Coral bleaching help !

[kbarr31]

Help! im new to corals but have had a 60 gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump established for quit some time I recently decided I wanted to get into corals and added these to my tank as they were recommended as beginner/easy corals

• Green Moseleya
• Green Duncan
• Indo hammer
• Acan

I checked the par and almost all areas of the tank are between 130-60 range with most of those corals sitting in the 80-105 par range. I have a two hour ramp up between 8am-10am and a two hour ramp down between 4pm-6pm. I have AI prime lights on the tank and these are the settings that were recommended to me. The corals seems to be bleaching pretty badly could anyone give me some advice I feel like my lighting is off but am not sure what to do

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Depending on the par meter it really doesnt truly show the light coral is receiving only the brightness, but does give a general idea. Blues, violets, UV while not bright, penetrate deeper and have more PUR for corals. If you have full white lights at 500 par and blues only showing 200. You may have more pur on blues than the white.

How close is the light to tank and then depth of corals, what is the light you are using, AI Prime model?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Can we see some pics? Seems very unlikely to me that par of 100 will make corals bleach. Thats not very bright at all, nor low enough to make a coral bleach.

 

[Seven Year Nap]

Pictures of the coral with a white spectrum will help with identifying the issue.

130-160 is a little high for acans, but I think the rest should be ok.

It can be helpful to slowly acclimate corals to light by starting them off on the bottom of the tank or adjusting intensities.

Are there any windows nearby that could shine directly on these corals?

 

[kbarr31]

Depending on the par meter it really doesnt truly show the light coral is receiving only the brightness, but does give a general idea. Blues, violets, UV while not bright, penetrate deeper and have more PUR for corals. If you have full white lights at 500 par and blues only showing 200. You may have more pur on blues than the white.

How close is the light to tank and then depth of corals, what is the light you are using, AI Prime model?

Pictures of the coral with a white spectrum will help with identifying the issue.

130-160 is a little high for acans, but I think the rest should be ok.

It can be helpful to slowly acclimate corals to light by starting them off on the bottom of the tank or adjusting intensities.

Are there any windows nearby that could shine directly on these corals?

I’m using the ai prime 16hd led reef light, it’s about 10ish inches above the tank and I’m using this par meter I found on Amazon probably not the best, the corals are probably at about a depth of 8-11 inches from the top I just picked up the frags and put them on the mid to lower portion of the tank while on their plugs just to acclimate before glueing them on but they don’t seem to be doing well besides the candy cane which seems to be completely fine. Ignore the dirty water marked glass but this was them this morning before the lights ramped up Duncan seems to have a tissue issue and retracted I did just test my magnesium and found that it’s pretty high it’s over 1800 there are no windows near the tank this is my work tank I set up this salt water tank for my dementia patients at the nursing home I work at and the tank is in the large recreation room and the lights r on in the room for long periods of time could that be the issue ?

 

[kbarr31]

Can we see some pics? Seems very unlikely to me that par of 100 will make corals bleach. Thats not very bright at all, nor low enough to make a coral bleach.

This was this morning before the lights ramped up I put more information below in reply to the others.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I'm sorry but thats dead, thats just a skeleton

 

[kbarr31]

I'm sorry but thats dead, thats just a skeleton

just trying to figure out what could have caused it to happen, I only got the frags 3 days ago can’t seem to figure out why the candy cane is completely fine but the Duncan, hammer, and moseleya were not

 

[kbarr31]

just trying to figure out what could have caused it to happen, I only got the frags 3 days ago can’t seem to figure out why the candy cane is completely fine but the Duncan, hammer, and moseleya were not

I'm sorry but thats dead, thats just a skeleton

The Duncan I can still see the green retracted polyps

 

[Seven Year Nap]

Were these shipped to you or did you pick them up from a store? That's quick to happen.

Do you have any fish that might eat corals?

 

[Oldreefer44]

What test kits are you using? How long is "quite some time"? Did you start with live or dry rock? I don't see any coralline algae on the rock or any other life for that matter which, to me, is not a good sign. If anything it would tell me that there is a lack of light and/or a water parameter issue. What is you specific gravity? My suggestion is to have your LFS test your water to verify your results then go from there.

 

[kbarr31]

Were these shipped to you or did you pick them up from a store? That's quick to happen.

Do you have any fish that might eat corals?

I picked them up from a man who grows them in his basement so I feel like they might have not been the healthiest of corals to begin with

 

[kbarr31]

What test kits are you using? How long is "quite some time"? Did you start with live or dry rock? I don't see any coralline algae on the rock or any other life for that matter which, to me, is not a good sign. If anything it would tell me that there is a lack of light and/or a water parameter issue. What is you specific gravity? My suggestion is to have your LFS test your water to verify your results then go from there.

