Why the white tips again!!!

[sk8elenex92]

WTH. My acros started to have white tips again. Last time this happened it was for sure due to my alk going over 8 since I run pellets. My alk has been rock solid at 7.1 to 7.3. I would test 2 times a week. Nitrate 0 and Phos 0. Also most of the coral have now lost their vibrant color and look like shiiii. Really pale looking. I don't believe that could be growth. The white part looks way to big to be growth.

 

[maidia]

Stop pellets and raise the Nit and Phos a little..Hope that is the new grow...otherwise STN (look like)

 

[sk8elenex92]

You think to stop pellets? I'm scared to just stop the pellets at one time. Do I have to add any bacteria when taking pellets offline?
I've read maybe I have to clean of a system and I should feed more. I always tried to have as low Phos and N and now it's to low. Crazy. I feed some pellets everyday and then mix of different frozen stuff on Wednesdays and Sunday's.

Why the stn?

 

[anarchy]

Youre starving your tank of nutrients. You never want 0 nitrates or phos. Nitrates 3-5 phos .002 and everything will be happy. Well atleast that would solve the color problem. As far as the white tips not sure itd fix that but very possible

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[sk8elenex92]

How do you recommend that I raise the levels. Just feed some more?

 

[anarchy]

Remove pellets and see how that does. If the levels dont go up on their own then feed more. If nitrates dont go up then dose sodium nitrate

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[Sparky312]

Yeah if you want to raise levels just dose nitrate since "feeding more" is too vague and hard to quantify. For sure read up on it before you embark on anything long term, but you won't damage anything by bumping nitrates to 5.

The biopellets thing I have no idea about though so can't weigh in

 

[madjoe]

Told u those stupid pellets do more harm then good drop em like a bad habbit . I know few people run em with no issues but i know a lot more people had major issues

 

[troublemaker]

Told u those stupid pellets do more harm then good drop em like a bad habbit . I know few people run em with no issues but i know a lot more people had major issues

Pellets seem to work great in a very small window of parameters. I have not used them, but did enough research on them to know my tank isnt stable enough for them to be effective without calateral issues. I am a dinosaur and still believe in Chaeto and Macro Algaes, so what do I know.

But was you have going on looks to be Alk related.

 

[Paulip]

Stopping pellets would cause a an upward "shock" in nutrients which is not really a negative thing. If you feed a lot of fish, just watch for dangerous ammonia levels.

Obviously, you should take the pellets out of the water because there will be a die off in bacteria. It will probably take just a few days for the bacteria to recolonize your rocks to bring about equilibrium.

Worst thing that could happen, GHA.

I do the same thing for purigen and GFO becuase I want some algae for my inverts. And when I get the algae, I get neurotic, start scrubbing rocks and put everything back online.

 

[sk8elenex92]

Damn you Joe I guess I should have taken them down the first time you told me ha. Why do you always have to be right. Lol. Agh really hating this tank my 60 cube was perfect. Ahhhhhh. About to sell this shit and dump all the money for a motor rebuild. Rotary fun!! But I do enjoy this stupid hobby. Lol. Why who knows.
I don't know where to start tho. Just take pellets offline right away all at once and do noting else? Or try to dose that nitrate whatever it is. That sounds crazy to dose nitrates. Hahah. Would never think that would have been an option.

 

[madjoe]

Pellets seem to work great in a very small window of parameters. I have not used them, but did enough research on them to know my tank isnt stable enough for them to be effective without calateral issues. I am a dinosaur and still believe in Chaeto and Macro Algaes, so what do I know.

But was you have going on looks to be Alk related.

Lol the problem with bp is they work to good and theres a fine line between perfect and craaaash its like playing with dynamite anywho it is a sign of alk issues but if he wasnt running bio pellets he probably wouldnt even be having issues ive had my alk as high as 16 and low as 5. But when u run nutrients that low anything over 7 can devastate a reef so gives u smaller window of error with alk as with a dirty tank with no bp ive ran a tank at 11 with no issues i now run at like 8.5 just seems my tank responds well to that number . Your dinasour ways r the beat ways just run a fuge and call it a day run a good enough fuge and u can toss your test kits away just keep alk and calcium

 

[Sawdonkey]

Well, I'm in the minority and really like using pellets and have for over two years. The key is not using too many. I use about 300ml of pellets for 250 gallons of water or so. This is probably 1/3 of what the package recommends. I use them as a crutch to keep nutient low, but not as the total solution. How much pellets are you running. You could always pull some of the pellets, but not all.

And yes, those white tips are not growth, they are burnt. The white color on the other corallites is also burn. I would guess, like others here, that this is a combo of low nutrients, high alk, or too bright light.

Dosing anything? I saw similar burn when I briefly dosed peroxide.

 

[reefer chris]

Told u those stupid pellets do more harm then good drop em like a bad habbit . I know few people run em with no issues but i know a lot more people had major issues

I love my pellets but you have to dose heavy to keep up with them ...I dose Acro power and reef energy A+B everyday and feed very well

 

[madjoe]

I love my pellets but you have to dose heavy to keep up with them ...I dose Acro power and reef energy A+B everyday and feed very well

And thats why i said a fine line if u stop dosing what your dosing see what happens to your tank . They can work like i said but its playing with fire hopefully yours works out but for me and my busy life i wont use em any way people learn hard way so idk why i even waste my time answering stuff

 

[sk8elenex92]

Looks like it getting worse. Agh wtf. So should I just pull the pellets off line. I dose alk and calcium with a pump. also Acro power twice a week. Three cap fulls. As far as I know there has not been any alk spikes. Always steady. Low at 7.2 7.3. Also don't think it's to much light. It's in the sand bed at around 260 par. My red digi and stylo are the only things that look good.

Blah.

 

[chewal]

I would take them off line I had the same problem with pellets tank turned around in about 3 weeks

 

[troublemaker]

What does it hurt to try to wean your tank down to a lower amount of pellets? I know nothing about the subject, but you seem to be getting the same response over and over. I don't think anyone is telling you to stop using the pellets, just to lower the amount being used and see if things improve.

 

[Sparky312]

Yeah you don't have much to lose at this point. Reduce at least, or stop completely. That piece looks like a goner, if other stuff looks bad too, well, the trend is down

 

[EricTheRed]

In the short-term, you might want to reduce your light cycle a bit until they start coming back. I agree with all of the above regarding pellets starving them.