Couple SPS Bleaching - Looking For Advice

[Jchap]

I've recently noticed that a couple of my SPS have started to bleach out, specifically about half of one of my red dragon's. Looking for some advice on what may be the issue.

Info on tank/parameters:
45 Gallon Shallow, been up and running for about year and a half
(2) Kessil A360w lights
(2) MP10 pumps and also upgraded main pump, run them at full power, so fairly high flow
Try to do a 7 gallon water change every weekend, sometimes it's every other weekend, use Red Sea coral pro salt
Skimz SC163 skimmer
Dosing BRS 2 part setup on automatic timers
Just recently started design Acropower after talking to LFS about SPS colors being pale
2 fish: golden rhomboid wrasse and a yellow coris wrasse
Feed them once a day with Rods fish food
Alk: 9.2
Mag: 1520
Calc: 430
Ammonia: .25 - this has been 0 since the tank was started, not sure why it's up
Ph: 8.2-8.4
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
PO4: 0
Salinity: 1.25
Temp: 79

Any help or suggestions will be much appreciated.

 

[Jason mack]

I see your n and p are at 0 .. has it been like that for long .. have you changed anything recently .. flow or lighting ?? My advice would be too raise your nitrate and phos a little .. the rest looks good .. maybe mag is a little high but that shouldn’t be a problem

 

[Flippers4pups]

I suspect, as with others with the same issues of SPS coral paling or bleaching, as with most of them, your tank is "too clean".

You need some N03 and a trace of P04.

Good starting point is 5ppm N03 and. trace of P04.

If running GFO, I would take it off line at this time. Consider looking into dosing KN03 to raise your N03.

By the way, nice tank!

 

[Jchap]

Thanks guys, I suspected that is the case, it's too clean and not enough nutrients. I did add a bag of chempure elite about a month ago. Also, noticed for a while that my cheato I'm the fuge wasn't really growing even though I recently bought the Kessil H380 grow light..

Perhaps I'll remove the chempure. Any thoughts on turning off the skimmer for a bit?

 

[Jason mack]

Yes you could turn of your skimmer for a bit .. just keeping testing no3 and po4 every couple of days ..and I think removing the chemipure is also a good idea .. also I think your ammonia test was a false reading it’s probably just 0 ..

 

[Joel Franco]

You could also add nitrates weekly to keep them above 0.

 

[Jchap]

Joel - how would you suggest doing this?

 

[Jason mack]

You can buy a bottle of nitrate+

 

[Joel Franco]

I ran into this issue at the beginning of this year with my 80 gallon tank and I started dosing Spectracide Stump Remover and it works great. Here is the link for the product on Amazon. You can not get this in stores anymore.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GVYXK...t=&hvlocphy=9011449&hvtargid=pla-308729748429

 

[Flippers4pups]

You can use this calculator to dose potassium nitrate:

http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/calculator.htm

 

[Scorpius]

Like everyone else has said, nutrients. Your pale corals caught my eye right away.

 

[Cory]

I bleached a monti on purpose to prove it was ultra low po4. Previously the water tested 0.00 ppm po4 on hanna. I added gfo. The monti paled out by the next moring. So yes zero po4 is a real reason.

 

[kazikage42]

I would also like to recommend dosing Seachem Flourish Nitrogen to add nitrates bc i personally use it. What the others mentioned works too, but with this there's no premixing before use. Ready to use right out the jug. Just start slow and work your way up to your tanks nutrient take up. I dose 3ml per day in my 90 gallon and my nitrates always stay within 2-5ppm.

 

[IanMauger]

I've recently noticed that a couple of my SPS have started to bleach out, specifically about half of one of my red dragon's. Looking for some advice on what may be the issue.

Info on tank/parameters:
45 Gallon Shallow, been up and running for about year and a half
(2) Kessil A360w lights
(2) MP10 pumps and also upgraded main pump, run them at full power, so fairly high flow
Try to do a 7 gallon water change every weekend, sometimes it's every other weekend, use Red Sea coral pro salt
Skimz SC163 skimmer
Dosing BRS 2 part setup on automatic timers
Just recently started design Acropower after talking to LFS about SPS colors being pale
2 fish: golden rhomboid wrasse and a yellow coris wrasse
Feed them once a day with Rods fish food
Alk: 9.2
Mag: 1520
Calc: 430
Ammonia: .25 - this has been 0 since the tank was started, not sure why it's up
Ph: 8.2-8.4
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
PO4: 0
Salinity: 1.25
Temp: 79

Any help or suggestions will be much appreciated.

1. As everyone said, bump up the NO3 and PO4 a bit, that would be were I would start. Remember, slowly bump it if you’re going to dose.
2. Lighting. Those Kessils can be torch’s and you can’t even tell. I fried one too many SPS frags without even thinking about the lights. I have 360we’s on my tank, for me SPS thrives with 35% color and 40% intensity.