I have the Hanna colorimeter for calcium and alkalinity, I have a digital ph meter from Amazon, salifert magnesium test kit, and then strips for ammonia and nitrate/nitrite, I started off with dry rock but used live sand and used brightwell aquatics MicroBacter start and then used media from a previously established saltwater tank. It’s been sitting with 2 damselfish and an old green spotted puffer I acclimated to full saltwater over the last year for a few months now

 

[gastone]

Did you dip them before putting them in your tank? That's a quick demise for lps. How were they looking prior to?

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Something is way off. Did any of the deminsia patience have access and could have put something in the tank? Those are pretty much gone. Im sorry to say.

Did any patience have chance to mess with tank?
Where is rock from and what was it used for prior?
Where is your water source to fill tank? If tap water and just use a dechlorinator that could be issue. Especially if they used certain forms of chlorine.
any used equipment?
Did you see those specific corals before you bought them?
is any chemicles used around or in same room? Pest control, cleaning, air freshners, etc?

 

[kbarr31]

Did you dip them before putting them in your tank? That's a quick demise for lps. How were they looking prior to?

I did not dip them the guy I got them from said I could but it wasn’t necessary his corals were “pest free” he said I’ve never had coral before these were my first but I felt like they were very dull when I first saw them and kind of deflated he told me it was just stress from taking them out of their frag tank and putting them in mine

 

[kbarr31]

Something is way off. Did any of the deminsia patience have access and could have put something in the tank? Those are pretty much gone. Im sorry to say.

Did any patience have chance to mess with tank?
Where is rock from and what was it used for prior?
Where is your water source to fill tank? If tap water and just use a dechlorinator that could be issue. Especially if they used certain forms of chlorine.
any used equipment?
Did you see those specific corals before you bought them?
is any chemicles used around or in same room? Pest control, cleaning, air freshners, etc?

That is a possibility I have a DIY screen net on top but it’s easily lifted off, the common room the tank is in has fluorescent ceiling lights all throughout the room (similar to hospital cafeteria) the lights pretty much run 24/7 I’m wondering if that’s affecting the coral at all even if the tank lights go off ? The rock was from a previous friends tank but had dried out and been sitting for a while, the water I get from my local aquarium store it’s RO/DI, I saw the corals briefly before putting them in tank these r my first corals so I don’t have much experience with them I did notice they didn’t have much color and were kind of deflated but was told that’s from stress of going from one tank to the next and that the color would be visible under my lights but even with my lights didn’t see much color, they do use chemicals in the room to disinfect 2-3x a day they use chemicals to clean the floor and tables but not the tank it’s in the corner of the room (pretty much a sterile hospital environment)

 

[Roatan Reef]

What test kits are you using? How long is "quite some time"? Did you start with live or dry rock? I don't see any coralline algae on the rock or any other life for that matter which, to me, is not a good sign. If anything it would tell me that there is a lack of light and/or a water parameter issue. What is you specific gravity? My suggestion is to have your LFS test your water to verify your results then go from there.

Yea, that rock looks brand new... you are not experiencing bleaching at all.

I have a Fluval 13.5 Evo with same light about 10" above and a 40GB with a Fluval Marine 3.0 Strip and a AI Prime 16hd...and I'm nowhere close to bleaching anything. Sadly those corals are toast.

 

[Ben's Pico Reefing]

Most room lights wont do much in regards to aquariums. So usually not an issue but always exception.

Depending on where your friend stored tge rocks, such as shed or garage, chemicles could have been sprayed or spilled on them. Even in cardboard boxes sealed, the boxes will absorb and get onto the rocks.

If they are cleaning and spraying, it doesnt have to be directly around the tank. Air flow can carry the mist. Especially if they are spraying several times a day. Someone may also be using glass cleaner on the tank and that can kill. Even a patient messing with it.

also seems like you may have bought some bad corals. And rhe guy was pawning off. But cant draw conclusion on this till we rule everything else out.


Anyone know if any ICP test or company can test for chemical contamination?

 

[Seven Year Nap]

Most room lights wont do much in regards to aquariums. So usually not an issue but always exception.

Depending on where your friend stored tge rocks, such as shed or garage, chemicles could have been sprayed or spilled on them. Even in cardboard boxes sealed, the boxes will absorb and get onto the rocks.

If they are cleaning and spraying, it doesnt have to be directly around the tank. Air flow can carry the mist. Especially if they are spraying several times a day. Someone may also be using glass cleaner on the tank and that can kill. Even a patient messing with it.

also seems like you may have bought some bad corals. And rhe guy was pawning off. But cant draw conclusion on this till we rule everything else out.


Anyone know if any ICP test or company can test for chemical contamination?

Unfortunately ICP is only elements, not molecules. You would need something like HPLC and you would need to know mostly what you are looking for.