Minimal growth, colors fading and cyano growing? Need help

[luxauterna]

Hey everyone,

So I have been experiencing some crappy things with my corals. I have been testing twice a week. I use RO/DI mixed with BRS Kalk with my ATO. Check out my build thread for the progression.

Basics:
125 gal DT with 35 gal sump
SWC 160 skimmer
BRS GFO reactor with BRS GFO
fuge in the sump with macro
Reef Radiance Lumentek Pro 240 - Ramps up and down with mostly blues on dawn - dusk for 14 hr photo period. The beginning and ending 2 hours are very low % blues.
(2) 39w T5 (ATI coral plus) - comes on for 1 hour at peak sunlight period (this was turned down from 3 hours)

4 Bicolor Chromis
1 Sailfin Blenny
2 Urchins
Mixture of snails and crabs

Test Results:
Nitrate = 0
DKH = 9
PH = 7.8 ( this has been the same since the beginning of the tank . always low )
Calcium = 440
Mag = 1340


So the LPS seems to be maintaining, no growth but colors are remaining. My gorgs are doing great. My SPS and zoas however are not doing so well.

My red monti has turned from red to pink and is bleaching in the middle but growing on the edges (although still pink) . The birdsnests and digi montis aren't growing at all. PE is fine, colors are fading or gone and growth is non-existent.

No coralline algae growth, but plenty of brown algae dusting on the glass daily.

And in the last 3 weeks there has been an onslaught of the beginning stages of cyano going across the sand bed. I have battled it, siphoned it and been testing. Once the cyano began I switched out the GFO again and I cleared out some of the macro in the sump to encourage growth from that but cyano has just continued.

I am wondering if a lot of it is my lighting?

Before Pics

Current pics

Thanks everyone,
Ryan

 

[nmohr6]

Check your phosphates if you can.

 

[luxauterna]

I don't like to test for phosphates when I am getting algae growth because I know the number with the API test isn't going to be accurate. I will do it just to have it as well though

 

[brandon429]

Undoubtedly the first step in a bleaching event or even heading that way is to lessen light intensity vs the mode you'd choose with colonies of large healthy sps growth in no bleaching times

Time to ramp down on lights any degree that is lesser, it will help them darken. Your pics didn't look bad but perhaps you had other corals indicating some zoox loss or expelling due to stressors.

If your tank was mine I'd lower light, not have high alk again as in production mode, you are arresting a mini El Niño event kinda, and I'd increase spot feeding to each coral using best and diverse frozen feeds, as in roti pods and or rods coral or some blenderized cyclopeeze and mysis, primo feeds.

Increase water change work removing cyano each time and whatever else of the optional cyano methods you want, sustain 3 mos

Wanna see a neat reference thread on a mini sps model doing your El Niño

This is more amazing than what I was expecting, it's a tiny little sps setup and sequence pics from poster Holy carp at our friends nano-reef.com

Forcing an sps tank into compliance by finesse and water changes and feeding. Purely focusing on one frags rebound, the others in tow

A direct fix for your cyano, again work heavy but the best investment of effort possible, is linked in the thread

You'll have more work to do since tank is 80 gallons larger lol, but then again you can keep some nice fish in that much space~
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/366223-how-do-i-understand-my-water/

 

[luxauterna]

API phosphates test reading 0 I don't think that is accurate though since I am getting cyano growth in the DT

 

[brandon429]

I would scoop up a handful of substrate underwater, bring it up to surface and put into a cup of known zero clean test sw, swirl it all and then retest for any trace po4 after the test cup sits for a day to release a little

Sandbeds in larger tanks nearly have to have some due to detritus that hasn't been removed or broken down yet, that could be one potential source of cyano nutrient