acropora low nutrient coloration advice

[realreef7]

looking for opinions on best methods/practice/products to dose on a low nutrient system to help in coloration? Is zeovit still a thing? I'm running about 5 nitrates, .04 phosphates on a 75g tank, no filter media other than skimmer and water changes (5g 2x a week using instant ocean)
lighting: 4x 54w t5, 2x hydra 32s. I feed the fish pellets heavily 5x a day. I tried feeding a small dose mixture of reef fuel, brighwell aminos, oyster egg and reef roid blend every other day and i noticed no difference in coloration other than algae blooms. Tank is 7 months old and sps/acros look great/growing other than some pieces not having those electric bright tips and looking a little light in general. I remember my last tank the coral colors looked much brighter (hard to explain) my orange setosa used to be glowing for example and i ran low nutrients back then too, and fed the fix every other day. Only difference 2x250w halides w/ 4x t5s instead of LEDs w/ t5s but I doubt its the light.

parameter:
salinity: 1.028
ph: 8.4
alk: 10
cal 420
nitrates: 5
phos: 0.04
mag: 1550
potassium: 400+

 

[ScottB]

looking for opinions on best methods/practice/products to dose on a low nutrient system to help in coloration? Is zeovit still a thing? I'm running about 5 nitrates, .04 phosphates on a 75g tank, no filter media other than skimmer and water changes (5g 2x a week using instant ocean)
lighting: 4x 54w t5, 2x hydra 32s. I feed the fish pellets heavily 5x a day. I tried feeding a small dose mixture of reef fuel, brighwell aminos, oyster egg and reef roid blend every other day and i noticed no difference in coloration other than algae blooms. Tank is 7 months old and sps/acros look great/growing other than some pieces not having those electric bright tips and looking a little light in general. I remember my last tank the coral colors looked much brighter (hard to explain) my orange setosa used to be glowing for example and i ran low nutrients back then too, and fed the fix every other day. Only difference 2x250w halides w/ 4x t5s instead of LEDs w/ t5s but I doubt its the light.

parameter:
salinity: 1.028
ph: 8.4
alk: 10
cal 420
nitrates: 5
phos: 0.04
mag: 1550
potassium: 400+

Salinity a typo? Otherwise the numbers look fine. If this was a dead rock start, you are likely just missing some biome diversity and balance. Time will fix that. Just that you are keeping them alive is doing pretty good at 7 months tbh.

 

[Rick5]

I'd try ditching the reef fuel, amino acid, oyster eggs and reef roids, and increase the quantity of fish food to see if that improves coloration while getting rid of the algae blooms.

What does lighting intensity look like?

@ScottB is probably right, though, if you used dry rock.

 

[horseplay]

Your tank is not low nutrient. Mine has zero PO4 and I gave up measuring it. Heavy feeding similar to what you do.

Assuming you have a mature tank the difference is I run ALK around 7. I would try to bring alk down to NSW levels. Most shops I know of run ALK between 7 and 8.