If the long photo period is causing stress and bleaching corals then you need to remedy one of the potential problems, not slowly decrease it. Corals that are handling it fine won't have any issues with the decrease in photo period.
Problem Lightening corals (bleaching
- Thread starter kaifish
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If the long photo period is causing stress and bleaching corals then you need to remedy one of the potential problems, not slowly decrease it. Corals that are handling it fine won't have any issues with the decrease in photo period.
IslandLifeReef
Valuable Member
So you don't think that an unusual voltage in the tank may stress coral? Bleaching is a sign of stress, not too much light. Most bleaching is caused by high temps or extreme changes in the environment.
I don't have any scientific evidence that stray voltage causes problems in a tank, but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence it does.
Do you have any scientific evidence that stray voltage doesn't effect coral at all?
OP
OP
kaifish
Active Member
Ok. I think we need more info on your tank. I wouldn't have gathered that based on the pictures and your posts. When you originally stated your SPS were bleaching, did that mean all of your SPS? Do you have more than what you pictured? If you have 30+ happy coral, I wouldn't make changes for 3 unhappy ones.
Again, I feel like a lot of info is missing to give you good advice.
I said on a previous post that some of my sps maintained color but some went down hill. Also on the original description I said it was a mixed reef of SPS ( montipora, acropora ect.) I have several LPS ( acans, Euphyllia, fungia, and chalas).
As far as the pictures are concerned I focused on the bleaching corals so it’d be impossible to see how many corals I had by the pictures I posted.
I definitely don’t have to look for the coralline algae it’s pretty obvious it’s there.
So for the GHA I shouldn’t dose vibrant like some people
and just focus on snails Anyhow thanks for the help I made a few changes and hopefully I’ll see some changes in the near future
"Unusual" voltage can absolutely cause stress. However, I've had "stray voltage" as it's described, and sometimes to the point that I feel it in my tanks when I'm barefoot, sometimes for long periods of time until I find the culprit, and I can assure you it was not harmful to the corals.
All I have is my past experiences and a pretty good feeling that "stray voltage" is typically a scapegoat and is sometimes used by people that are unwilling to commit the time to critically examine an issue and find the real cause. Not saying you're that person, but I've heard it pulled out by a lot of fish store employees that feel they need to have a quick answer for why something died.
I feel that it's important to differentiate "bleaching" and corals lightening up, and I feel like what you're saying is more related to a bleaching event, which I don't think as what's happening here as I believe the corals we're discussing still have some color.
IslandLifeReef
Valuable Member
I said on a previous post that some of my sps maintained color but some went down hill. Also on the original description I said it was a mixed reef of SPS ( montipora, acropora ect.) I have several LPS ( acans, Euphyllia, fungia, and chalas).
As far as the pictures are concerned I focused on the bleaching corals so it’d be impossible to see how many corals I had by the pictures I posted.
I definitely don’t have to look for the coralline algae it’s pretty obvious it’s there.
So for the GHA I shouldn’t dose vibrant like some people
Anyhow thanks for the help I made a few changes and hopefully I’ll see some changes in the near future
Ok. No idea you have a different post about this. Good luck.
kevlow
Active Member
I believe that light, nutrients, and alk are all in an equation with each other. If your corals are bleached out then your light is too high for the nutrient load. Either lower your light or raise nutrients. Also, high light lower alk.
I have kept a beautiful, thriving acro tank with 1000 par. But nitrates were 30ish- 50ish and phosphates around .18- .2.
In think of it in terms of a motor. The light is the accelerator pedal [throttle], the nutrients are the fuel, the alk is the governor.
If you step on the throttle, you better have more fuel going into the motor or you run lean and burn up the motor.
If you have low throttle imput but too much fuel, you run rich and bog down . Stall out covered in waste.
The governor controls the range and rate of change.
People ran ulns tanks for years with low to mid light. Then they put on LEDS or MH and fry their corals. Everyone said the lights are too strong for corals. I think the light s were just too strong for the low nutrient level . Raise nutrients and maybe lower alk for stabilty and all is good.
I have kept a beautiful, thriving acro tank with 1000 par. But nitrates were 30ish- 50ish and phosphates around .18- .2.
In think of it in terms of a motor. The light is the accelerator pedal [throttle], the nutrients are the fuel, the alk is the governor.
If you step on the throttle, you better have more fuel going into the motor or you run lean and burn up the motor.
If you have low throttle imput but too much fuel, you run rich and bog down . Stall out covered in waste.
The governor controls the range and rate of change.
People ran ulns tanks for years with low to mid light. Then they put on LEDS or MH and fry their corals. Everyone said the lights are too strong for corals. I think the light s were just too strong for the low nutrient level . Raise nutrients and maybe lower alk for stabilty and all is good.
