SPS dying, I suspect its my light..

[Zeal]

Nitrate 10
Phos 0.025
Calc 435
Alk 10.2
Mag 1270
PH 8.3
Salt 1.025

Lights Radion G5 Xr15 Pro.

Was using the BRS recommended AB+ setting and I believe the setting cooked my corals(?)... I was running 100% schedule from 11AM to 10PM.

Earlier this week I changed it to the WWC 1500G SPS radion light setting and set my schedule at 80%. Not sure why my SPS are turning pale but have polyp extension... Not sure what else to do. Even the basic Monticaps are struggling.

Some are dying from the base some are dying from the tip.

My alk doesn't really move its usually between 9.5-10. I do weekly water changes as well. I started noticing my PC rainbow going downhill last month and now everything is dying... I moved all the SPS I saw that were struggling to the frag rack and cut some things in an effort to try and save them...

help

 

[HuduVudu]

How old is your tank?

 

[Zeal]

How old is your tank?

I added the corals in September, the tank was cycled for about 5 months. All the corals came from my old tank

 

[HuduVudu]

I added the corals in September, the tank was cycled for about 5 months. All the corals came from my old tank

Dead rock start?

 

[Zeal]

Dead rock start?

Yup, marco rock sat in the tank with water for a real long time. The rock is all covered now

 

[Zeal]

Bump

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Yes, it could be the lights. If those coral were use to a certain light spectrum and intensity and you suddenly switched it on them, it could cause problems.

Isn't there an acclimation mode on those lights? You should use that when making changes, especially if you don't have a PAR meter to make sure you aren't suddenly blasting them with light.

 

[Conchman]

Sounds like an acclimation issue. 100% for 11 hours seems long, but I'm no lighting expert. My peak is only about 4 hours. Ramps up and ramps and down. When I added the 2nd light I cut back to 30%, and have been manually acclimating 1% twice a week. Just how I'm doing it...

 

[Zeal]

Yes, it could be the lights. If those coral were use to a certain light spectrum and intensity and you suddenly switched it on them, it could cause problems.

Isn't there an acclimation mode on those lights? You should use that when making changes, especially if you don't have a PAR meter to make sure you aren't suddenly blasting them with light.

Lights have been on the tank now for awhile maybe 2 months. Is there’s anything I could do now? Or should I throw the lights in acclamation mode?

Also the corals were used to a Radion g4 xr15 pro but I ran PURE blue and a Red Sea 90 which was also pure PURE

 

[Conchman]

One thing also, the spread on the Gen5's was vastly improved. Although the par's took a slight hit, coverage improved. If it were me, and I say this is only what I would do, I would slowly ramp down over a few days, then even more slowly ramp back with either acclimation mode or manual...manual allows me to see how the corals are reacting, and, i'm old school and a control freak...best of luck..

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Lights have been on the tank now for awhile maybe 2 months. Is there’s anything I could do now? Or should I throw the lights in acclamation mode?

Also the corals were used to a Radion g4 xr15 pro but I ran PURE blue and a Red Sea 90 which was also pure PURE

Two months is a while on that light setting. It could still be the lights, but you should have been seeing issues for a while. If the issues are just now appearing, I wouldn't think it is acclimation to the lights. Any reason you changed your light schedule?

 

[Zeal]

Two months is a while on that light setting. It could still be the lights, but you should have been seeing issues for a while. If the issues are just now appearing, I wouldn't think it is acclimation to the lights. Any reason you changed your light schedule?

I changed it off from the BRS setting because it was TOOO white for my eyes. Like extremely white. So I changed it to this WWC one which I like more...

Edit: I also started seeing issues about a month ago. Just not it’s gotten worse.

