Coral bleaching or insufficient light symptoms

[woodwizard110]

I've had problems keeping Birdsnest coral in the past. Can't figure out how much light to put them under. The guy I get my frags from grows them under fluorescent. I use LEDs and turn them way down, and they still seem the bleach!

Is it possible there turning white from not enough light?

 

[G8trBait16]

To me that doesn't look like bleaching, more like RTN or STN. Possible ALK fluctuations, in my experience, you usually get bleaching on the branches or if the coral is growing the tips will be a white/lighter color. How old is your tank? What are your Parameters at? As much details as your know/can give will help us help better.

 

[woodwizard110]

Nope theses are new frags in a different tank of mine im trying out. The green one was just fraged. Put the pic just for reference of the kind I have.

 

[woodwizard110]

This frag tank is two months old with cycled with Live rock.
Temp 80F
Nitrate 0.08
Phosphate 0.00
Mag 1375 ppm
Calcium 500ppm
I do a weekly water change of 25%
I'm just curious if it's possible for corals to bleach from not enough light.

 

[woodwizard110]

That's what the there one looked liked... I couldn't save it, it was to far gone.

 

[telsonman]

I noticed the more flow mine had on it, the worse it did. I have a piece thats bigger than a softball, and its flucuated with how fast the bleaching occurs based on flow. It did best when it was low in the tank with indirect flow. I'm just about to frag it and be done though.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

That's not bleaching.. And I have mine in crazy high light. with lower alk and higher nutrints.
I would look at alk, Ph and swings, and low Po4. flow can def be an issue as well. those mushrooms and zoas could not be there near my stylos and Pocli..

Its a new tank so things do change.

 

[woodwizard110]

Ya that pic is of me trying to save it by putting it in a more stable less flow tank. Unfortunately it was too late though. But the tank that it came from I had almost direct flow on it, so that might've been it.

 

[woodwizard110]

Thank you guys for the help

 

[anthonys51]

When it starts bleaching from bottom to top it's not bleaching. Basically the coral is dying I don't think it's flow issue or lighting issue. I keep 6 different kinds of birdnest all over my tanks with different lights different flows. First You didn't state alkalinity. That is an important test. Also I would start testing your water every 3 days For nitrates alk and phosphates. 2 me those are the big 3. You really don't want zero phosphates so maybe turn off your Gfo. Also what test kit are you using. Nitrates of .08 isn't correct I think you meant 8 ppm

I would use salifert for nitrate and. Milwaukee for phosphates and Hanna for alk. Imo those are the 3 best test kits.