never use it and save money.. Also I think doing lower Alk would help a lot with your Acros and also save you money again win win!

As far as amino's or anything extra I wouldn't be doing right now, focus on the main ALK, CA MAG and feed fish.

Well when I measured phosphate last week it was at .2