What could cause browning

J

Jarretk1

Premium Member
So everything in my tank has browned out and its driving me crazy. 90 gallons with 2-14k halide bulbs (replaced april 1st), and 2-96w power compacts (a 460nm bulb and a 10k-460nm split bulb) that were replaces june 1st. All parameters check out, 8.3ph, 0 nitrites and nitrates, phosphates 0 but have been around .1 at times, calcium-480, dkh-11, magnesium-1550. I thought the problem could have been constant swings in dkh because I was letting it get down to 6 then dosing up to 11 then back to 6 and so on, but I have been keeping it steady at 10 or 11 for a while. Guy at the LFS tries to tell me that I should get LED and scrap the halides but I know they are tried and true so that shouldn't be it. He also tells me I could have to much blue with the 14k halides but I just think hes trying to sell me LED's. I know someone that had good luck with Red Sea Coral Color program so I thought I would try that but I am hoping yall can give me some more advice on what could be wrong. Pictures are of a true montipora undata that should be purple, lunar eclipse paly's, and my RBTA (this angers me the most) Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
 
Your alk is to high lower it to around 9 dkh and keep it there.

Keep it stable for couple months and brown will change back.. Zeovit makes a product that will remove the brown but use it very sparingly as it will bleach your sps

Also how long are you light on...you might have them on too long
 
Too blue is definately not it, but it does take a while to get good colors sometimes. As far as LEDs I'll never go back to halides, I would give it some time and perhaps a few more water changes. Typically feeding amino/SPS food is a remedy for pale coral not brown. I know it's difficult sometimes but give it some time and change things slowly.
 
PC are on from 9am-9pm and the halides are on from 12-8. Palys have gone from 5 heads to 10 heads over 6 months but thats the most growth out of anything.
franklypre- what do you mean by amino/sps food
 
The leading edge of that Undata will turn purple as it grows out. Magnesium is pretty high, so I'd lower that as well as your alkalinity.

What distance are your lights to the water of the surface? What's the tank temperature running lately?
 
The undata is growing out a bit but looks like its growing out brown but I will take a closer look. As for the lights a temperature about 5 inches above water surface and temp stays a bit high. One of my pumps runs really hot because the tank stays around 79 with no heater running and a fan above the sump. Ill avoid dosing the alkalinity and mag for a week or so.
 
Any thoughts on Carbon. Just talked to someone and they thought I might have some sort of bad organic compund and that running carbon could strip that out and help with the browning. I run rowaphos already so by my thought I could just add in the carbon to strip the organics and the rowaphose will strip what is left behind from the carbon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top