Corals are fading or whiting out on ends.

[JMM744]

These corals have been growing quite well for some time but I am having trouble keeping cyno from settling on the ends of certain corals. I blow it off but the damage is done. I am noticing a couple are starting to whiten out too. My Pink Floyd especially. Only change is lighting. I had an ATI powermodule that had 2 bulbs not burning. I fixed it and par increased some but not a whole lot. Par is around 320 where these corals are right now. Alk is 8.2 steady. Cal is 450 steady. Nitrates are about 50 and pho’s. Is .20.
Good flow in tank.
Not all corals are doing this at all.
Any ideas?

 

[lazycouch]

what’s your mag lvl?

 

[JMM744]

That I do not know. It’s been a month since checking it. It was almost 1500 then.

 

[lazycouch]

That I do not know. It’s been a month since checking it. It was almost 1500 then.

you may want to double check it just in case but i’d recommend giving them a dip to eliminate any possible flesh eating pest(s). if you noticed this happening once you installed the new lights you may want to acclimate them to that!

i’d also suggest you use restor by brightwell aquatics to start helping the tissue that’s been affected as well as the tissue that may possibly begin to get affected

 

[MERKEY]

How long has phos been at .2?

Im no expert but I think thats really high for sps which could be a part of the problem.

 

[lazycouch]

i agree, can definitely be your phosphates especially if there was a swing.

 

[JMM744]

I fight high phosphates all the time. I try to keep them under .20. Last time I checked they were at .08 but that’s a month back.
Thanks for all the feed back. Appreciate it very much.
Jim

 

[MERKEY]

I fight high phosphates all the time. I try to keep them under .20. Last time I checked they were at .08 but that’s a month back.
Thanks for all the feed back. Appreciate it very much.
Jim

This swing in phos could definitely do it.

What do you do to control it?

I have to add phosgaurd weekly until my rocks stop leaching the stuff out lol

 

[JMM744]

Phosgard. I just didn’t get it changed out when I should have. About to use some GFO to get it back down some.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

How long has phos been at .2?

Im no expert but I think thats really high for sps which could be a part of the problem.

I believe you’re right....you’re not an expert
Haha

 

[JMM744]

No idea. I put phosban in its reactor about 4 weeks ago. It’s usually around .08 to .15

 

[MERKEY]

I believe you’re right....you’re not an expert
Haha

Not sure if you're trying to be helpful to the op or just trying to be funny at my expense....
Perhaps you run your phos at .2 or higher for sps but id bet the majority on this site would say .05-.02 is were you want phos for an sps tank.

 

[SifuMemphis]

50 ppm nitrates is also quite high. Any idea why your nitrates and phosphates are so high? Potentially dial back on feeding?

 

[tankstudy]

That I do not know. It’s been a month since checking it. It was almost 1500 then.

1500 is very high. FME, at ~1550+ most corals do extremely poorly.

 

[JMM744]

They have both always run high. I am dosing vinegar right now and slowly increasing it. I do feed heavy and my corals are still small so not really taking up a lot of nutrients. I guess I can cut back to once a day for a while. Started GFO tonight. I took the corals in question out and dipped in iodine and put them on frag plugs in my mixed elf tank which runs on a separate system and is growing sps quite well right now.

 

[JMM744]

I seldom check magnesium and off the top of my head it was around 1450 last time I did.I will check it tomorrow.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Not sure if you're trying to be helpful to the op or just trying to be funny at my expense....
Perhaps you run your phos at .2 or higher for sps but id bet the majority on this site would say .05-.02 is were you want phos for an sps tank.

0.20 po4 is not going to cause tissue necrosis and the 0.05-0.02 recommendation is the common denominator for most of the sps death threads on this forum. I apologize if you were offended. My sense of humor isn’t for everyone.

OP I saw this type of tissue necrosis from heavy carbon dosing and gfo.

 

[JMM744]

0.20 po4 is not going to cause tissue necrosis and the 0.05-0.02 recommendation is the common denominator for most of the sps death threads on this forum. I apologize if you were offended. My sense of humor isn’t for everyone.

OP I saw this type of tissue necrosis from heavy carbon dosing and gfo.

I was not doing either of those when this started.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I was not doing either of those when this started.

You said you you added phosban to a reactor 4 weeks ago.

 

[JMM744]

I sure did. You consider that GFO?