Question about these corals?

[fireman23]

I have some corals that arent coloring up like i think they should be. They are growing just less color. Tell me what you think. I have a 110 im running two 175w halides. Two 54 w t5 actinics that are due for replacement. I run t5 from10a to 10p. Halides from 3 to 9p. My parameters are stable. Temp stays around 80 to 81. I dont check for phosphate or ph. Plate coral is on bottom. The other two are midways.

 

[Dowtish]

Definitely seems like bleaching. I would cut your T5 photoperiod down 10 hours, and your MH down to 4-5 hours and see how they do.

 

[mixer911]

have you ever checked the PAR reading in the tank. Depending on depth, 175W does not sound like enough liight.

 

[fireman23]

Ok ill try that. Could t5 bulbs needing to be replaced have anyt NJ ing to.do with it

 

[fireman23]

No i never have. I am upgrading to 250 watts after christmas. The plate coral use to hqve more color as well as frogspawn.

 

[fireman23]

The tank is 30 deep

 

[mixer911]

The tank is 30 deep

wow, yea I think they are getting light starved. I would put them higher in the tank until you upgrade. 30" deep tanks could even use 400w for SPS, just my .02.

corals colors come from pigments in them that allow them to protect themselves from the sun, kinda like sunscreen. So I think your issues is not enough light penetration.

 

[fireman23]

How does one tell the difference between light starvation and bleaching?

 

[mixer911]

Bleaching will usually also show some sort of tissue die off after over exposure. Yours look like they have good tissue, just really opaque in color, so they are lacking pigments.

So that being said, you still can have too long of a photo period and not enough light penetration (intensity or PAR).

 

[fireman23]

Thanks. Ill move them up closer to light then and shorten my light cycle

 

[Dowtish]

Hmm...i love how we gave exact opposite suggestions. But Rick is more than likely correct, given he is way more experienced than I am. Hahaha

Typed from my phone, because I have nothing better to do.

 

[fireman23]

Im gonna try both.

 

[fireman23]

Will lowering my lights down lower help any until i upgrade to tge 250 halides

 

[saratj1]

I'm kinda having the same issue with one of my coral. I think I got it from a reef club member (toxic, I think) but it looks fairly happy, but is losing color slowly. I have other sps close to it that have good color.
I have 120w led (Chinese) with 90 deg. Optics. 2:1 blue to white. I run it at blue 100%, white 95% , it's located about half way down a 30" deep tank.

Here's a pic when I got it.

Here's a pic now.