Lightened SPS colours

[tamama]

I am using the DD salt and the DD test kits, very common I believe. Now the salt is almost used up for the bucket.

[Jamie @ Vertex]

I seriously doubt this is a salt problem. There are really only two items that may cause a general bleaching of all corals; lighting or lack of nutrients. If only certain corals are effected, then it may be a specific element, such as potassium with Montipora, which shows itself as paled, burnt growth points.

If you calcium is actually that low with a stabile alk, I would be surprised. Is the magnesium stabile? You may well be on the right track with a bad test kit. They do not last forever and heat and light will shorten their lifetimes, as well. All three of the main 'salts' (other than sodium, which is a chloride), calcium, magnesium and potassium, are in balance with carbonate in ionic form. With an alk as high as you mention, something has to be allowing the carbonate ions to exist. Definitely get another testing opinion for comparison.

Jamie

[surreal1228]

I am using the DD salt and the DD test kits, very common I believe. Now the salt is almost used up for the bucket.

I am using dd salt also. My parameter is

Ca 380

Kh 10

Mg 1050

At 1.025

Also very wired.

But sugfest u remix ur salt in ut pail. Esp bottom. As some parts may sink to bottom.

Fyi. B4 I tumble the whole pail salt. My parameters is cal 350. Kh 6.5. Mg 900.

Try it.

[tamama]

I am getting the better test kits. I will update again. Thanks Jamie and kkk121 for the help along.

[bhtteo]

Personally i feel MH will tend to turn sps more brownish as compare to t5. I so far very happy with t5 as it really improve color of my sps despite it can give me the wavy effect.

[tamama]

Tested again the water with Hanna Checkers

CA: 396

KH: 8.8

The DD CA tester can be thrown already. Now the corals are growing and colour seems fine but I think people using a calcium reactor with little additive dosing tend to achieve better colours.