Cyphastrea Bleaching Please Help!

[Dark_Knightt]

SO the other day I went to my LFS to get some salt and copepods, and I noticed that in all of their tanks their lighting is very blue and darker, and everything is thriving. SO I went home and I decided to make the lighting a bit bluer. Now im not sure if its just started now that the lighting is low but I noticed that my cyphastrea is bleaching! Just like you see in documentaries, one side has flesh falling off and has the white squeleton showing.
The cyphastrea is placed in the sandbed, but im thinking maybe one of the sides wasnt getting light because it may have been on an angle. Ive moved it to a different place with less lighting (because the bottom of the tank has higher lighting). Ill post params shortly, please help #reefsquad

 

[Dark_Knightt]

Here are my params:
Temp:78F
NO3:0
NO2: 0
pH looks a bit low: around 7.9
KH: about 120
Salinity: I cant get an exact reading using my Coralife Hydrometer and Salinity Reef Salt. It always goes all the way to the top of the hydrometer past all the numbers. Ive had times where I thought it was for real so I added maybe 1-2 litres of freshwater but it doesnt do anything. But I just measured my bucket of water for top off and it was 1.024.
PO4: 0, but i dont see how thats possible because my xenia is thriving.
Hopefully this helped. (this reminds me I need to get some better test strips)

 

[Bleigh]

Do you have any pictures? I will say, Cyphastrea always look rough to me before they start growing. All the ones I have get pale when they’re forming new tissue. Once the frag has grown more, the color in the center deepens.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

Do you have any pictures? I will say, Cyphastrea always look rough to me before they start growing. All the ones I have get pale when they’re forming new tissue. Once the frag has grown more, the color in the center deepens.

Its not like the skin is getting paler, the skin is just falling off to show the squeleton. I would believe its because the pH is too low, so Im going to try and buy some Seachem Marine Buffer to buffer the elements in the water to the correct numbers. Ive noticed one of my torches and my bubble coral havent been as inflated as usual, so i would assume they are also being affected.

 

[nereefpat]

Pics would be good.

"Flesh falling off" doesn't sound like bleaching. That sounds like death.

It could be the change in lighting. I would get a way to accurately measure salinity, either a refractometer and calibration fluid or a floating glass hydrometer.

I would believe its because the pH is too low, so Im going to try and buy some Seachem Marine Buffer to buffer the elements in the water to the correct numbers.

I would bet the farm that it's not because of pH. And marine "buffers" only raise alkalinity, so don't add them unless you want to raise the alk.

 

[Bleigh]

Its not like the skin is getting paler, the skin is just falling off to show the squeleton. I would believe its because the pH is too low, so Im going to try and buy some Seachem Marine Buffer to buffer the elements in the water to the correct numbers. Ive noticed one of my torches and my bubble coral havent been as inflated as usual, so i would assume they are also being affected.

That ph is in the safe range. It’s on the low side of safe. What did you mean when you said your kh is 120? I may need to look that up if it’s a different scale.

What are you testing the no3 and po4 with?
Also are you topping off with salt water or am I misunderstanding?

a picture of your tank would be awesome. What light are you using?

sorry for all the questions.

 

[nereefpat]

Alkalinity of 120 ppm of CaCO3 = 6.7 dKH. I always have to look that up too.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

Pics would be good.

"Flesh falling off" doesn't sound like bleaching. That sounds like death.

It could be the change in lighting. I would get a way to accurately measure salinity, either a refractometer and calibration fluid or a floating glass hydrometer.


I would bet the farm that it's not because of pH. And marine "buffers" only raise alkalinity, so don't add them unless you want to raise the alk.

What would you recommend getting to bring the pH back up? Also should I change the lighting back?(its a 20g tank if thats necessary to know)

 

[Dark_Knightt]

That ph is in the safe range. It’s on the low side of safe. What did you mean when you said your kh is 120? I may need to look that up if it’s a different scale.

What are you testing the no3 and po4 with?
Also are you topping off with salt water or am I misunderstanding?

a picture of your tank would be awesome. What light are you using?

sorry for all the questions.

1) Im testing NO3 with API test strips and then PO4 with Salifert Profi Test.
2) Yes I am topping off with saltwater. Man now that I realize it that could be a problem...
Ill see if I can get a picture, my lighting is AI Prime HD16

 

[nereefpat]

Nice work, @Bleigh .
I would take a sample to your LFS and see what your salinity is.

