Corals Turing white

[Jgill70]

My corals are turning white and Im not sure why, they have been like this for months but are still growing. My tank display tank is 38 gallon cube and have a Hydra 32 over it running at 70%. My paramaters are as follows:
Salinity 1.026
Cal 429
Alk 8.2
Mag 1280
Phosphate .02
Nitrate 1

I do not dose any amino acids, like Red Sea AB+ coral food. Would that help??

 

[Spare time]

List the parameters + test kits, lights + settings, flow, tank size, if you run carbon, etc.

 

[Uncle99]

Help

Somethings changed fast to do that.
Check salinity, temp and Alk first.
Do you have a full tank shot for perspective?

Tips look OK, it’s down lower I see white.

What lighting?

 

[Jgill70]

List the parameters + test kits, lights + settings, flow, tank size, if you run carbon, etc.

I added them

 

[Jgill70]

List the parameters + test kits, lights + settings, flow, tank size, if you run carbon, etc.

I added the parameter to the original listing. For flow I am using AI Orbit 2 and using hanna testers. I dose Red Sea 4 Part and do not use carbon.

 

[Uncle99]

Looks like white areas are shaded from the light.
Parameters fine if stable.

 

[Jgill70]

Looks like white areas are shaded from the light.
Parameters fine if stable.

The colors on the corals never seem to get like they should. When the lights go out all the corals look either white like the pictures or brown. The coral in the second picture should look like this:

 

[PharmrJohn]

Have you got access to a PAR meter?

 

[Uncle99]

The colors on the corals never seem to get like they should. When the lights go out all the corals look either white like the pictures or brown. The coral in the second picture should look like this:

I can’t see much in the second pic, way blue, but I agree, looks nothing like second one above.

The pic above looks staged a bit. Excellent camera.

What the whole tank look like?

 

[Jgill70]

Have you got access to a PAR meter?

Unfortunately I do not and my LFS does not have one either

 

[Jgill70]

Looks like white areas are shaded from the light.
Parameters fine if stable.

Should I be adding amino acids daily to the tank??

 

[Uncle99]

Should I be adding amino acids daily to the tank??

I don’t add nothing except fish food.
Corals feed off the ammonia present when they crap.

But you can if you wish, just watch your nitrates.

Acros can take months to fully colour up. They do love T5.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Unfortunately I do not and my LFS does not have one either

Well, if you have the funds, the last time I looked, BRS sells these things for about $600. The idea is to buy it, then after doing your thing, return it for a $100 restocking fee. You may want to check into it.

 

[Jgill70]

Well, if you have the funds, the last time I looked, BRS sells these things for about $600. The idea is to buy it, then after doing your thing, return it for a $100 restocking fee. You may want to check into it.

Unfortunately I do not have the money to do that

 

[Solo McReefer]

The coral in the second picture should look like this:

That's the pic from the vendor, correct?

Honestly, it looked like that because the vendors tank had all the right conditions for that to color like that. And was stable with those parameters for a very long time, over 6 months

Just the overnight trip to your house will brown your acros. Temperature changes and pollution in the bag. Your acclimation process and dipping process, while not fatal will brown your acros

And it will take 6 months of your tank being perfect for it to get it's color back

I have a dozen brown acros in my tank right now. It's not a big deal. They will color up when they get happy again

Happy is relative as well, most of these acros are brown out in nature on the reef with natural seawater and real sun

 

[Jgill70]

That's the pic from the vendor, correct?

Honestly, it looked like that because the vendors tank had all the right conditions for that to color like that. And was stable with those parameters for a very long time, over 6 months

Just the overnight trip to your house will brown your acros. Temperature changes and pollution in the bag. Your acclimation process and dipping process, while not fatal will brown your acros

And it will take 6 months of your tank being perfect for it to get it's color back

I have a dozen brown acros in my tank right now. It's not a big deal. They will color up when they get happy again

They have been in my tank since October 2021

 

[Solo McReefer]

They have been in my tank since October 2021

When did it last look like your pic?

 

[Jgill70]

When did it last look like your pic?

Like the pic from the vendor? It never did

 

[Solo McReefer]

When people say that corals love T5(as up in this thread)

It is because of the coverage and diffused light they give off. It is more difficult to shadow with them. T5 can light the tops and sides of a coral at the same time

Your little Hydra may have the PAR, but for all intents and purposes, it is a point source light. And shadows very easily. If it is lighting the top, the sides are in shadow.

Your little light only has 32 little LEDs to light up your whole tank. And provide light to your corals

One of those little LEDs can put off 2000 PAR, if it is measured half an inch from the LED

 

[Jgill70]

When people say that corals love T5(as up in this thread)

It is because of the coverage and diffused light they give off. It is more difficult to shadow with them. T5 can light the tops and sides of a coral at the same time

Your little Hydra may have the PAR, but for all intents and purposes, it is a point source light. And shadows very easily. If it is lighting the top, the sides are in shadow.

Your little light only has 32 little LEDs to light up your whole tank. And provide light to your corals

What would you suggest??? 2 16 primes??