Green Acro turning brown

[dannyv]

One of my green acro colonies are turning brown and all my parameters are fine. The only thing I can think of is I switch bulbs for a 14k to 12k could this be the problem?

[ErikH]

It may lose color due to the K change, possibly raise the colony up a few inches?

[barderer]

are you sure your temps are still good?

[Ping]

Increases in Phosphates cause corals to brown. Is this coral just the first coral to show signs of this? I speak from experience. Just one possibility.

[dannyv]

This is the first coral to show signs, all my others are fine. I have a fudge with mangroves,Chaetomorpha and a 7 inch sand bed. Everything seems fine just this one acro turning brown i guess it's my new bulbs i changed out on Monday from a 14k's to 12k 's reeflux.

[SoLiD]

You may need to add a Phosphate Reactor of some sort to remove your phosphates. They sneak in there in more ways than you can imagine. Most of us here have seen an improvement to our systems since adding one to our tank\systems (I'm referring everyone using a phosphate reactor in general).

BTW: I don't know anyone who has a TRUE reading of ZERO phosphates. They are in there, the only question is how much there are. Just ask Brian Jackson aka GreenMako. He has a meter that told him that he has\had something like 0.04 phosphates in his water. HTH

-David

[dannyv]

Thanks for the reply guys especially David. It looks like it’s time to invest in a phosphate reactor and run some Rowaphos.

[SoLiD]

No problem, but I think Peter aka Ping was the one who mentioned it. :thumbs_up:

[JeffCo]

In my opinion a phosphate reactor is not necessary unless you have a very big fish load. Don't get me wrong, it does help, but really not necessary if you do regular water changes. Is the colony a wild colony? They are usually pretty sensitive and will go back to brown if something is changed like the bulb K.

[Bill S]

I fight high nitrates & high phosphates, and the resultant bryopsis. My corals are, as others will attest, pretty nice...

[tropicana]

Im not trying to Hijack, But Most of my SPS are brownish as well. I checked out all my levels and I get:

Nitrates: 20ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Salinity 1.0245
Alkalinity: est 250ppm
PH about 8.4
Phosphate reading 0 but Unsure if its slightly a tiny bit

Temps stay at 79-81 never higher or lower and fluctuate from the 79 to 81 from 3pm - 9pm it hits the 81 or so around 9-9:15 then the chiller comes on and keeps it constant until the lights go off then it gets to 79 around 12. It never fluctuates more or less though.

I dont think theres much else in why. I use the B-ionic 2part but shame on me for not testing for Calc.... I need to buy a new test kit this weekend :S

Maybe you have the same Issue, I think my Calcium to Alkalinity is off... I wish I could get a little more training on this stuff. Maybe someone would like to come out to Canyon lake One of these weekends and give me a good briefing of SPS.... Or I could swing by and get some help with someone :/ I need to learn a bit more about it before I kill everything haha.