Is my torch bleaching and what can I do?

[New&no clue]

After I put the kids down for a nap and started on cleaning I paused to lovingly gaze into my tank... 20 mins later of lovingly gazing... I notice my purple/pink torches tentacles were fading. Not all of them just some. Some tentacles have gone translucent, some just the top side. Is this it starting to bleach, and what can I do to fix it

TANK PARAMETERS
Nitrates: 10
Alkaline: 8
Calcium: 480
Magnesium:1290
Phosphates: .08
Salinity: 1.025
Temperature:79

TANK SPECS
Red Sea Reefer 350
(2)Current USA IC Pro lights
(4) T5 lights- 2 Blue+, 2 Coral+
(2) 1050 power heads- Current USA(with covers)
1050 return pump-Current USA

The torch has been in the tank for about a month and been looking good. It extends and seems to be growing. 2 weeks after I got the torch I added T5 lighting and have been slowly ramping up the time, adding an hour every 3-4days. Currently they are on for 5 hours.

Is the light to much, should I lower it down on the rocks?

 

[Joedubyk]

It looks OK. Your nitrates are really low, which is fine if corals are getting fed. However, you have a new tank, good filtration and a light bioload, it may be starving. I would increase feeding or try some coral food to make sure your corals are well-fed.

Hard to know about the lights without a par meter. Torches don't need a lot of light.

 

[mta_morrow]

It looks OK, but I highly recommend raising your nutrients.

5-10 ppm nitrates, .05-.1 phosphates. IMO

 

[45ZoaGarden]

It looks OK, but I highly recommend raising your nutrients.

5-10 ppm nitrates, .05-.1 phosphates. IMO

+1

 

[New&no clue]

which is fine if corals are getting fed.

I feed the corals twice a week with mysis shrimp and reef roids. I feed the fish everyday brine shrimp and I always feed a little extra so the larger corals can get some of that.

so it’s okay that the bottom tentacles are a dark purple and on the top they are a light pink almost clear?

 

[New&no clue]

It looks OK, but I highly recommend raising your nutrients.

what’s the best way to do that? I thought it had to do with feeding and I feel like I already way over fed my tank

 

[Joedubyk]

what’s the best way to do that? I thought it had to do with feeding and I feel like I already way over fed my tank

Not if your nitrates are .1

Plus, LPS can do very well in a much dirtier tank.

 

[Samina]

Not if your nitrates are .1

Plus, LPS can do very well in a much dirtier tank.

+1 on that. What are your phosphates?

 

[New&no clue]

Not if your nitrates are .1

Plus, LPS can do very well in a much dirtier tank.

sorry, so I test with Salifert and my nitrates are between 10-15ppm. Then I put it into an app and it converts it to .1... why I don’t know but that’s what it likes to display nitrates. It’s a weird app

 

[New&no clue]

+1 on that. What are your phosphates?

I have the Hanna ulr phosphate last reading was .08.

 

[ScottB]

Along with the rest I'd say the torch looks pretty good and higher nutrients are safer. To raise them, you can increase nutrient inputs (food) or decrease export (skimming, socks, refugium, GFO, water changes...).

Wait, well with that post of .08 on PO4 you have some nutrient. (And good on you for having that tool available!)
Unsure why nitrates would be low then. Perhaps your rock had some stored PO4.

I'll go take a look at your build thread before I ask more uninformed questions. Back later.

 

[New&no clue]

Okay I know you said it looks okay but here’s another picture where you can better see the color change in some of the tentacles

 

[New&no clue]

Unsure why nitrates would be low then.

I had the wrong decimal place, my nitrates are 10-15.

 

[Samina]

Well your nitrates and phosphates seem pretty good then!

Any chance you have other coral (most specifically lps) close by and maybe have a bit of warfare on your hands? Have a FTS?

 

[45ZoaGarden]

That coloration is normal.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

If it were bleaching, the tentacles would be completely white. Chances are, you can’t bleach your torch. I have mine in 350+ par next to an acro and it’s happy. Your nutrients are fine.

 

[IKD]

To me I think it looks fine. Is it staying out and flowing normally? Could be the lighting at the time you looked at it too

 

[New&no clue]

Any chance you have other coral (most specifically lps) close by and maybe have a bit of warfare on your hands?

I have an elegance right below it in the sand, and a hammer on the other side of the tank

 

[ScottB]

Wow, that diamond goby is on steroids. Sure it isn't an engineer goby?

 

[New&no clue]

Wow, that diamond goby is on steroids. Sure it isn't an engineer goby?

OMG tell me about it