Pale SPS from too little light?

[James MacFarlane]

Hello all - Thanks for taking a second to give me some advice!

I made a post in the reef chemistry section about pale sps and got some great feedback that has helped. I initially though the issue was nutrient related, but I think nutrients are only part of the story. I am curious about how my lighting may be affecting color, since I've always read that too much light = pale corals.

Tank is a 60x28x28 190 Gal.

Parameters today per Hanna -

Alk - 7.7
Cal - 500
Mag - 1400
Nitrate - 1
Phosphate .07

The twist - I have two AP700s 12 inches over the water running at 60%. I rented a PAR meter (Apogee 500). Most of my SPS are 5-7 inches under the water line, some are a bit more. PAR at the location of my SPS was actually low, under 200 ( 188-190) on average.

So, can low PAR cause pale coloring? Can corals still bleach under low PAR with LEDs? When I speak to Kessill, they just tell me to ignore PAR as a measure, but I have to measure something.

Thanks -

J

 

[bdesign]

Hello all - Thanks for taking a second to give me some advice!

I made a post in the reef chemistry section about pale sps and got some great feedback that has helped. I initially though the issue was nutrient related, but I think nutrients are only part of the story. I am curious about how my lighting may be affecting color, since I've always read that too much light = pale corals.

Tank is a 60x28x28 190 Gal.

Parameters today per Hanna -

Alk - 7.7
Cal - 500
Mag - 1400
Nitrate - 1
Phosphate .07

The twist - I have two AP700s 12 inches over the water running at 60%. I rented a PAR meter (Apogee 500). Most of my SPS are 5-7 inches under the water line, some are a bit more. PAR at the location of my SPS was actually low, under 200 ( 188-190) on average.

So, can low PAR cause pale coloring? Can corals still bleach under low PAR with LEDs? When I speak to Kessill, they just tell me to ignore PAR as a measure, but I have to measure something.

Thanks -

J

I'd check my thread from yesterday:

WHY am I not allowed to have SPS?? I want nice things, too...

I am well aware that I'm asking a nearly impossible and open-ended question, but just curious if I'm missing something obvious. I added several corals on 12/07/19, and OF COURSE, they're dying right before my weeping eyes. I have three large anemones, a very big (to me) Elegance, Hammers...

www.reef2reef.com

You and I have very similar situations/parameters and there are many good answers/explanations given by the community.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Low alk, low light and possibly associated with Water flow, high salinity and even low Ph.
What is Ph and salinity ?

 

[James MacFarlane]

Low alk, low light and possibly associated with Water flow, high salinity and even low Ph.
What is Ph and salinity ?

Salinity is 1.025, pH is 8.18-8.2, drops to 8.05 at night.

 

[James MacFarlane]

Low alk, low light and possibly associated with Water flow, high salinity and even low Ph.
What is Ph and salinity ?

Flow - 2 Wav pumps on the side walls and 2 3k Gyres along the back.

 

[jda]

Low light SPS usually have the "normal" colors, but are pale.

Kessil are known for low output - nearly no super-serious acropora keepers that I know use them alone... all have T5s pulling some serious weight or they got rid of them for more powerful lights.

Too much light with SPS used to mean super bright and rich colors, but slower growth - this was with MH and T5s usually well above 1000 PAR. Too much light with LED meant tip burn and death. If you are not experiencing any of these, then too much light is not an issue. It is not likely too much light.

I am assuming a competent level of water parameters and stability. If you are using organic carbon, GFO, LC or some other media to drive nitrate and phosphorous below NSW levels, then this can cause lightening too... but we area talking like nitrate of less .05 and phosphate that truly measures 0 ppb on a hannah ultra low - you have to be using media and stuff to do this and with your numbers, this is not your issue. Look elsewhere.

BTW - this does not sound like bleaching, but rather being lighter in color. Bleaching is when coral expel zoox due to a stress even - low PAR will not do this. Low PAR will make corals lighter in color.

All in all, I would look to the light not being strong enough.

