Is 0.7 phosphate too high/enough to start turning corals white?

schuby

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In your blurry, blue-light pic, it looks like the ends of a piece of SPS is where you see "white". When SPS grows, the ends are usually much lighter, sometimes white. Are you sure that your SPS isn't just growing instead of dying or bleaching?

Can you get a better pic with more white light?
 
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ReefKeeper666

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In your blurry, blue-light pic, it looks like the ends of a piece of SPS is where you see "white". When SPS grows, the ends are usually much lighter, sometimes white. Are you sure that your SPS isn't just growing instead of dying or bleaching?

Can you get a better pic with more white light?
I took that one the other day. I can try again when I get home.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Is the high phosphates Why this is happening?

In general, no. Might be some types that are more sensitive in general, but there are some great SPS tanks that most would envy with 1 ppm phosphate.
 

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For plating corals I would check 2 things when white patches appear. 1) pests 2) salinity error. I have had bad calibration fluid for my refractometer before and white/grey patches in my monti's and chalices were my result. Corrected salinity and corals recovered color. Just an idea to look at.
 
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ReefKeeper666

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In your blurry, blue-light pic, it looks like the ends of a piece of SPS is where you see "white". When SPS grows, the ends are usually much lighter, sometimes white. Are you sure that your SPS isn't just growing instead of dying or bleaching?

Can you get a better pic with more white light?
Ok here are better pics
 

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Mrtakeoff53

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Like I said before, it’s most likely your phosphates. To a ‘T’ this happened to me. I know some people say phosphates won’t bleach coral but here is some proof for you. Just like your lawn, too many nutrients and it can burn.

I’ll show you the results of the phosphates and what they looked like before they went to 0.68 for me.
High Phosophates destroyed my corals:
182F637A-AEF7-48BF-B022-CEB56727EDC5.jpeg

13B962CF-5F0B-4563-86D8-38E3D44908E9.jpeg
C1469A34-E32B-4D81-89D9-F4BADF748ED8.jpeg
362730C6-C0AF-4AF2-A7A4-715FBD44BB04.jpeg

Before the High phosophates:
0EC9B489-15A3-4A07-AE01-5A22FD80E4DF.jpeg
4CF8CD02-D5FE-40D5-BCB5-4DC6ED538E8D.jpeg
71379EDB-C2E3-4316-A12C-E9D2E6774A64.jpeg
1C88141D-EB63-4F8A-8132-BEB510FABCB9.jpeg

My tank has turned the corner and is on the mend, but it’s painful to see what I had and what I have now.
 

Spare time

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How could high phosphates cause zooxanthellae to die (not being rhetorical, I am genuinely wondering how that could kill zooxanthellae)? Do you actually see white looking polyps and not skeleton? In my experience, I find people struggle with tissue necrosis more than true bleaching (at least when working at LFS).

How is the flow in the tank?
 
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ReefKeeper666

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Like I said before, it’s most likely your phosphates. To a ‘T’ this happened to me. I know some people say phosphates won’t bleach coral but here is some proof for you. Just like your lawn, too many nutrients and it can burn.

I’ll show you the results of the phosphates and what they looked like before they went to 0.68 for me.
High Phosophates destroyed my corals:
182F637A-AEF7-48BF-B022-CEB56727EDC5.jpeg

13B962CF-5F0B-4563-86D8-38E3D44908E9.jpeg
C1469A34-E32B-4D81-89D9-F4BADF748ED8.jpeg
362730C6-C0AF-4AF2-A7A4-715FBD44BB04.jpeg

Before the High phosophates:
0EC9B489-15A3-4A07-AE01-5A22FD80E4DF.jpeg
4CF8CD02-D5FE-40D5-BCB5-4DC6ED538E8D.jpeg
71379EDB-C2E3-4316-A12C-E9D2E6774A64.jpeg
1C88141D-EB63-4F8A-8132-BEB510FABCB9.jpeg

My tank has turned the corner and is on the mend, but it’s painful to see what I had and what I have now.



i truly feel like you and I may be having a similar issue so it’s prob best I reduce the phosphates and the lighting. My gut tells me that it’s more likely the phosphates. ESP when you said your encrusted suffered.
 

Mrtakeoff53

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How could high phosphates cause zooxanthellae to die? Do you actually see white looking polyps and not skeleton? In my experience, I find people struggle with tissue necrosis more than true bleaching (at least when working at LFS).

How is the flow in the tank?
Excessive phosphates inhibit the uptake of nutrients and calcium to form the skeleton. No nutrients= poor health. As the skeleton breaks down, the flesh on top dies, allowing algae to grow on the skeleton, out competing the flesh for space and light. I watched it happen first hand. It’s a LONG process. Took a few weeks to happen, but it did. It’s not like RTN. It’s like SSSSSSSSTN. Eventually the algae takes over and the coral dies. I lost 2 of my 30 or so corals. Some didn’t mind at all. Some faded more quickly. It seemed my plating and encrusting corals faired the worst.
 
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ReefKeeper666

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How could high phosphates cause zooxanthellae to die (not being rhetorical, I am genuinely wondering how that could kill zooxanthellae)? Do you actually see white looking polyps and not skeleton? In my experience, I find people struggle with tissue necrosis more than true bleaching (at least when working at LFS).

How is the flow in the tank?
Flow in the tank is good. The corals turning white are only my encrusters. Softies LPS and even other SPS like my birds nest are just fine.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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To a ‘T’ this happened to me. I know some people say phosphates won’t bleach coral but here is some proof for you.

It is not that "some 'people' say", it is a demonstrated fact that the tank below has 1 ppm phosphate and no bleached corals. Was phosphate your problem? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe coincidence. Maybe due to otherr factors that also changed with rising phosphate. Two things happening at the same time does not prove causality,


1606223634788.png
 
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tripdad

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No, it works in a high flow area in a sock or pantyhose. Works over a few days in emergencies, but strips the phosphates to 0.00
GFO is fine in a media bag or old panty hose placed in a strong flow area. Used properly, i.e. at the right amount, it will not strip all phosphate to 0.0. Many reefers use it regularly as part of management system without stripping all phosphate. I have run it continuously on tanks before and maintained any PO4 level I choose by adjusting the amount used. It's a tool, nothing more.
 
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ReefKeeper666

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Good Morning All,
I do appreciate everyone’s help and advice. I do think maybe the fact only my encrusters being affected is a lighting issue as they are the newest corals in my tank. The Montiporia was added a few days before changing over to the new lights and the burning banana and favia a week after the new lights.
So I’ve decided to run my lights low for now and see how the corals recover. I’ve eliminated cool white red and green. And set the blues purple and uv to 50 pct and I’m restarting the 30 days acclimation to those lowered numbers.
In the meantime I’m going to also work on reducing my phosphates.
 
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ReefKeeper666

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Additionally I have a simple
Refuigium. Chaeto on one side live rock and a carbon bag on the side with the pump. I have no skimmers or reactors. If I chose to put some GFO in a media sock what’s the best spot to place it? And how much for a 55 gallon tank to start slowly reducing the phosphates?
 

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