Problem Lightening corals (bleaching

[kaifish]

My SPS are bleaching and need some help, here’s the specifics
I have a mixed reef tank, reefer 170 running an T5 hybrid 24” AI hydra with 3 blue+ and 1 coral+. My T5s are on for 5 hours during the top of my light schedule. I run a skimmer and a fuge which is on opposite of my lighting schedule. I run passively in my filter sock carbon (3 tbl spoons)and gfo ( 2 tbl spoons). I dose 2 part CAL and ALK equal parts. I also add acropower 4 mls around 3 time a week. I still get good polyp extension and decent growth but the colors are becoming non existent

My parameters are
Alk 8.0-8.4
Cal 440-450
Salinity 1.025-1.026
Phosphate 0.02
Nitrate .5

Any suggestions? I rented a par meter from BRS and should be here on Wednesday. I don’t feel like I’m blasting them with light but I guess I’ll find out

 

[Flippers4pups]

How long has your tank been up and running? Rock work looks very young!

Until the par meter shows up, reduce your light intensity.

 

[kaifish]

It’s been up for 8 months have a decent amount of coralline algae growing on the rocks and on the equipment but it’s still a pretty new tank. Thanks for the input. I actually did lower the lights a bit.

 

[Flippers4pups]

It’s been up for 8 months have a decent amount of coralline algae growing on the rocks and on the equipment but it’s still a pretty new tank. Thanks for the input. I actually did lower the lights a bit.

Your welcome.

Par can be deceiving to the human eye. Lower intensity can help in recovery.

 

[Ike]

Shave some time off your photo period. 7-9 hours of strong light is all you need. Also, start feeding more, your tank looks practically sterile and phosphate and nitrogen availability being too low can certainly contribute to something like this.

 

[kaifish]

I have a very light bio load. A small flasher wrasse, a small watchman goby and a small royal gramma all under or at 2 inches. I feed them 2 times daily. I can definitely try feeding them more especially since I have a fairly effective nutrient export program ( skimmer, fuge and gfo ) Thanks for the help. Since I just turned down the intensity I’ll hold off shaving off the photo period for now don’t want to change to much too fast

 

[vpoiu1263]

What's the height of your AI and t5 bulbs above the water surface.

You still have some nitrate and phosphate like my tank, but perhaps your organics is low to zero.
Coral still need organics to live with N & P. You can try to add some amino acid for a few weeks twice or three times for a week.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

I lost all my montipora digitata, first they paled then stn and I worked out that my phosphates were too low.

 

[Ike]

I have a very light bio load. A small flasher wrasse, a small watchman goby and a small royal gramma all under or at 2 inches. I feed them 2 times daily. I can definitely try feeding them more especially since I have a fairly effective nutrient export program ( skimmer, fuge and gfo ) Thanks for the help. Since I just turned down the intensity I’ll hold off shaving off the photo period for now don’t want to change to much too fast

This is pretty likely related to GFO use and driving PO4 too low. Get your nutrients up and dial back your photo period some and things will start to improve. Consider stopping the GFO use or making sure you don't push it below .04. Recovery will take a while, and some may not recover, but they can recover fully if given the chance and better conditions.

 

[kaifish]

Thanks for the advice guys I’ll remove the gfo and just run carbon. I also dropped the intensity down a bit and will slowly decrease the photo time. Hopefully they’ll recover some of their color. Some of my colonies held their colors okay but others went downhill. Obviously some were more sensitive

 

[kaifish]

My ai and t5 are about 10 inches off the water

 

[SeaDweller]

Just like it’s been mentioned above, it’s probably your low bioload and lack of available nutrients in the water, although some would argue what you have is enough. Tbh, my personal own NO3 and PO4 levels are what yours are at, but my system is different.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

Thanks for the advice guys I’ll remove the gfo and just run carbon. I also dropped the intensity down a bit and will slowly decrease the photo time. Hopefully they’ll recover some of their color. Some of my colonies held their colors okay but others went downhill. Obviously some were more sensitive

I wouldn't run carbon full time either.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

You can have neutrients. But you want enough for your corals to use and not fight against the go. I have only got 3 fish and hardly fed them very much although fed every day.

then to this, with all my sps gone. But there are polyps and signs of life now I've started feeding more.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

My ai and t5 are about 10 inches off the water

I have the same tank as you and run the T5 hybrid with the Hydra 26HD AB+ program. My lights are 11.5 inches above the water. I run my T5's from 10am until 6 pm and my LED from 9am until 7pm with a one hour ramp up and down. I don't think it is an issue of too much light. When corals bleach, every one jumps on reducing light. I did that too when one of my corals bleached. I lowered the light and it came back with some color, but then bleached again. I went to my LFS and asked them about it. They asked about my light schedule and told me I did not have enough light. Once I raised my light, the coral came back and I haven't had a problem with it since.

Coral bleaching is a sign of stress. That stress can be caused by a number of factors. Though you say you have coraline algae growth, I don't see signs of good coraline growth in the pictures.

What changes have you made recently? Why are you running GFO and a fuge with such a light bio load? Do you use a doser and how much ALK and Cal does your tank use? What temp is your tank at? How about Mag? Have you checked for stray voltage?

 

[kaifish]

I’m using a kamoer doser with BRS 2 part. I dose 28 mls a day of calcium and alkalinity also acropower a few times a week. Like I said earlier it’s still a fairly new tank 8 mos or so but there is a decent amount of coralline algae on the rocks pumps and heater although my pictures were aimed at showing the bleaching not the coralline. I started using the fuge and gfo cause I recently had a small GHA outbreak which has since been taken care off. My temp stays at 77, not how to check for stray voltage? Thanks for the input

 

[Actup85]

I'm useing 3 primes with the t5 hybrid and had to raise to 12in at 10 in with the brs ab+ I was over 200 par on the same bed in a standard 90g I had to reduce power and raise to 12 .you may be surprised the saxby preset is very strong.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

To check for stray voltage, get a volt meter and put the positive, or hot side in the tank and put the neutral side in the ground of your outlet. You will almost always have a little stray voltage. You could also just get a grounding probe and put it in your sump and not have to worry about stray voltage.

When I mention coraline algae growth, I'm not talking about stuff you have to look for. Good coraline algae growth is very obvious.

When it comes to managing GHA, IMO, it is better to find things that eat it such as turbo snails to keep it under control. When you kill it by starving it of nutrients, you are also reducing the food that the zooxanthellae use as well.

I have almost the same exact set up as your do. Reefer 170 with hybrid light fixture and kamoer doser. I only have 4 fish, but 20+ corals. I only use a skimmer for nutrient export and my NO3 runs about 0.5 ppm and my PO4 runs about 0.04 ppm. I feed heavy and dose reef energy daily and supplement reef roids and frozen coral food several times a week.

I think I can help you if we can get more pictures of your tank.

28 ml a day of calcium uptake seems like a lot for such a new tank without a lot of corals. Have you considered an ICP test? Also, your temp must fluctuate a little. Do you have the high and low temp from your doser?

 

[kaifish]

I have a good amount of coral in the tank probably 30+ with a few bigger specimens. So I wouldn’t say not a lot LOL 28 mls keeps me right at 8-8.4 alkalinity

 

[IslandLifeReef]

I have a good amount of coral in the tank probably 30+ with a few bigger specimens. So I wouldn’t say not a lot LOL 28 mls keeps me right at 8-8.4 alkalinity

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. :)