Need some help with LPS

[Sabellafella]

I have my lights (three radions) set at 50% max intensity. Should I lower it? Im running Ecotech Coral Lab LPS program. I just lowered the intensity from 100% to 50%.

You were running your lights at 100 prior to today? About 15 inches away from a radion full everything is about 1000 par. Sure can fry everything

 

[Elementalj]

I'm thinking infection, especially as you lost a torch in one night. Reefsquad will have more answers

I'll second infection or light.

 

[Elementalj]

You were running your lights at 100 prior to today? About 15 inches away from a radion full everything is about 1000 par. Sure can fry everything

The kessil I've got could probably fry an egg!

 

[Ljaus]

Since day 1. I never used the 100%.

@Sabellafella I asked the same question. He runs them at 50%

 

[Sabellafella]

I have my lights (three radions) set at 50% max intensity. Should I lower it? Im running Ecotech Coral Lab LPS program. I just lowered the intensity from 100% to 50%.

Wait so you lowered the coral lav program to 50 to start with? Majority of my buddys run their radions at 35% on full blown sps reefs. But still doesnt explain why your scolys hurt, their almost un killable lol. Only thing i can think of is 1 - your sg/ph/temp is fluxing too much, could also be the reason why others are suffering. 2 - your alk spiked like madd, but im sure you know what your doing. Or 3 your light intensity toasted stuff to no return, you said stuff bleached? Your n03 mag and p04 look fine to me, should not be any reason for bleaching. Try to dip everything in iodine, and shadow it. Bacterial usually shows up after the damage is done, so an antiseptic dip is always a good start

 

[Sabellafella]

The kessil I've got could probably fry an egg!

Try it =)

 

[Elementalj]

I think I'll pass [emoji13]

 

[Breakthecycle2]

You were running your lights at 100 prior to today? About 15 inches away from a radion full everything is about 1000 par. Sure can fry everything

No, I mentioned I never ran 100%. It's at 50% since day 1.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

SO, should I lower the overall intensity?

 

[DSPENCE]

I've never been a fan of LED's but they've been the topic of many conversations and I suppose will continue to be. Can you better describe what you mean by losing the torch overnight? Tissue dropping off? Tissue turning to brown jelly? I've read that some believe LPS don't get all they need from led's and benefit from supplemental feeding....may be a particular problem in nutrient void tank, and are at risk of being burned by PAR that's too high. Might be a thought, especially with the SPS doing well. Do you feed the LPS?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

I've never been a fan of LED's but they've been the topic of many conversations and I suppose will continue to be. Can you better describe what you mean by losing the torch overnight? Tissue dropping off? Tissue turning to brown jelly? I've read that some believe LPS don't get all they need from led's and benefit from supplemental feeding....may be a particular problem in nutrient void tank, and are at risk of being burned by PAR that's too high. Might be a thought, especially with the SPS doing well. Do you feed the LPS?

I do feed. About twice a week. I lowered the overall intensity to 40%. To my surprise, everything seemed to be more opened on the LPS side. As far as the torch goes, I lost 4 heads awhile back, then the remaining heads literally overnight..maybe two days. No brown jelly m

 

[reeferfoxx]

I lost 4 heads awhile back, then the remaining heads literally overnight

Keep the skeletons in there if you haven't already trashed them. They may regrow new heads. I think the same can be said for other LPS as well.

 

[Elementalj]

I snapped a couple real quick. Zoas , mushrooms and even SPS seem good. I even have an Indo elegance now for 4 months. Its just very strange.

Looking at the top picture, you seem to have stripes on the centers of either side? Is that support brace or gaps in the light fixtures?

 

[Elementalj]

The rock scape is nice btw. [emoji106]

 

[BigJim]

What are you using to test alk. I had a similar issue a few years ago and it was because I got lazy about testing my alk and I got a bad batch of salt with very low alk. My alk was below 6 and I lost a trachy that looked just like you scoly

 

[DSPENCE]

I'm glad to hear that you've noticed improvement in the tissue expansion since lowering the lights, and I'd say that you're probably onto something there. I keep a variety of LPS under 2-T5's with 1Actinic PC, and I have a 2nd tank that's a rimless tank with led's that was a gift and I've been playing around with it. Have noticed that there are definitely some coral that do better than others under them, some color morphs that do better than others and some coral that flat out don't like the led's at all, but come around when moved to the tank with the T-5's.

I'm a firm believer in feeding....they'd be eating if they were on a reef and if the feeders are out, I feed it. Glad to hear that your feeding them. It's probably even more important for you to keep it up, since you're doing frequent water changes and keeping the tank light on dissolved organics. I hope you continue to see improvements....you may even try moving some of the LPS in the shade of some of the rock work and see if there's even more expansion.

 

[Jbryan243]

I've had similar issues over the years and if I was a beating man I'd go with light intensity. Thinks about it, SPS and others all doing well so it can't be salinity and the others listed below so it's either infection or the light intensity and I'd pick the light intensity. I've had LPS before do the same and threw them in a dark corner and forgot about em, in one case I had a candy cane that had 3 dying heads appear with with 9 healthy heads after 6 months? It's all a mystery on what lives or dies anyway.
ALK. 8.3
CAL. 420
PHO. .08 (ish)
Nitrate 10
Salinity 1.24
MAG 1400 (ish)

 

[Breakthecycle2]

The rock scape is nice btw. [emoji106]

Thank you!

 

[Breakthecycle2]

What are you using to test alk. I had a similar issue a few years ago and it was because I got lazy about testing my alk and I got a bad batch of salt with very low alk. My alk was below 6 and I lost a trachy that looked just like you scoly

Hanna and Red Sea kits.

 

[Elementalj]

My Hanna is so quick, it's incredible.