SPS Bleached

rockstarta78 · Mar 12, 2018

I got a couple of new acros over the weekend. This tank has been setup for little over a year. As far as SPS goes I have a ORA red planet which is encrusting nicely, 2 different types of poccis which are not growing but haven't died in last 3 months, couple of monti caps which are doing fine. All zoas are doing fine.

This weekend I received a Paletta tri-color, Cali Tort, and a yellow tip acro from a local reefer. When I received the frags they all had nice colors with PE. But after I did a 10~15 minutes Bayer dip the tri-color and the yellow tip turned greyish, then complete white. I think the corals are bleached. The tank they came from ran T5, the small frag tank I have was running LED. Could it be the bayer? or was the light too intense on the LED? Is there anyway to revive them? Or are they gone? I can post pictures when I get home tonight.

Tank parameters are:

NO3: 3ppm
PO4: haven't tested in a while, I have some cyano on my sand, so guessing it's high
Cal: 420ppm
Alk: 9.8dKh
Sal: 1.026
Mg; haven't tested in a while

rockstarta78 · Mar 12, 2018

FWIW, on the paletta tri-color I see hint of florescent on the polyp.

Robink · Mar 12, 2018

The bayer should not have affected them. I dip all my corals and have not had it affect the color. Depending on what kind of lighting they came from could have done this. When getting new corals I always start them out on the bottom of the tank to let them get used to my lighting. After a week or two I then move them higher until I get them where I want them. If they are completely bleached I would put them on the sandbed. I have had many corals that were completely bleached recover, takes some time.

rockstarta78 · Mar 12, 2018

That's usually what I do for light acclimation as well. This new frag tank is only 2 weeks old (with old live rock, and DT water), but a new light. I didn't think this LED would be this powerful. So any chance of them making it back? Or did I lose these frags?

Robink · Mar 12, 2018

If you still see some polyps, I would lower the frag and your light intensity depending on what you have it set at. I run my lights, radion g4's, at 55 % which maxes out at 37% on the program. If you have an acclimation program I'd use that to get it to where you want it.

Skynyrd Fish · Mar 12, 2018

I hate to ask, what bayer did you use? there are a couple formulas. I bought the wrong one at Home Depot and thank goodness I caught it before I used it. Also what alk were the frags in? Yours is higher at 9.8, this could have caused an issue.

rockstarta78 · Mar 12, 2018

Robink said:
If you still see some polyps, I would lower the frag and your light intensity depending on what you have it set at. I run my lights, radion g4's, at 55 % which maxes out at 37% on the program. If you have an acclimation program I'd use that to get it to where you want it.

I run SBReeflight. It does not have an acclimation program. I have all three frags on the sand bed. One shows very little color of PE, one is totally white, the other one has some color on the frag.

rockstarta78 · Mar 12, 2018

Skynyrd Fish said:
I hate to ask, what bayer did you use? there are a couple formulas. I bought the wrong one at Home Depot and thank goodness I caught it before I used it. Also what alk were the frags in? Yours is higher at 9.8, this could have caused an issue.

I think you hit the nail on the head with the ALK. I don't know for sure, but I think the guy I got the frags from run his ALK at 8dkh. I'll go home and check the Bayer type. My old one ran out so I got a new bottle.

Skynyrd Fish · Mar 12, 2018

Give them some time there is still hope.

rockstarta78 · Mar 12, 2018

Skynyrd Fish said:
Give them some time there is still hope.

Dude, that's the best encouragement I've had all day. I hope you are right. When I get a chance I will post a picture tonight so y'all can let me know.