Green slimer partially bleached

[dbleoh7]

So my green slimer appears to be partially bleached. I think it's mostly in the areas that are shaded and I'm thinking it may be because of the single AI prime puck causing shading... Just want opinions on if this is the likely culprit or if there are other things I should consider... My tank has been running and cycled for 4 months with stable parameters. I got the green slimer a month ago and it has been slowly getting kind of bleached out as you can see in the pictures. The only small issue right now is a bit of cyano on the sand bed(very small amount). I've kept the PAR at the green slimer around 300 (Apogee PAR meter) with the AB+, but 2 weeks ago I thought I may be giving it too much light and brought the PAR down to 240 on it, which made it worse, so now I have the lighting schedule below, slowly increasing the PAR back to 300. I'm thinking about buying another AI Prime to put on it to help with the shading or getting a Radion XR30 (I'm upgrading to a 80 gallon in August so I'd use this in that)... But I've also seen SPS nanos with single AI prime pucks on Youtube with Acro that looks completely healthy even in the shaded areas... Any advice? Get another light?

Tank: Waterbox 10 gallon AIO. Standard filtration with no skimmer. Not currently running carbon. Small chaeto in the sump chamber
Stock: 2 small clowns, mostly softy frags, a rainbow BTA(doing well), montipora(doing well), green slimer(doing not so well)
Water changes: 20% weekly
Light: Single AI Prime HD
Reef Roids 1-2x/week

Temp: 77.8
Salinity: 1.026
pH: 8.0
kH: 9.3
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5
Phosphate: 0
Calcium: 430
Magnesium: 1200

 

[Cory]

Its probably the 0 po4.

 

[dbleoh7]

Its probably the 0 po4.

What do you recommend to increase it? Less water changes?

 

[Cory]

What do you recommend to increase it? Less water changes?

Id add some sodium phosphate

 

[dbleoh7]

Id add some sodium phosphate

Alright thanks. I'll look into getting some. So you don't think the single puck AI prime is a major player in it?

 

[Cory]

Can you get a pic of the coral with flash or whites?

 

[kevin_e]

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion re: phosphate. Hard to see what's going on. Are you losing tissue quickly? Slowly? Is the issue entiey on the underside?

 

[dbleoh7]

Can you get a pic of the coral with flash or whites?

Pics with just whites

 

[dbleoh7]

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion re: phosphate. Hard to see what's going on. Are you losing tissue quickly? Slowly? Is the issue entiey on the underside?

It's been a slow process. It appears to be primarily the underside... There is still decent polyp extension in the areas where the LED hits it, outlined in the picture above in just whites. The back of it, which gets no direct or indirect light is almost entirely bleached out

 

[Redfoxtang]

Would definitely blame it on low P04. I would feed more frozen foods or dose P04 to bring it up.

 

[dbleoh7]

Would definitely blame it on low P04. I would feed more frozen foods or dose P04 to bring it up.

I feed flakes daily and then frozen mysis twice weekly. So you'd increase the mysis feedings to daily or would you change to a different frozen?

 

[deahttub]

Feed heavier. I had slimers bleech out cause of low nitrate...took several months of heavy feeding for it to recover

 

[jp_75]

phosphate at zero not good
magnesium little low
bugs?

 

[kevin_e]

Low phosphate isn't going to cause the underside of a coral to bleach. It would be more uniform. I'm not saying it isn't a problem, but don't necessarily think it's the problem with the underside. That coral does look super pale though. Either too much light or too little feeding...or a combination of both. Do you still have polyps on the underside?

 

[bobssecrtsn]

its the LEDS. that causes the shadowing. if you notice people use t5 as a suppliment its because it floods the tank with light.

 

[dbleoh7]

Low phosphate isn't going to cause the underside of a coral to bleach. It would be more uniform. I'm not saying it isn't a problem, but don't necessarily think it's the problem with the underside. That coral does look super pale though. Either too much light or too little feeding...or a combination of both. Do you still have polyps on the underside?

Yeah there are still polyps on the underside, they're just bleached out. I've been debating on getting another AI prime or a Radion xr30 for better spread (would use xr30 in my 80 gallon upgrade this summer)

 

[dbleoh7]

its the LEDS. that causes the shadowing. if you notice people use t5 as a suppliment its because it floods the tank with light.

Yeah there aren't many options for T5s or LED strips for a 10 gallon. That I know of anyway

 

[kevin_e]

Yeah there are still polyps on the underside, they're just bleached out. I've been debating on getting another AI prime or a Radion xr30 for better spread (would use xr30 in my 80 gallon upgrade this summer)

Could be shadowing then. I've had that happen with birdsnest with halides. With a direct point source, it could just be shadowing.

 

[nereefpat]

Pics with just whites

That pic isn't from shadowing. Coral is slowly dying. Not sure why. I would start by lowering the alk from 9.3 to closer to 7.3.

 

[dbleoh7]

That pic isn't from shadowing. Coral is slowly dying. Not sure why. I would start by lowering the alk from 9.3 to closer to 7.3.

The tank it came from had an alk of 9 and it was thriving so I don't think the alk is what is causing it