Help GSP fading/bleaching

[younglcy]

My GSP seem to be fading. They've been in the tank (with some snails and crabs and 2 peppermint shrimp) for a little over a week with great polyp extension and they seem pretty happy otherwise. Tank has only been up for 5 weeks and isn't completely cycled yet. GSP is currently sitting on the bottom of the tank (about 20" down), in good flow, under 2 new 36" VHO bulbs (one atinic and one aquasun). Usually keep lights on during daylight hours (8-5:30). Do these coral need more or less light, or any other suggestions??!!??

Temp: 80
Ph: 8.3
SG: 1.026
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 1
Nitrate: 15-20
PO4: 0.75
Alk: 13-14
Ca: 460

Started skimmer 2 days ago, but not much bio load yet. Running carbon and cheato. Tank is 75 gal., plus 100 gal. in sump and fuge.

[cabbage0709]

First i would like to say im no expert. But what i would do is a good 20% water change and see how they are doing after that. This will hopefully bring your trates and trites down to 0. Since you said that your cycle wasnt quite finished, that might have to do with a lot of it.

Like you asked, they may need more light also. The gsp i have in my tank are about 10" from the light and they are rockin.

As said before, im no expert but i just thought i would give my novice knowledge on it. Goodluck!

[papagimp]

First, Let the tank finish cycling. Since you rushed it and stuck livestock in a toxic, non-cycle completed system, that could have alot to do with it. May also just be adjusting to your lighting, flow, overall setup. A change in color is not that uncommon. Less lighting over them and their likely to darken up some anyways. I keep mine under loads of lighting and very good flow, keep em extending and happy, and a nice green color to em. Unlike a frag from the same colony kept under a typical flourescent bulb in my 20g tank, they appear brown all the time, hardly any green to em at all.

fwiw, I've had GSP's survive far worse water conditions with very little noticeable stress to em.

Don't add any more livestock AT All until the tank has finished it's cycle, that includeds snails, fish, and corals and anything else that's ALIVE. Be patient, it's worth the wait. Alk also seems a tad high for what your Ca is sitting at. Are you dosing for that at all? If so, stop until the levels lower a little.

Other than that, off to an okay start, just keep an eye on water quality, learn some patience, maybe stick the GSp's up a little higher towards the lights if they don't improve soon.

[papagimp]

Originally posted by cabbage0709
First i would like to say im no expert. But what i would do is a good 20% water change and see how they are doing after that. This will hopefully bring your trates and trites down to 0.

Not with just a 20% change. It'll probably take a few of those to lower the nitrates that much. But since you have nitrites showing up with livestock in the tank, do the water change and keep nitrites and ammonia at zero at the least.

[Reeferhead]

Do you know what lighting they are coming from? They are likely just adjusting to your lights. You can play around with them and move them around a bit or cut them in half a put one up high and one down low to see how the light effects them. Don't worry, if you can kill GSPs then its time to join Delta Force

[younglcy]

I knew I'd take some heat for introducing stuff so early, but GARF sent it to me for free along with my order of reef janitors. I think the high Alk levels are probably due to the base rock I'm using. I started with 200 plus pounds of dead marcorocks and they are probably still leaching something. I've done a couple of 20 gal. water changes since the tank's been up and will probably do another one at the end of the week. I have no plans to add anything else until the tank's fully cycled and broken in. I'll try moving the GSP colony up a few inches and see if that works; besides the color, it seems pretty happy (even with crabs trekking all over it). Thanks for the quick replies.