Why is my coral not colorful?

LPS, SPS and all coral chat
Post Reply
tortuga9
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 7:55 pm

Why is my coral not colorful?

Post by tortuga9 »

My corals aren't as vibrant as they used to be. Tank's a 40-gallon with AI Prime lighting, running for about a year. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate, 8.2 pH, 1.025 salinity. I do 10% water changes weekly, feed Reef Roids twice a week. Any ideas what's up?
Top
User avatar
Velorum
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2022 6:42 pm

Re: Why is my coral not colorful?

Post by Velorum »

Lighting could be the culprit. AI Primes are solid, but how's your spectrum setup? Corals need the right mix of blues and whites. Also, how old are your bulbs? They lose intensity over time. Check PAR levels if you can.
Top
User avatar
Dusk4t
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2024 8:43 am

Re: Why is my coral not colorful?

Post by Dusk4t »

Yo, same issue here a while back. Turned out my phosphates were creeping up. You got a test kit for that? Even low levels can mess with color. Also, what's your alk at? Stability's key.
Top
User avatar
anglerkid
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2023 7:25 pm

Re: Why is my coral not colorful?

Post by anglerkid »

Dusk4t wrote: ↑Thu Aug 21, 2025 11:35 pm Yo, same issue here a while back. Turned out my phosphates were creeping up. You got a test kit for that? Even low levels can mess with color. Also, what's your alk at? Stability's key.
Good point on phosphates. I'd also look at magnesium. Low mag can make colors dull. What's your dosing routine like?
Top
slymove
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 5:31 pm

Re: Why is my coral not colorful?

Post by slymove »

Ain't no expert, but maybe they're just chillin' too hard. You got flow in there? My stuff perked up when I added a wavemaker. Also, how often you clean the glass? Algae blocking light?
Top
Flyntrek
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 7:48 pm

Re: Why is my coral not colorful?

Post by Flyntrek »

Velorum wrote: ↑Thu Aug 21, 2025 10:57 pm Lighting could be the culprit. AI Primes are solid, but how's your spectrum setup? Corals need the right mix of blues and whites. Also, how old are your bulbs? They lose intensity over time. Check PAR levels if you can.
Second this. Blues at 100%, whites at 20% works for me. And yeah, PAR meter's a game-changer. Borrow one if you can.
Top
User avatar
flair9
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Oct 09, 2024 8:47 pm

Re: Why is my coral not colorful?

Post by flair9 »

Could be trace elements. I started dosing trace and saw a difference in a few weeks. What salt mix you using? Some are leaner than others.
Top
tortuga9
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 7:55 pm

Re: Why is my coral not colorful?

Post by tortuga9 »

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Gonna check phosphates and mag tonight. Lights are about 8 months old, so maybe time to replace. Appreciate the help!
Top
User avatar
Velorum
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2022 6:42 pm

Re: Why is my coral not colorful?

Post by Velorum »

tortuga9 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 22, 2025 5:47 am Thanks for the tips, everyone. Gonna check phosphates and mag tonight. Lights are about 8 months old, so maybe time to replace. Appreciate the help!
No prob. Keep us posted. Oh, and if you're not already, try ramping up your blues gradually. Sudden changes can stress them out.
Top
User avatar
anglerkid
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2023 7:25 pm

Re: Why is my coral not colorful?

Post by anglerkid »

One more thing, tortuga9, how's your temp stability? Fluctuations can cause color loss. Heater working right?
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Corals”