Adam_C
Community Member
I had a similar issue with my 90 mixed reef. Had bleaching running very low nutrients and keeping alk 8.0 - 8.5. I lowered the alk to 7.0 - 7.5 (slowly) and fed more. Kept the same lighting schedule and intensity (300 par average). Haven't had an issue since. Good luck!
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I too question age of tank, Parameters ( mainly Alk and Mag) and type of light you are using and at what intensity. And addressing water flow- Moderate recommend. What strength is your water flow at ?
I recommend 10-15% white to start with and blue at 75-80%.
I recommend 10-15% white to start with and blue at 75-80%.
OP
OP
kaifish
Active Member
as stated before around tank was setup 8 months. Posted the equipment in the first post ai hydra and aquatic life t5 hybrid which also included my lighting schedule. My parameters on the first post minus mag I haven’t really been testing that. The only thing not posted is flow
2 EcoTech MP10 set at 5 on reef crest random
Return pump syncra silent 2.0 (568 gph)
2 EcoTech MP10 set at 5 on reef crest random
Return pump syncra silent 2.0 (568 gph)
Last edited:
OP
OP
kaifish
Active Member
I decreased the light intensity slightly and raised my light above water level slightly. Also removed my passive GFO and carbon. I increased feeding amounts now it’s a waiting game. I’ll check my parameters in a week or so. I receive the par meter tomorrow, can’t wait to see where my levels are at
I feel it's better to shorten the photo period than it is to lower the intensity. Intensity probably wasn't the problem if the lighting is an issue, intensity for too long of a period is more likely.
Stigigemla
Well-Known Member
I wonder why so many wants to tamper with the light when it is obvious that the problem is low Phosphate.
Too strong light normally burns the tips of the corals. Here it is worst at the base of the corals where the light is shadowed. Easy to see for everyone.
You have a very good explanation in post 29.
Everytime You change your light it takes the corals at least a month to adapt to the new settings. If it is just 1 day I would go back to the old settings. I would also remove the GFO and if you dont see more Phospate after 2 weeks empty the fuge of algae and shut down the light there.
Too strong light normally burns the tips of the corals. Here it is worst at the base of the corals where the light is shadowed. Easy to see for everyone.
You have a very good explanation in post 29.
Everytime You change your light it takes the corals at least a month to adapt to the new settings. If it is just 1 day I would go back to the old settings. I would also remove the GFO and if you dont see more Phospate after 2 weeks empty the fuge of algae and shut down the light there.
There is no aquarium light available that can bleach corals on intensity alone. The problem is total light input during the photoperiod exceeding the corals capability to handle this total light input.
So maintining intensity but reducing duration will have the same effect as maintining intensity but reducing duration or adjusting both with the same effect on total light input.
You can absolutely bleach, or significantly lighten corals with intensity alone. Too much UV light will bleach corals in a hurry... Run a DE MH with no shield if you doubt it. What you say regarding total light is true, but one must take into account that corals need significant amounts of time without light to "rest".
People used to say that you can't have too much light, or too much protein skimming. We were wrong...
IslandLifeReef
Valuable Member
I agree with those that are saying that the light is probably not the problem. These corals are stressed, not just lightened. They are practically white, almost no color at all. I have tried to get more info from the OP, as have others, but can't. The info I have gotten is that there are other SPS in the tank that are fine. The tank is well stocked with corals, 30+ according to the OP, and only these three are suffering. No idea how long these frags have been in the tank. No idea if they were acclimated. No idea how long it took to get to this color. Told that there is good coraline algae, yet hard to find in the pictures.
IMO, without more info, we are just throwing things against a wall and seeing what sticks.
IMO, without more info, we are just throwing things against a wall and seeing what sticks.
Stigigemla
Well-Known Member
No aquarium light it was in #37.
Corals need acclimation time to develop their UV light protection proteins but when they have them they can stand much light. Thats why we shall go slow in changing the light. And the UV protection dont work for 254nm light from a mercury source. It works for 350 and longer wavelenghts.
Corals need acclimation time to develop their UV light protection proteins but when they have them they can stand much light. Thats why we shall go slow in changing the light. And the UV protection dont work for 254nm light from a mercury source. It works for 350 and longer wavelenghts.
Sure MH UV is a good way to kill corals, but that's why you run them behind UV shielding glass. There is no aquarium light when run properly that you can switch on and off again (or leave on for an hour or so) that will bleach corals.
I myself run 2x 400W MH moguls + 4x 54W T5 on a 100 gallon tank so have experienced in the past what happens when you change really, really old MH bulbs for new bulbs without adjusting photoperiod.
For me this is a classic case where nutrients were low, total light input was increased which increases demand for nutrients that weren't available. Evidenced by bleaching from the base being worse to keep the growtips relatively healthy.
But because changes happened too fast as well the corals are now actually starving so even the growtips show signs of bleaching.
If it had been light induced the growtips would be bleaching the worst and the base be looking relatively healthy (so survival would depend on the base spreading out in the future).
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