Purple Bonsai browning out a bit..thoughts?

[ashr]

hey all

Looking for some help. This is one of my fav corals but I have had to change the way it faced in my tank a couple weeks ago. It was turned the opposite way that it is facing now. The back of it, where less light got to was always pretty tan/not super bright. But now that I changed the way it faces it is turning brown on the one side.

Nothing else is really browning out except for a purple arco that I had to frag and it is starting to color up again.

Thoughts?

Calc 440
Alk 8-9
Mag 1450
S/G 1.26
Phos 0.19 (a little high)

[LoJack]

Yeah its the phosphates. I've found with my SPS, the purple corals are your indicators for your phosphates. That, and diatoms on monti cap rims … those two things always trigger me to test if I see them.

The worst part about the bonsai, it takes a day to fade to brown … it takes a month of perfect water to bring it back, if you're lucky.

FWIW the coral in the photo doesn't appear to be a purple bonsai. It's definitely from the valida family, which is where the bonsai is too, but doesn't appear to have the polyp shape that the purple bonsai usually has. I could definitely just be plain wrong, but something looks off. Its a gorgeous piece though, much nicer than my purple bonsai frag thats only grown about an inch over an entire year lol.

[LoJack]

I did want to say good job, other than phosphates (which are the easiest to wander IMO) you have awesome param's, and the coral in your pics look super healthy.

I'm still tinkering with my levels because I failed to adjust my two part to take into account increased growth … and over time, what I was dosing wasn't high enough for what the tank was consuming.

I've slowly been increasing it, and I can already see negative affects of the variation. I know they'll snap back, but SPS are so finicky and yet the corals in your pics have clearly grown a lot and look really great!

[ashr]

You make a great point. I have been battling high PHOS for sometime now.. I even had it at .40 at one high.. Whoa.. But I have been rinsing my meaty foods and I am running full chaeto.

Trying to do bigger water changes as well. Everything else looks pretty good though.

[ashr]

My other purple bonsai or arco is doing great though

[LoJack]

Holy Forest Fire batman! What a beauty!

I manage phosphates with chaeto as well for the most part. If something looks off, or one of my indicator corals tips me off to excess phosphates, I just throw about a quarter of a cup of gfo in a reactor and run it for a few days.

I never want to strip the water immediately overnight. So if I use a small amount, my phosphates will wittle away over the course of about a week and everything seems to bounce back

[ashr]

I have never used GFO. I use ROWAPhos and Chemi-pure elite.
I should change up my RowaPhos tonight and do a water change.

I will test my PHOS agaon wioth my Hanna checker.

I also did buy SeaChem Phosguard but I have not used it yet.. Not really sure the amount to use or the best way to use it.


I run my Rowaphos in a TLF 150 reactor.

[LoJack]

Originally Posted by ashr

I have never used GFO. I use ROWAPhos and Chemi-pure elite.
I should change up my RowaPhos tonight and do a water change.

I will test my PHOS agaon wioth my Hanna checker.

I also did buy SeaChem Phosguard but I have not used it yet.. Not really sure the amount to use or the best way to use it.


I run my Rowaphos in a TLF 150 reactor.

I can't really help there. I've only ever used GFO and Chemi-Pure elite for phos removal.

I like GFO because its cheap, easy and reliable. And as long as you don't use a ridiculously large amount, it doesn't affect your Kh

Just remember not to strip it immediately, or strip it right to 0. Studies are showing that phosphates of about .02 are providing the best SPS coloration, and anything less the corals will starve and fade.

[ashr]

No worries.

I would like to keep my phos around .02 or so anyways. I have also read that you don't want it right at 0.00

Thanks for your info though, good stuff