Corals are still bleached

[lawise]

Corals are still bleached after about a month-and-a-half all perimeters seem to be within the good limits don't understand what to do, need some input

 

[Crabs McJones]

Corals are still bleached after about a month-and-a-half all perimeters seem to be within the good limits don't understand what to do, need some input

What lighting are you using?

 

[DSC reef]

Can you post pics, and the parameters as well. Any noticble swings you've noticed in your testing? Placement, lighting, ect.

 

[lawise]

What lighting are you using?

It's the Ecotech Radion xr30w generation 4, and they're on for about 9 hours

 

[landlubber]

there is a sizable difference between corals that are pale and ones that are bleached. knowing nothing about your circumstances is going to make it tough for most of these guys to offer assistance.
also, more than not when people say their parameters are "good" they actually aren't. do you test? what do you test?

 

[tankstudy]

Have you checked the par out put on your radion? Those things at full blast put out a good amount of par.

Also, it takes some corals a long time to return to normal. For example, it took one of my anemones 8 months to regain its original coloration.

 

[EriksOasis]

What intensity are you running your lights? They are very powerful and will bleach and melt corals away.

 

[jsker]

In regards to parameters, corals need a slight amount of phosphates, and nitrates of 3 to 5 ppm. My question is what are you feeding the system? A lot of the time yes lighting is one factor for pale corals but also feeding the system is another. One other factor is elements. I dose the balling method link and the elements are included in the balling method.

It finding the right balance

 

[lawise]

In regards to parameters, corals need a slight amount of phosphates, and nitrates of 3 to 5 ppm. My question is what are you feeding the system? A lot of the time yes lighting is one factor for pale corals but also feeding the system is another. One other factor is elements. I dose the balling method link and the elements are included in the balling method.

It finding the right balance

lighting could be too much, almost at full intensity but do not have a par meter my aquarium has been stable for the last few months at temperature 78 degrees Fahrenheit pH 8.1 ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 2, salinity 34, alkalinity 8.2, calcium 420, magnesium 1360, want to test for potassium so just ordered a kit for that. My acans are the ones that are pale or bleaching.

 

[landlubber]

any idea what your phosphate is at?
there is a lot more possibility for bleaching in a system that is nutrient deficient. basically the leaner the water is the more intense the effect of the lighting is which can certainly cause problems.

 

[lawise]

any idea what your phosphate is at?
there is a lot more possibility for bleaching in a system that is nutrient deficient. basically the leaner the water is the more intense the effect of the lighting is which can certainly cause problems.

Yes, sorry I forgot to put that in phosphate is about .1, and I did just cut back lighting intensity

 

[jsker]

Is that a .1 or .01 ? on the phosphates? and which test are you using? Nitrates could come up to 4 ppm

 

[lawise]

Is that a .1 or .01 ? on the phosphates? and which test are you using? Nitrates could come up to 4 ppm

Sorry to say for the phosphate test it's an API, I usually use salifert or Red Sea but it is .1, my nitrates were high for a while so I did purchase the sulfur denitrator which finally brought it down to about 2ppm. May have to dose some potassium nitrate, will have to find Randy's recipe on that. What do you think about dosing that nitrate? Also if potassium is low which I'll find out when I get my test kit I have some potassium from seachem which was for freshwater I wonder if I can use that, it is potassium sulfate.

 

[jsker]

Sorry to say for the phosphate test it's an API, I usually use salifert or Red Sea but it is .1, my nitrates were high for a while so I did purchase the sulfur denitrator which finally brought it down to about 2ppm. May have to dose some potassium nitrate, will have to find Randy's recipe on that. What do you think about dosing that nitrate? Also if potassium is low which I'll find out when I get my test kit I have some potassium from seachem which was for freshwater I wonder if I can use that, it is potassium sulfate.

I am more the let it rise naturally buy feeding heavy and let the fish do the rest. I very rarely test for nitrates, my main battle has been phosphates. I use products based with lanthanum chloride to get them down and run GFO to keep things in check. How do you like the sulfur denitrator? I was thinking about running one at one point. Is there a way to back off of the sulfur to let the nitrate creep up 1 or 2 points.

 

[jsker]

I use the balling method and one of the elements are potassium that is dosed. You are alway test low in iron and potassium. Here is a thread on dosing potassium link . I have A jar of potassion-p brightwell that I have not used yet. I was thinking of using a tiny bit more in my 3rd dose with the balling dose My blue have alway been on the light side

 

[lawise]

I like my sulfur denitrator very much it took about a month-and-a-half to break it in where it works really good the effluent coming out at about a one drop per second rate is zero nitrate, I had a pretty lengthy thread on my denitrator which we went into a lot of detail about it, I think running the aquarium water through it at a fast rate will help keep nitrates higher but not completely sure so I will be calling aquamaxx on it to see their response.

 

[jsker]

I like my sulfur denitrator very much it took about a month-and-a-half to break it in where it works really good the effluent coming out at about a one drop per second rate is zero nitrate, I had a pretty lengthy thread on my denitrator which we went into a lot of detail about it, I think running the aquarium water through it at a fast rate will help keep nitrates higher but not completely sure so I will be calling aquamaxx on it to see their response.

Got mine under control finally with using bio media on my flow tray in the sump. If you can get a hold of some reef nutrition products locally I would suggest using them to feed the corals and this will help with the nitrates. I would suggest the oyster feast and roti feast.

 

[lawise]

Got mine under control finally with using bio media on my flow tray in the sump. If you can get a hold of some reef nutrition products locally I would suggest using them to feed the corals and this will help with the nitrates. I would suggest the oyster feast and roti feast.

I did get Coral frenzy which seems to be okay but then I got an outbreak of spiror worms, now I literally have hundreds of those on the back of my tank

 

[jsker]

I did get Coral frenzy which seems to be okay but then I got an outbreak of spiror worms, now I literally have hundreds of those on the back of my tank

here you go link I have the little buggers in the sump and just scrap them off. LRF is good stuff, but I make my own food. I do use the reef nutrition products still. My corals love it.

 

[renato120]

Could it be your denitrator? My zoos are slowly melting one by one for no reason, and some of my sps’s, and lps’s.
They started to bleach/melt, after 5 weeks I installed my denitrator. Im not sure yet if was some Iodine I overdosed(not sure if I overdosed) or the denitrator.