Coral bleaching w low par?!!!

neo1738 · Jul 25, 2022

Tank is 18 mo old as stated just starting grow corraline after switching to kessil lights Current USA lights didn't grow anything. Salinity 1.026. Salt is instant ocean. Water change 20g (20%) every other week, run 3 filtwr socks vhange weekly and skimmer change when full usually w water change. Currently have 6 fish feed 1/4 pe mysis cube/day, pods daily for madarin goby as well.

KrisReef · Jul 25, 2022

Crustaceon said:
You'll see a drop from coralline algae consumption. It'll be slower than coral consumption for sure.

Yup, but I'm not certain that would make much of a difference in the OP's tank since the coralline is just getting started?

Crustaceon · Jul 25, 2022

KrisReef said:
Yup, but I'm not certain that would make much of a difference in the OP's tank since the coralline is just getting started?

Judging by his rocks and pumps, he already has enough coralline algae to put a dent in alk. It just hasn't become the purple stuff we're used to yet for the most part. It could take a few weeks for him to see a 1dkh drop, but it likely will happen even at this stage.

PlumbTuckered · Jul 25, 2022

KrisReef said:
Not to argue, but to discuss this point of dKH consumption. If the corals are dying what is going to consume the alkalinity? In a growing coral situation, I agree dKH should drop, but I'm not sure about this in the OP's situation?

Absolutely a valid point!

Rmckoy · Jul 25, 2022

DeputyDog95 said:
Isn't natural sea water around 7dkh?

Yes .
I Didn’t feel like challenging anything today .

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IslandLifeReef · Jul 25, 2022

neo1738 said:
Some good tank news came home from work and my WBTA split! Also got flow up to 50% both powerheads moved them a little everyone except BTA (who doesn't like a lot of flow) seems fine w it. Sure the BTA will move as they see fit. Doser arrives today GFO Wed.

Pic is 2 nems in different parts of the tank this morning.

That's good news. Glad to see you get the flow up. A good rule of thumb is 20-50 times volume for flow. The BTA will find a spot to be happy. If you get into SPS, you'll need to get closer to the 50 times volume. I have a 170L tank with two gyres that produce 2400GPH of flow each. I run those on a random program that has each peaking at 60% output. All of my fish and LPS are fine, and the SPS are happy.

DeputyDog95 · Jul 26, 2022

neo1738 said:
Tank is 18 mo old as stated just starting grow corraline after switching to kessil lights Current USA lights didn't grow anything. Salinity 1.026. Salt is instant ocean. Water change 20g (20%) every other week, run 3 filtwr socks vhange weekly and skimmer change when full usually w water change. Currently have 6 fish feed 1/4 pe mysis cube/day, pods daily for madarin goby as well.

If you're using instant ocean which I believe has a reasonably low dkh...

How are you getting your alkalinity so high? Maybe I missed it... Are you dosing something?

Also, with your phosphates so high, I would consider either changing the socks twice a week, or switching to filter floss cups and doing that instead and changing them regularly. I run the cups with floss and change them on M, W, F so that the detritus isn't rotting in the water for any longer than it needs to be. The floss isn't disgusting after a couple of days, but gets vile if you go 5 to 7 days as it becomes clogged. Export, export, export. Catching the junk and letting it remain in the water column doesn't really help much. You have to get it out.

neo1738 · Jul 26, 2022

I did kalkwasser 1x into ATO when was at 7 before any corals. Haven't dosed any since. Regularly dose mag and ca as well No3Po4-x

juanpablo.diem · Jul 27, 2022

lower your phosphates. If your lips does I’d get softies.

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DeputyDog95 · Jul 27, 2022

Not sure if this has already been pointed out, apologies if it has.

However, if you're not dosing an alkalinity supplement, I would change salt immediately to something like the Red Sea blue bucket. Do small water changes and slowly bring it down to the 8's.

I had no idea Instant Ocean mixes to 11dkh.

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Getting those phosphates in check combined with a lower Alk should get your tank back on the mend.

neo1738 · Jul 27, 2022

Got gfo in a bag being blow on by uv out so should get decent flow. Doser hooked up. Double checked last calcium and yesterday's only 20 pt difference but huge Mag was exactly the same 1360. Cyphastrea likely won't make it not hanging hope for candy cane either. We'll see about rest.

Wondering if my peppermint shrimp are partly to blame. I know I caught him eating hammer coral polyp by polyp until it was gone. Could be damaging the cyphastrea too? Who knows.

DeputyDog95 · Jul 28, 2022

Why are you running NOPOX? Did you just start? Seems unusual to have such high P04 while carbon dosing. It's usually the opposite where it bottoms out the nutrients.

I wouldn't even bother dosing Mg. You just need to add a little here and there.

neo1738 · Jul 28, 2022

DeputyDog95 said:
Why are you running NOPOX? Did you just start? Seems unusual to have such high P04 while carbon dosing. It's usually the opposite where it bottoms out the nutrients.

I wouldn't even bother dosing Mg. You just need to add a little here and there.

Running NoPoX bc initially Nitrates were 20s and Phosphate 1, not 0.1 but 1. Slowed feeding and started that got nitrates to <5 and phosphate about 0.3. Now added GFO to get Phosphates lower, not sure why so many phosphates feed minimally now (1/4 cube mysis) and pods daily, 3x/week 1/2 algae tab for the yellow tang. Regardless too high.

Mag is before getting corals I sent off an ICP said it was 920. Calcium said it was about 360. Got a test kit, 960 on mag and 370 on calcium. With regular water changes and no corals. Not sure where it goes but it goes. I started dosing Mag about 20ml every 3 days it's solid at 1360 now for 4-5 weeks with that dosing. Calcium took a bit to get was doing every couple days 5ml and it bounced so went to 2.5-3ml daily and now steady within 20pts per given week. This is why I decided to add a doser, get rid of the swings and keep it more stable. Also if I go on vacation still gets dosed.

neo1738 · Aug 7, 2022

So got my PO4 down to 0.14 so far w GFO, continuing to run that and try to get that more under control. Nitrates were 0.21, Cal 454, Mg little low at 1280 so upped the Mg doser by 1ml/day, was 1360 so not a huge swing in over a week. dKH is slowly going down as coralline grows down to 10.0, pH 8.2. I did a combination of suggestions w light, I got it up to intensity faster but lowered max to 30% from 50% and turned color little more blue and less white about 10-15% not 20%. Cyphasteria lost all color except polyps which are going strong no change so going to keep running as is trying to get it to hopefully return w better flow and parameters. I have moved the leptoseris to the sand under a shelf as continues to bleach out. Candy cane has slowed recession so hoping that can come back. Favites holding strong, montipora holding strong, space balls chalice holding strong but some white starting to show on an edge worried about recession but hopeful for growth. Zoas were never affected, BTA doing well, Firecracker Polyps doing well. Lastly the platygyra has slowed bleaching significantly as well. Guess I'll continue to get water more in check and leave things for couple months then slowly try to raise lights again if things are settled.