SPS losing colour im going mad.

SargeLausage · Feb 1, 2022

Hey all my tank is about 9 months old and no matter what new sps frags/colonies I put in they all seem to lighten and eventually bleach/die or stn

My parameters are

Alk 7.8
Calcium 400
Magnesium 1350
Potassium 440
Nitrate 5-10
Phosphate 0.06
PH 8.2 down to 8 at night
Temp varies from 25.5 to 26°
Iodine seems normal
Iron tested and it seems undectable but not to fussed

Lighting is 2x Kessil A500x at 100% intensity 55% colour which peaks at 60% midday

I have an algea which grows in the shadowed parts of the tank like under rocks and ledges etc this is gone in the morning other than that no algea in dt or sump.

6 hours full peak and 2 hours ramp up and down either side.

Par is 200 on the sand bed and 400 at the highest points in my tank.

Flow is about 350gph through the sump and 2x nero 5 on random ranging from 45% to 65%.

So I have a red and green plating monti which is middle of the tank under around 300 par they are very light in colour.

A yellow encrusting monti on the sandbed is getting about 200 par that's starting to lighten aswell.

Forest fire is under about 300 par snd going white and has algea on tips.

There's no massive swings in alk the highest its been in the past 5 days is about 8.1 dropping down to 7.8.

Granted these are all newish corals and I cant see any pests visibly I have a few wrasses (heliochores) which actively scan the corals don't seem to pick at them and I have no other fish that would nibble.

Is there any idea why this is happening?

dvgyfresh · Feb 1, 2022

Seems like everything is right parameter wise , could you add some tank shots in white light ? Maybe a pic of the weird algae you are talking about

sfin52 · Feb 1, 2022

Lowet the

SargeLausage said:
Hey all my tank is about 9 months old and no matter what new sps frags/colonies I put in they all seem to lighten and eventually bleach/die or stn

My parameters are

Alk 7.8
Calcium 400
Magnesium 1350
Potassium 440
Nitrate 5-10
Phosphate 0.06
PH 8.2 down to 8 at night
Temp varies from 25.5 to 26°
Iodine seems normal
Iron tested and it seems undectable but not to fussed

Lighting is 2x Kessil A500x at 100% intensity 55% colour which peaks at 60% midday

I have an algea which grows in the shadowed parts of the tank like under rocks and ledges etc this is gone in the morning other than that no algea in dt or sump.

6 hours full peak and 2 hours ramp up and down either side.

Par is 200 on the sand bed and 400 at the highest points in my tank.

Flow is about 350gph through the sump and 2x nero 5 on random ranging from 45% to 65%.

So I have a red and green plating monti which is middle of the tank under around 300 par they are very light in colour.

A yellow encrusting monti on the sandbed is getting about 200 par that's starting to lighten aswell.

Forest fire is under about 300 par snd going white and has algea on tips.

There's no massive swings in alk the highest its been in the past 5 days is about 8.1 dropping down to 7.8.

Granted these are all newish corals and I cant see any pests visibly I have a few wrasses (heliochores) which actively scan the corals don't seem to pick at them and I have no other fish that would nibble.

Is there any idea why this is happening?

Sounds like to much light. I have more success with monti between 150-250. I would lower your light. Between 100-150 on sandbed. 250-300 top of the tank.

DaveWrasse · Feb 1, 2022

Could be too much light? You should be able to place any coral near the sand bed and not have it die, then slowly over weeks move it up to higher par. Depending on the coral, placing it in high light after receiving it would give you the results you are seeing. I usually low light acclimate for a week minimum before moving it up higher. Forest fire tips are usually white when growing, but they shouldn't have algea on the tips unless there are dead areas at the tips. Stay with low dollar corals like millies, birds nest and moniti's before going to acros. Once you see those growing and taking off really well then try low cost acros, then once those take off try higher cost acros. You didn't state the size of your tank?

mattdg · Feb 1, 2022

I have to agree with everyone else. Start with the light (which tends to be one of the main causes of coral bleaching) and go from there. Maybe get it down to max 100-130 on the sand bed, make no other changes for 2-3 months and see if that makes a difference. 9 months is a very new system, so all sorts of things are still happening. Lower the light, maintain your current water parameters and don't change anything else. See what happens.