Just generally speaking, but I would not trust any light manufacturer that tells you that intensity is not an issue. You can bet that if you burnt your corals then Kessil would tell you that you had too much PAR.

 

[ScottB]

Good for you on testing PAR and having your parameters to hand for this post.

Agree, you could use some more PAR. Kinda surprised that 2 AP700s cannot cover a 5 foot tank, but no experience.

Although every system is different, I will take the other side of @jda position that 1ppm nitrate is enough to color up SPS. With testing error factored in you have an equal chance of being 0 NO3 as you do of being +1. Which kit is this? I get pale sticks below 3 in both my systems.

One caveat tho: do you have ANY algae growing? Even film algae? If so, there is enough nitrate.

 

[James MacFarlane]

Low light SPS usually have the "normal" colors, but are pale.

Kessil are known for low output - nearly no super-serious acropora keepers that I know use them alone... all have T5s pulling some serious weight or they got rid of them for more powerful lights.

Too much light with SPS used to mean super bright and rich colors, but slower growth - this was with MH and T5s usually well above 1000 PAR. Too much light with LED meant tip burn and death. If you are not experiencing any of these, then too much light is not an issue. It is not likely too much light.

I am assuming a competent level of water parameters and stability. If you are using organic carbon, GFO, LC or some other media to drive nitrate and phosphorous below NSW levels, then this can cause lightening too... but we area talking like nitrate of less .05 and phosphate that truly measures 0 ppb on a hannah ultra low - you have to be using media and stuff to do this and with your numbers, this is not your issue. Look elsewhere.

BTW - this does not sound like bleaching, but rather being lighter in color. Bleaching is when coral expel zoox due to a stress even - low PAR will not do this. Low PAR will make corals lighter in color.

All in all, I would look to the light not being strong enough.

Just generally speaking, but I would not trust any light manufacturer that tells you that intensity is not an issue. You can bet that if you burnt your corals then Kessil would tell you that you had too much PAR.

Great points and advice, thanks for posting!

 

[James MacFarlane]

Good for you on testing PAR and having your parameters to hand for this post.

Agree, you could use some more PAR. Kinda surprised that 2 AP700s cannot cover a 5 foot tank, but no experience.

Although every system is different, I will take the other side of @jda position that 1ppm nitrate is enough to color up SPS. With testing error factored in you have an equal chance of being 0 NO3 as you do of being +1. Which kit is this? I get pale sticks below 3 in both my systems.

One caveat tho: do you have ANY algae growing? Even film algae? If so, there is enough nitrate.

I do get film on the glass that I need to wipe every other day. Sometimes even daily.

 

[jace]

Hi! I had he same situation with pale and it was increase of lighting intensity for me. The best way given your parameters which all look good would be to increase the % intensity little by little.

I have ap700 and t5 and I did 5% a week and it helped with color

 

[James MacFarlane]

Looking like I’ll be adding some T5s

PAR readings were certainly a disappointment and a surprise given the price per unit, but, live and learn.

 

[ScottB]

Looking like I’ll be adding some T5s

PAR readings were certainly a disappointment and a surprise given the price per unit, but, live and learn.

I had to add T5 due to overgrowth & shading. Sticks LOVED it. Was changing my DOS program every week to keep ALK available.

 

[billwill]

PAR with Kessil is hard to really read and not always correct with PAR meters. The color output is really good though, and I know they grow sps quite well, so I’d simply bump the intensity. Adding a T5 hybrid to the mix would be absolutely perfect! That would eliminate the extreme shimmer that Kessils are known for, so win-win!

 

[James MacFarlane]

Update - Raised nutrients slowly to 4ppm Nitrate and .05 Phosphate. Acros now have color returning at a surprisingly fast rate. Blues and greens seem to be returning, especially greens. Some areas that were pale are now brown, however. What’s with that?

I also bumped my light intensity, everyone seems happier except for a bubblegum digi that bleached from the top. Moved it down.

Adding some pics. You’ll see that some are now brownish instead of white. Keep in mind, these corals were cream colored a week ago -