 

[CollectOyster04]

I went through a similar experience several months back (SPS receding). What I found with my research for my tank was probably a mix of alk too high for the low amount of nutrients coupled with the lighting intensity being too high. It seems not any one thing (lights) will be a culprit. What I found reading was that people that run higher nutrients generally also run higher alk and in turn higher lighting and vice versa.
When I started with my SPS, I was running alk around 9-9.5, and not testing enough, discovered my nutrients with essentially non existent. For lighting, I have an ATI hybrid coupled with gen4 xr15pros that are running AB+ schedule (intensity at 45%). Lights are hung about 9" above water. SPS were growing but pale, then started to STN, and the coralline started to die back as well.
After researching, I dropped my lighting(radion intensity down 25%), alk now around 8, and I started dosing some phosphates and nitrates to get my levels up(and test more consistently to monitor my NO3/PO4). With these changes I was able to save just about all of my coral. After the coral healed, I raised my light intensity back up with no ill consequence thus far.
I don't have an insane amount of fish, so it's hard for me to keep levels up just by feeding. There's already too much aggression in the tank for me to feel like adding more fish to be ideal. So I've been supplementing with the dosing. I was hesitant about doing it, tried to avoid it, but I can't deny what it has done for my tank coupled with running lower alk.
Just my experience, take it for what it's worth.

 

[EMeyer]

Alk would be better at 7, the often discussed "relationship between alk and nutrients" doesnt seem to have much evidence supporting it. IMO high alk is just a bad thing for corals (they've never seen it anywhere in the ocean in hundreds of millions of years of evolution, so no surprise)

If you suspect your light, the best thing to do would be borrow or rent a PAR meter. Comparing % numbers isnt very reliable in my experience, its like trying to infer nitrates from a description of feeding practices... better to measure it.

 

[dieselkeeper]

Corals dying me as well. Ended up magnets on my frag rack was the culprit. Two little fishes feed clip as well. You may want to look at your magnets. I found small spots of rust on the plastic. Almost blended in with the coraline. Keep us posted on what you find and how your corals are doing.

 

[phixman]

Simple solution, your tank is not ready for sps. How old is the tank? You mentioned using dead rock, sps hate new systems. It has to do with the beneficial bacteria and filter feeders missing. Just do weekly water changes until the system is stable. Mine took about a year with dead rock. Pictures attached as proof. If you look at my build thread you'll see the progression and the harsh journey my system went through just like yours

 

[Zeal]

Corals dying me as well. Ended up magnets on my frag rack was the culprit. Two little fishes feed clip as well. You may want to look at your magnets. I found small spots of rust on the plastic. Almost blended in with the coraline. Keep us posted on what you find and how your corals are doing.

Magnets are encased in acrylic. This started prior to added the frag racks.

Simple solution, your tank is not ready for sps. How old is the tank? You mentioned using dead rock, sps hate new systems. It has to do with the beneficial bacteria and filter feeders missing. Just do weekly water changes until the system is stable. Mine took about a year with dead rock. Pictures attached as proof. If you look at my build thread you'll see the progression and the harsh journey my system went through just like yours

Tank has been cycling for 6 months.

But why are my other SPS perfectly fine except these on the frag racks.

 

[Zeal]

I went through a similar experience several months back (SPS receding). What I found with my research for my tank was probably a mix of alk too high for the low amount of nutrients coupled with the lighting intensity being too high. It seems not any one thing (lights) will be a culprit. What I found reading was that people that run higher nutrients generally also run higher alk and in turn higher lighting and vice versa.
When I started with my SPS, I was running alk around 9-9.5, and not testing enough, discovered my nutrients with essentially non existent. For lighting, I have an ATI hybrid coupled with gen4 xr15pros that are running AB+ schedule (intensity at 45%). Lights are hung about 9" above water. SPS were growing but pale, then started to STN, and the coralline started to die back as well.
After researching, I dropped my lighting(radion intensity down 25%), alk now around 8, and I started dosing some phosphates and nitrates to get my levels up(and test more consistently to monitor my NO3/PO4). With these changes I was able to save just about all of my coral. After the coral healed, I raised my light intensity back up with no ill consequence thus far.
I don't have an insane amount of fish, so it's hard for me to keep levels up just by feeding. There's already too much aggression in the tank for me to feel like adding more fish to be ideal. So I've been supplementing with the dosing. I was hesitant about doing it, tried to avoid it, but I can't deny what it has done for my tank coupled with running lower alk.
Just my experience, take it for what it's worth.

I also noticed ill effects on some of my SPS after doing Red Sea AB+

 

[Uncle99]

They don’t like change much.
You’ve changed the lighting so now they have to re-regulate their Photo process.
Lower intensity a lot......then in a month, up 10% and watch.
Stop any further change other than lower lighting.
I would not bring a reef up to full light until at least, 1 full year.

 

[Jack Ravensbergen]

Issue could be flow as well