Low Bio-load.... Pale Corals

[stubbsz]

OK, in another thread about someones photos, a comment was made about some corals looking pale.... the auther of the comment wondered if the photo-poster had a low bio load. I asked a question but it got lost in the more shuffle.

So, why would a low-bio-load lead to muted/pale colours in your tank.

I've been noticing that a lot of my corals lose their pop after a week in my tank. For instance, I got some Orange Cap that was really eye catching at the last swap; it's now grown a lot but it looks positively anemic. I only have about 5 smallish fish in a 100g and this link of low bio-load to pale corals, perked my interest. Ironically, I noticed for the first time in the 10 year history of this tank, some hair algae recently .

Any comments about this or an explanation?

-Adrian

[funman1]

Need all water prams to even begin.
And lighting setup.

[sfsuphysics]

Basically, and I thank Jim for this good explanation, corals have evolved over thousands upon thousands of years to become almost all mouth, as a result THEY NEED FOOD. (end Jim's influence)

So while corals can photosynthesize sugars from light, they still need food to really step out there. So typically with a low bioload tank you don't have junk swimming around which through one way or another becomes coral food. I'd be willing to wager that most people who have true "low bioload" tanks don't feed very much, or not enough to their corals. Now this explains the growing bit, but what about color? Well not being a marine biologist or anything I can only hypothesize that more food = different algae growths inside the corals (the symbotic variant not the crap we don't want ).

[seminolecpa]

Since it was my thread I give your question a shot.

I believe in theory he would believe that a low bio-load would equal low nutrients (an perhaps even too low) thus causing colors to be more pale in color.

If you are starting to get hair algae in your tank I would hardly believe you have low nutrients.

[stubbsz]

Originally posted by seminolecpa
Since it was my thread I give your question a shot.

I believe in theory he would believe that a low bio-load would equal low nutrients (an perhaps even too low) thus causing colors to be more pale in color.

If you are starting to get hair algae in your tank I would hardly believe you have low nutrients.

Well, the hair algae thing puzzled me... it was around a couple of zoos frags that I'd recently added... I wondered if there wasn't something in the rock/frag plug that was encouraging that... but I tested nitrates as I do occassionally and for the first time that I remember I actually got some slight registering of Nitrates....i.e not much but a vague pink hue to my test kit. A couple of water changes later and I don't register nitrates although the two areas of HA are still there but not spreading.

I have used a phosphate remover for some time, I wonder if the very low phosphate is part of this. Don't know why I used it... I've neve detected any phospate in my tank.

What else should I be worrying about? My ALK/CA is in pretty good balance and high enough (dosing a two part). I don't know my Mag as I don't have a test kit for that. Flow in tank is pretty good. I have to Tunze (non-stream) and a wavey sea on the return. Temp has been a slight issue recently with a dodgy heater which is now out the tank.


-Adrian

Thanks for the advice

[seminolecpa]

Buy a test kit for Mag without question (I would reccomend a Salifert kit or a Elos kit). It is an important factor with Alk and Cal.
Depending on what salt you use and how often you do water changes it could be low and thus part of the problem.

[stubbsz]

Originally posted by seminolecpa
Buy a test kit for Mag without question (I would reccomend a Salifert kit or a Elos kit). It is an important factor with Alk and Cal.
Depending on what salt you use and how often you do water changes it could be low and thus part of the problem.

I do dose Mag as part of the 2 part (3 part I guess) strategy.... but I don't test. Also, I use Reef Crystals. However, I'll get a Mg test kit as I hate dosing and not testing it.

-Adrian

[seminolecpa]

Can't say for sure that is your problem. Could be any number of things (nutrient change, light change, water chemistry change, Monti nudibranchs). If you dose it, it is a very good idea to be able to test for it, at very least until you can figure out what the right dosing amount to keep your levels stable at the optimal parimeters with the salt and mix water.

[stubbsz]

Yeah, stabalize what I'm doing right now before I start reacting... usual course.

Thanks