Bleaching Green Planet Acro

jadwv2210 · Dec 30, 2015

So, I've had this green planet acro in my tank for about a month now. In the past week or so it has started to bleach badly at the tips.

I have another acro in the tank which is doing fine as well as all of my other corals except for a green birdsnest which is bleaching slightly at the base.

Parameters are as follows:
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0.5 ppm
Cal: 470
Alk: 8 dKh
Mag: 1300
Salinity: 1.025 sg

I have an MP10 for flow in my 40 breeder that these corals are housed in. I am running carbon about 4 days a month and then switching it out. No skimmer or other reactors. For lights I have reefbreeder's LEDs at 8" off the water. Intensity of 40 on blue channel and 30 on white channel maximum, ramping up and down throughout the day for about an 8 hour lighting schedule.

I do a 5 gallone water change weekly and test my alk levels before changing the water and its usually about 7.5 dKh before the water change and 8 dKh after.

I've also dipped this coral and nothing fell off of it so I'm lost here lol.

spspirate · Dec 30, 2015

Funny but it actually look s like new growth. Do the white tips have a "glow" to them? If not how long has your system been up and running?

jadwv2210 · Dec 30, 2015

spspirate said:
Funny but it actually look s like new growth. Do the white tips have a "glow" to them? If not how long has your system been up and running?

The tips of the white pieces used to be a neon green color yes, but they have lost that look in person although it does show in the photos. The polyps still extend all over the frag though. The tank has been running between four and five months.

jadwv2210 · Dec 31, 2015

Anyone else think there's something wrong here or is this just new growth?

markalot · Dec 31, 2015

Looks like new growth but it also appears the tank might be food starved.

twilliard · Dec 31, 2015

No energy for the new growth

jadwv2210 · Dec 31, 2015

That's kind of what I was thinking as well. So, should I increase feedings to bring the nitrates up slowly? I don't have a skimmer so other than dosing them that's about all I can do.

twilliard · Dec 31, 2015

Increasing the food amount will also increase po4 you dont want to do that

maroun.c · Jan 1, 2016

Looks like new growth to me as well

jadwv2210 · Jan 1, 2016

I've been looking into ways to increase nitrates in my tank. I too now believe this is new growth. I originally didn't know that new growth on SPS was white like this. I would appreciate any tips or tricks on raising nitrates if anyone's got them. Thinking of slowly raising them to around 1-2 ppm.

maroun.c · Jan 2, 2016

Can you describe your system,
Total volume, fish load, filtration, water changes and feeding?
A bit more feeding or a couple more fish might be all you need.
What's your phosphates level if it's on the high side then maybe your bacteria is consuming all nitrates while bringing down the phosphates. Do you run BP or dose any carbon?

jadwv2210 · Jan 2, 2016

maroun.c said:
Can you describe your system,
Total volume, fish load, filtration, water changes and feeding?
A bit more feeding or a couple more fish might be all you need.
What's your phosphates level if it's on the high side then maybe your bacteria is consuming all nitrates while bringing down the phosphates. Do you run BP or dose any carbon?

Total volume is around 50 gallons. Just one clownfish right now with another clown and a Midas Blenny in QT. I've ordered a phosphate test kit but it's not here yet so I'll have to wait a few days on that. Filtration is a filter sock which I honestly rarely change out. Maybe once every couple of weeks. And a carbon reactor which I run for 4 days every month then shut it down and change out the carbon before running it the next month. No bio pellets or carbon dosing either. I do feed relatively light though. Only enough for the fish to eat and then some extra for the hermits and nassarius snails. Unless I'm feeding frozen food and then I add a good bit more than I would normally. Water changes are 5 gallons every week but I'm going to cut them back and only do 5 gallons once the cal alk and mag start lowering I think.