Guess the par/ or my other issue

[Gahamilton]

So I have a slight problem and wondering other’s opinions. I have a good size tank been up for about 9 months, the corals are growing, not fast by any means but they are growing. The colors are not the best. The lights I have on the tank is 2 xr30 radions that are gen2 i believe. They are at least 10 years old. The corals are growing but not fast. My green montipora digita is greenish brown. Keep it about 1 inch from the surface. I don’t know the par and the tank is in Augusta ga and I don’t know of a place the rents one. The lights only have manual adjustment buttons. What do y’all think I need to adjust on the tank to get the color better. I think it is a not enough light issue but want other input. Also what about coral placement, I have plenty of mushrooms that have been getting to much light I can tell they turn more white ish over time. Also the hamer coral I have just never looks happy it is in the photo below. I have a refrigum but the light is just not powerful enough to compete with the light in display that is why the turf alge is bad. (I kind of like how it looks). Nitrates run at almost 0, calcium 420 and alk 10. I am open to any opinions and suggestions I have already learned a lot from everyone here.

 

[billyocean]

Nitrates at almost zero with alk at 10 is no good. You risk burning tips at that ratio....and whats your p04? You could be starving the coral.

 

[Gahamilton]

I don’t know the phosphates, I don’t have a tester for it. The tank has a low bioload.
I am going to buy some more test kits soon. What are you’re thoughts on lighting

 

[Gahamilton]

Nitrates at almost zero with alk at 10 is no good. You risk burning tips at that ratio....and whats your p04? You could be starving the coral.

I got a more accurate nitrate and phosphate kits the salifert ones. Both phosphate and nitrates were 0. What should I do to improve, over feed?

 

[silentdeath5]

Looks like you have a bit if an algae issue. The algae will suck up you nutrients so they will read close to zero. I would take care of this problem first since it will give you a misconception of the nutrients in your tank

 

[Gahamilton]

Looks like you have a bit if an algae issue. The algae will suck up you nutrients so they will read close to zero. I would take care of this problem first since it will give you a misconception of the nutrients in your tank

what do you recommend doing, some people say the alge is due to to low nutrient levels I don’t know what to believe

 

[shanepike]

I would work on slowly raising your levels. You can use something like NeoPhos and NeoNitrate to do that.

And while you're doing that, work on getting rid of that algae. It looks like green hair algae. If it is, you can probably manually remove most of it. It looks like you have fish that will handle it before it gets to long, but once it gets that long not much will eat it.

 

[Gahamilton]

Update I did a water change on Friday and removed all alge I possibly could, And I doubled my feeding. Just tested nitrates and phosphate still at 0 I think a 40 gallons sump of live rock definitely does not help. Assuming that has a major impact on why it is filtering to good. Sould I get a school of green chromas? Will that help enough? Suggestions?

 

[Gahamilton]

I added neo nitrate and neo phosphate form bright well aquatics. Added enough to jump nitrate by 2 ppm and phosphate by .02 ppm
After 24 hours I tested the tank and there was no increase in phosphate or nitrate still 0ppm. Some of my montipora digita has some polyps closed. Any advice?

 

[york1]

Increase your dosage little by little till you get it where you want

 

[shanepike]

Nitrate and phosphate are consumed by the inhabitants of your tank. The nitrate and phosphate you added was consumed in that 24-hour period, and so your measurements showed 0 again.

Dose, wait an hour, and then test. You should see some measurable levels.

You have to keep dosing until you reach an equilibrium where your tank is producing enough nitrate and phosphate naturally between what's going on inside it and the stuff you add (like food).