At my wits end with acros

Duffer · Dec 23, 2019

I have SPS acro's in my tank, and they have been fine for a couple of months. Yesterday i noticed some bleaching and it's driving me nuts:

Parameters are:
Alk 8.6
Calcium 450
Mag 1350
Nitrates 2
Phos .07

Lighting (2) 26Hd's
tank is 48" x 21 x 24

happyhourhero · Dec 23, 2019

What is your temp?
What is your flow like?
How are you maintaining alk?
Livestock?
Running any reactors or media?

Duffer · Dec 23, 2019

happyhourhero said:
What is your temp?
What is your flow like?
How are you maintaining alk?
Livestock?
Running any reactors or media?

temp at 78
(2) 250 maxspect gyo's
Maintaining alk with a doser, BRS soda ash
(8) fish in a 100 gallon tank
No reactors or media, skimmer and filter socks

happyhourhero · Dec 23, 2019

I’m not seeing anything sticking out. I run about the same set up but keep alk lower but I don’t think that’s your issue. How are you testing? Have you done an icp? Have you made any changes recently? Sg stable and tested with a calibrated refract?

Duffer · Dec 23, 2019

happyhourhero said:
I’m not seeing anything sticking out. I run about the same set up but keep alk lower but I don’t think that’s your issue. How are you testing? Have you done an icp? Have you made any changes recently? Sg stable and tested with a calibrated refract?

Hanna for salinty (1.26) and phos, salifert for calc and mag

have not done an icp, may have to,

Have a rodi unit also

I'm wondering cause of winter if my temps are swinging too much

Reefpuck · Dec 23, 2019

Bleaching throughout the entire colony/frag?...or is it starting on the top/bottom of the pieces?

Also what's your ph? Stable as well?

Dvanlier05 · Dec 23, 2019

Post a pic. Are they frags bleaching or base/undersides or mini colonies?

Andrew Schubert · Dec 23, 2019

happyhourhero said:
I’m not seeing anything sticking out. I run about the same set up but keep alk lower but I don’t think that’s your issue. How are you testing? Have you done an icp? Have you made any changes recently? Sg stable and tested with a calibrated refract?

My acros also use to have bleached tips until I lowered my Alk down to 7.0-7.5. I was running it around 9 before. I know many dont have issues with an Alk that high, but every tank is difference. The higher the alk, theoretically, the faster growth you'll see. However, if the coral can't build its Zooxanthellae fast enough, you will lose color in the process. Fort me, it only took about 3 weeks to see colors in my acros I've never seen before after lowering my alk. Is your alk to high, prob not for most people, but I'd still give it try...maybe your tank is like mine!

Duffer · Dec 23, 2019

Reefpuck said:
Bleaching throughout the entire colony/frag?...or is it starting on the top/bottom of the pieces?

Also what's your ph? Stable as well?

mostly at the top but some at the base, also ph is stable

Duffer · Dec 23, 2019

Andrew Schubert said:
My acros also use to have bleached tips until I lowered my Alk down to 7.0-7.5. I was running it around 9 before. I know many dont have issues with an Alk that high, but every tank is difference. The higher the alk, theoretically, the faster growth you'll see. However, if the coral can't build its Zooxanthellae fast enough, you will lose color in the process. Fort me, it only took about 3 weeks to see colors in my acros I've never seen before after lowering my alk. Is your alk to high, prob not for most people, but I'd still give it try...maybe your tank is like mine!

I like this theory, thanks...

happyhourhero · Dec 23, 2019

Andrew Schubert said:
My acros also use to have bleached tips until I lowered my Alk down to 7.0-7.5. I was running it around 9 before. I know many dont have issues with an Alk that high, but every tank is difference. The higher the alk, theoretically, the faster growth you'll see. However, if the coral can't build its Zooxanthellae fast enough, you will lose color in the process. Fort me, it only took about 3 weeks to see colors in my acros I've never seen before after lowering my alk. Is your alk to high, prob not for most people, but I'd still give it try...maybe your tank is like mine!

I keep mine between 7-8.

Epic Aquaculture · Dec 23, 2019

Is it bleaching or tissue recession?

Duffer · Dec 23, 2019

SawCJack00 said:
Is it bleaching or tissue recession?

i'm thinking bleaching, what would tissue recession look like?

Graffiti Spot · Dec 23, 2019

Take some good pictures because this is the only way to really help you.

GabeM · Dec 23, 2019

Still need to know your pH reading!

Duffer · Dec 23, 2019

Pedoconfuego said:
Take some good pictures because this is the only way to really help you.

will do tonight, at work right now..

Duffer · Dec 23, 2019

GabeM said:
Still need to know your pH reading!

PH is around 8.2

45ZoaGarden · Dec 23, 2019

Usually bleaching at the tips is from lighting or water issues. Bleaching in the middle is a flow issue. Have you changed your lighting intensity recently? You might have to do an icp. Could be a trace element in the water. Could also be a heavy metal. I’ve heard rust horror stories!

Pennywise the Clown · Dec 23, 2019

My Reefer 250 is lit by 2 Hydra 26's and I had similar issues with my acros. A kind reefer on R2R did a par test of my settings and it turned out that I was getting less than 200 par.
My display is now slowly acclimating to a much higher setting and already things are looking better.
My other issue could have been from dosing Vibrant. I have now stopped with this and done 5 X 15% water changes in the last couple of weeks.
Between these 2 things, my acros have definitely perked up.

EMeyer · Dec 23, 2019

Andrew Schubert said:
My acros also use to have bleached tips until I lowered my Alk down to 7.0-7.5. I was running it around 9 before. I know many dont have issues with an Alk that high, but every tank is difference. The higher the alk, theoretically, the faster growth you'll see. However, if the coral can't build its Zooxanthellae fast enough, you will lose color in the process. Fort me, it only took about 3 weeks to see colors in my acros I've never seen before after lowering my alk. Is your alk to high, prob not for most people, but I'd still give it try...maybe your tank is like mine!

Yeah, lowering my alk to NSW levels was one of the best things I've ever done for my acros.

I will also add that a lot of the "forum theories" put forth about alkalinity lack any scientific evidence (e.g. the notion that skeleton can grow faster than tissue, which ignores the entire mechanism of how corals create skeleton in the first place). So I'd not put a lot of weight in 'theoretical' discussions about ideal alkalinity, personally.

In fact, my acro tank has slipped to 6.5 recently and they actually look happier than ever. I suspect either some people are misreading alkalinity or there is a big factor that no one understands yet explaining why some tanks can tolerate unnaturally high alkalinity.

Until we figure that out I'm sticking at 7 where my corals are happiest by far, and avoiding high coral killing levels of alkalinity.