Lps frags browning, covered in air bubbles?

[ibob991]

I came home from work today to find some of my new LPS frags browning and a bunch of air bubbles around the frag holder. Frags have been in the tank for just about a week, not really sure this is a "bleaching issue", my gut is telling me it might be dino's, cyano or diatoms. Any advice on how to determine what this is and if the LPS will survive? Weird part is I don't see this anywhere else in the tank and the rest of the corals seem perfectly normal.

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

Need your tank parameters to help. Browning corals is pretty common for higher nitrates

 

[ibob991]

Alk 7.7
Calc 425
Mag 1320
Temp 78
Salinity: 1.20
Ph: 8
Phos: 0.08
Nitrate <68 ppm

Need your tank parameters to help. Browning corals is pretty common for higher nitrates

This is very possible, the tank has a ton of nitrate in it and I am currently in the process of restoring it. The frags are almost 2 weeks old, it would take this long for them to actually brown?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I see dino's present and I agree on the nitrates up a bit. I would do a water change, and move gravel around as you siphon and reduce the whites to 25% and blues to 75-80% and assure good water flow without blasting the current

 

[ibob991]

I see dino's present and I agree on the nitrates up a bit. I would do a water change, and move gravel around as you siphon and reduce the whites to 25% and blues to 75-80% and assure good water flow without blasting the current

blues are normally 75%, whites are 40 but i now have them adjusted to 30

 

[crny1]

Salinity seems a bit low also.

 

[ibob991]

Salinity seems a bit low also.

Yes this is being addressed via top off with salt water.


Is there any chance this stuff makes it? It looks like the feeding tentacles are all browned so I'm not sure if it's even still alive. Hammer looks OK and the zoa are fine but the galexia and acans don't.

 

[crny1]

I wouldnt count them out yet.
I would double check your nitrate test reading, even if it means having another reefer or LFS test your water to verify your results.
I would also move the frags lower in the tank for less PAR for the time being and some light to modrate flow. I like to keep my alk at 9-10 so for me your 7.7 seems a bit low. If your going to raise it do it slowly.

 

[BrandonM]

I wouldnt count them out yet.
I would double check your nitrate test reading, even if it means having another reefer or LFS test your water to verify your results.
I would also move the frags lower in the tank for less PAR for the time being and some light to modrate flow. I like to keep my alk at 9-10 so for me your 7.7 seems a bit low. If your going to raise it do it slowly.

I agree