Getting the growth...now want the color (SPS)

[Reefomeez]

Since I've been paying close, intimate attention to my water chemistry (read: testing every day for 2 weeks) and dosing accordingly I've been getting really great growth on my SPS. It's been a really rewarding thing to see. Now most of my SPS has pretty good color but I know it can get better. My water is good...still dialing it in but holding CA around 425 and Alk around 8.0 (want to get this to 8.5 or 9 and then hold). My nitrate is at 0 and phosphates at 0.01 and I'm wondering if this is where it needs to get better. My skimmer is well oversized for the tank so it keeps my water really clean and I'm thinking too clean. I have Oyster Feast I can use to broadcast feed but don't know if this would be the best for feeding SPS.

Lighting: 4x24watt 2x B+ & 2x P+
Bioload: 3 fish (melanarus wrasse, candy hogfish, yellow-eye kole tang) They get fed pellets 2x day and then arctipods/spirulina brine in the afternoon. I'm planning on adding 1 or 2 clowns at some point in the next couple of months. I also feed Fauna Marin LPS food to my LPS twice a week. My nems (3) get shrimp cuts every other day.

So, to get better color, any suggestions on food specifically for my sticks (and frequency)? Anything else I should be trying to get them as colored up as possible?

 

[SchnitzelReef]

I broadcast feed oyster feast and Roti feast at least once or twice a week


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[Six2seven]

I used to never feed my corals. Since I've started I've been mixing it up with oysterfeast and phytofeast. Slight improvement in color. Nothing significant in a month


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[Reefomeez]

I broadcast feed oyster feast and Roti feast at least once or twice a week


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Cool...gonna start doing this. I love it when I already have something I can use! So rare in this hobby...

I used to never feed my corals. Since I've started I've been mixing it up with oysterfeast and phytofeast. Slight improvement in color. Nothing significant in a month


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I'm okay with slow. The color they have now has taken time and I don't mind that. I just want them to eventually look really good. I'm actually impressed with the color so far considering it's very recently that I started tracking Alk/Ca and since I have T5 only.

How much per gallon are you guys feeding? How long do you leave your skimmer off? I know they generally feed at night but I'm planning on breaking that habit so I get to watch...any suggestions here?

 

[wickedfish]

You can also spot feed. Just try to do it lightly so it falls on their polyps. If you blast em they won't eat.

Feeding your coral is good. Since your skimmer is over sized the fish pooopooo isn't as diverse in nurturing as some other ingredients you could add like the oyster feast, or reef roids, or coral frenzy, etc. .01 phosphate is fine. As long as its .01>

 

[Assyrian fish guy]

How do you keep your no3 at zero? I don't have a problem with my po4 but no3 is either 2 or 5 on the salifert test kit ( can't really tell between the two colors). I dosing vodka twice a day. .09 ml in the AM and .09 in the PM.

 

[SchnitzelReef]

My nitrates are always very very low. Dosing vodka, and a beast skimmer. Easiest way


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[Assyrian fish guy]

I have a good skimmer too, but I try to skim a very dark green. I am scared of over skimming.

How much vodka do you dose a day?

 

[SchnitzelReef]

I dose 3ml a day. 200g system


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[wickedfish]

How do you keep your no3 at zero? I don't have a problem with my po4 but no3 is either 2 or 5 on the salifert test kit ( can't really tell between the two colors). I dosing vodka twice a day. .09 ml in the AM and .09 in the PM.

That's good actually. 2-5 nitrate is agreeable to Sps.

 

[Assyrian fish guy]

That's good actually. 2-5 nitrate is agreeable to Sps.

A if you say it's good, than that's good by me.

 

[Reefomeez]

I haven't had anything above 0 Nitrates in over a year. Once I added my skimmer and HOB fuge I stopped getting any readings on my nitrates. Phosphates were at 0.15 at one point but I used Brightwell Phosphat-E to bring them down and they've stayed at 0.01 since. No dosing vodka or anything else. They're so low that my chaeto grows really slow.

I'm going to plan on broadcast feeding with Oyster feast and either Phytofeast or Rotifeast. Since the water gets so clean I'll probably feed twice a week and generously.

Since I'll need to buy Phytofeast or Rotifeast, is there something else you'd recommend me buy besides these? Like Coral Smoothie, etc.? I also have Roggers Food which could feed the fish and coral. Basically I want to get the best food for my coral so what's your input there?

Should I just follow the directions on them and cut the amount in half since I'll be using two foods or go with the whole amount for both? Would you mix the foods or feed one once and then the other a few days later?

 

[SchnitzelReef]

For me, I just squeeze a whole bunch in. But if ur tank is smaller u might want to be careful doing that


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[wickedfish]

A if you say it's good, than that's good by me.

Just keep it lower than 5 stable. I think 2-5 is ideal. Obviously if you can feed like crazy and get 0 then you are like a reef god. Or you're doing the vodka precisely right.

When I did vodka I fed like a maniac and had 0 everything but I see better coloring now with no vodka and a bit less food.

 

[watchguy123]

I think color takes the longest to maximize once parameters are dialed.in . Like months , sometimes lots and lots of months, anywhere up to a year. Personally, I just feed my fish and I don't use carbon dosing, been there , done that, lived through a crash. Now slow and simple, regular water changes , good skimmer and manage parameters.

 

[cymaster007]

^ colors take time & stability. and if you are like me and keep putting your hand in the tank, 5 min of my hand in the tank usually= 2 more weeks for coral to color up ...

 

[Reefomeez]

Thanks everyone...really good insight here. :cheers: