Elkhorn SPS Browning

[Charlie’s Frags]

I do not have a PAR meter to check it, but based on BRS testing of my lights they should be putting out around 300 PAR that high in the tank with them mounted low to the water. I had to move a birds nest coral that was right next to it because it started bleaching. LFS said he thinks it is actually getting too much light and recommended moving it lower. Montis in my tank are lower and doing well.

You should rent a par meter if you want to keep sps when using LED only lighting. I’m a big fan of what brs videos but unless you have the exact same tank size, number of fixtures, mounting height and spacing and the coral is in the exact same spot (highly unlikely) etc,... your par will be vastly different. I moved one of my acros UP 5-6 inches to give what I thought would be more light but when broke out the par meter the is 50 pts lower 6” higher than the original lower spot. I have kessil A80 tuna blue 5” above a 3 gallon qt tank. Maxed out is 300 par directly underneath it with whiter spectrum and 200 with the bluer spectrum and drops off 100-150 in either direction.....
Soooo....Rent a par meter

 

[melanotaenia]

That coral is not starving for light it is stressed from some imbalance in the water chemistry.

Once that is sorted you can attend to your lighting, which I agree with @Chasswood79, is likely not going to be sufficient long term for keeping SPS, especially as they grow larger and shading becomes an issue.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

That coral is not starving for light it is stressed from some imbalance in the water chemistry.

Once that is sorted you can attend to your lighting, which I agree with @Chasswood79, is likely not going to be sufficient long term for keeping SPS, especially as they grow larger and shading becomes an issue.

Agreed. My original recommendation was to bring the alk down closer to 8. 10.5 is too high for 0.03 po4.

 

[Chipper1978]

So I did a 20% water change last night with new salt (Tropic Marin Pro-Reef) and it lowered the Alk from 10.5 to 9.7. I'd like to get it down around 7-8, but don't want to move too quickly and shock my LPS corals which seem to be doing well. Think I am okay to do another water change tonight? Guessing this will get it down to around 9.

 

[melanotaenia]

I would say that a 0.5-1 DKH drop per day is the maximum you would want to go in order to not shock current inhabitants. If it were me I would shoot for the lower end of that range.

Glad to hear new salt is working out for you. I have always had good luck with TM Pro.

 

[melanotaenia]

You could also do more frequent water changes but in smaller amounts which will help reduce more slowly