I would not attempt to change the pH. It's fine where it is.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

Nice work, @Bleigh .
I would take a sample to your LFS and see what your salinity is.

I would not attempt to change the pH. It's fine where it is.

Thats kinda hard for me because the nearest LFS is 45mins away. (Plus im 15 and cant just drive myself and my mom gets annoyed anytime i need to go to the LFS) Should I change the lighting back to what I had it at? How can I stop the cyphastrea from dying? Also not sure if you read it but my bubble coral isnt doing so well either (not inflating) and one of my torches wont open very much (although my other torch is doing fantastic). What do you suggest I do?

 

[Bleigh]

Thats kinda hard for me because the nearest LFS is 45mins away. (Plus im 15 and cant just drive myself and my mom gets annoyed anytime i need to go to the LFS) Should I change the lighting back to what I had it at? How can I stop the cyphastrea from dying? Also not sure if you read it but my bubble coral isnt doing so well either (not inflating) and one of my torches wont open very much (although my other torch is doing fantastic). What do you suggest I do?

I’m concerned about your salinity levels. Your ph is really fine for what you have. People only start bumping up ph when they’re focusing on things growing. Your levels won’t cause something to die.

your salt may be way too high though. The salt stays in the tank when water evaporates. If you’re topping off with salt water, you’re increasing the concentration of salt. You should be topping off with RODI water. Consider doing a big water change. You should use salt water when you do a water change.
How long have you been topping off with salt water?

 

[Bleigh]

Alkalinity of 120 ppm of CaCO3 = 6.7 dKH. I always have to look that up too.

That’s getting on the low side too. But the salinity seems like that may be the most immediate problem.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

I’m concerned about your salinity levels. is really fine for what you have. People only start bumping up ph when they’re focusing on things growing. Your levels won’t cause something to die.

your salt may be way too high though. The salt stays in the tank when water evaporates. If you’re topping off with salt water, you’re increasing the concentration of salt. You should be topping off with RODI water. Consider doing a big water change. You should use salt water when you do a water change.
How long have you been topping off with salt water?

I usually top off with saltwater that about 1.020. The problem is whenever I get a salinity reading it way too high, so I will add like 2 litres of freshwater and it simply wont do anything. If the salinity gets way too high would things have started dying a long time ago?
Ill do a water change, I got new salt (Fritz) so ill do a water change with that, maybe change the lighting back to what I had it?

 

[Bleigh]

I usually top off with saltwater that about 1.020. The problem is whenever I get a salinity reading it way too high, so I will add like 2 litres of freshwater and it simply wont do anything. If the salinity gets way too high would things have started dying a long time ago?

You want to top off with 1.000 water. If you were adding salt slowly like that, there is a range that they would have been okay, as it would have been a gradual change. But it would get to a point where it would cause the cells to become hypertonic and they would die. A hydrometer can be highly Inaccurate. A refractometer and calibration fluid would be super helpful.

im assuming the hydrometer is giving you 1.025 for the fresh salt water. What is it giving you for your tank? If it’s crazy, it probably is just way too much salt. if so, Maybe do a 50% change so you don’t shock them too much the opposite direction.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

You want to top off with 1.000 water. If you were adding salt slowly like that, there is a range that they would have been okay, as it would have been a gradual change. But it would get to a point where it would cause the cells to become hypertonic and they would die. A hydrometer can be highly Inaccurate. A refractometer and calibration fluid would be super helpful.

im assuming the hydrometer is giving you 1.025 for the fresh salt water. What is it giving you for your tank? If it’s crazy, it probably is just way too much salt. if so, Maybe do a 50% change so you don’t shock them too much the opposite direction.

Yes my freshsaltwater says 1.025, but in my tank the reading goes past the numbers. Ill do the large water change and hopeully thatll change something.

 

[nereefpat]

Yes my freshsaltwater says 1.025, but in my tank the reading goes past the numbers. Ill do the large water change and hopeully thatll change something.

Okay. I believe your tank is 20 gallons. I would start by changing out about 2 gallons and replacing with 2 gallons of RO water, not saltwater. See if you can get a reading on the tank after that.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

Okay. I believe your tank is 20 gallons. I would start by changing out about 2 gallons and replacing with 2 gallons of RO water, not saltwater. See if you can get a reading on the tank after that.

RO pure freshwater?

 

[nereefpat]

RO pure freshwater?

yes

 

[Dark_Knightt]

yes

Ok. Kapisch