Slow decline of multiple corals

[PghReef]

Does that not coincide with your last bulb change?

No the bulbs were the same bulbs that grew coral for 5 or 6 months before the decline. Run all ATI. 1 purple, 1 coral, 1 blue, 1 actinic.

 

[Uncle99]

No the bulbs were the same bulbs that grew coral for 5 or 6 months before the decline. Run all ATI. 1 purple, 1 coral, 1 blue, 1 actinic.

I was thinking along the lines of the change in intensity.
An 8 month old T5 might have half the intensity of its starting point, then, changing to a new bulb, doubles that instantly.
Does sound light oriented to me.

 

[PghReef]

I was thinking along the lines of the change in intensity.
An 8 month old T5 might have half the intensity of its starting point, then, changing to a new bulb, doubles that instantly.
Does sound light oriented to me.

The decline started months BEFORE I changed the bulbs. Corals affected include corals directly under high up but also corals on the far side that recieve no direct lighting.

My only other thought was the problem showed up on 1 Monti in March aftwr I introduced a dwarf angel , a lemonpeel. The tank was fallow for the first 6 months as I obtained corals and placed into the tank not wanted to worry about QT and ich. Once I added the last corals I waited my fallow period then transfered over qt fish.Within a day 0 PE, shriveled lps, zoas tightly closed. The angel was picking everything nonstop. Took 3 days to get het out and banished to a basement tank. Corals over weeks slowly came back to life but my forest fire digi continued to decline and die. Eventually it spread to my other montis, Then Birds and candycanes, then stylos and leptos. Still have some acros looking good but color seems off and not growing, zoas Mushroom and frogspaqn look good, and an elegance.

My thought is the nipping opened up wounds for some sort of coral disease to set in. Continued stress and weakened corals lead to death and then it would spread to others like a cascade effect. No clue if that's possible or how to stop it.

 

[outhouse]

I have a 30 inch deep 210 G tank. so mine did this when I switched to leds, everything looked great for a year, then a slow decline for years. My lights started at 60% then after months I was at 80%. I could not figure it out, nothing was bleached and nothing showed signs of over intensity. I switched to 10% blue and 1% white and it was amazing the transformation the tank went through, growth shot through the roof and my tank did a complete 180 turn around. For OP kessels are powerful lights and you can read countless post about lack of growth with Kessils, and its all from over intensity. Turn them down to 20% max for Blue, and give it 2 months. It wont hurt to mimic a cloudy few months, coral still grows perfect with less par. Matter of fact with less par they grow great and you will see the coral literally reaching further for light. Picture below is 10% and 1% in a 30" deep tank

 

[outhouse]

 

[outhouse]

No clue if that's possible or how to stop it.

carbon and water changes, if that is a problem. My tank had a die off and I did almost 100% water changes at the same time I reduced light intensity and the tank instantly responded positively, I almost lost my 40 year old lobo and saved my 20 year old scoly, my frogspawn is slowly coming back but im down to maybe 15-20 heads, and at one time I had over 200 when I was selling coral. good news is some is coming back like babies out of the center of the decaying skeletons. So small pieces were still alive I guess. You can always turn a tank going south around. Less light and large water changes always has worked. In the past 30 years I never lost any coral, only during this lighting fiasco when I ditched MH and VHO have I lost coral switching to leds.

 

[PghReef]

I have a 30 inch deep 210 G tank. so mine did this when I switched to leds, everything looked great for a year, then a slow decline for years. My lights started at 60% then after months I was at 80%. I could not figure it out, nothing was bleached and nothing showed signs of over intensity. I switched to 10% blue and 1% white and it was amazing the transformation the tank went through, growth shot through the roof and my tank did a complete 180 turn around. For OP kessels are powerful lights and you can read countless post about lack of growth with Kessils, and its all from over intensity. Turn them down to 20% max for Blue, and give it 2 months. It wont hurt to mimic a cloudy few months, coral still grows perfect with less par. Matter of fact with less par they grow great and you will see the coral literally reaching further for light. Picture below is 10% and 1% in a 30" deep tank

Very interesting. Do you supplement with t5 lighting as well? Just goes to show I probably should get a par meter to see exactly what I'm blasting at my coral.

Looking back at my log I did increase the intensity and UV spectrum Feb 20th.fish got added March 15th and then the angel removed 3 days later. Corals showed signs of decline beginning March 21st

 

[outhouse]

March 21st

My birthday lol yep lower intensity lol It wont hurt to turn the kessils off. Im running 3 ocean revives barely on. I honestly after 30 years was getting ready to throw in the towel, this new massive growth has me back in the game . my tank used to look like this

 

[outhouse]

 

[PghReef]

My lighting is all 4 t5 bulb from 1030am until 630pm. Kessil schedule as follows
Time. Int-color-uv-red-green
9a. 15. 15 10 0 0
10a. 20 25 15 0 0
11a. 60 50 50 5 5
4p. 60 50 55 5 5
6p. 60 50 40 0 0
7p. 30 35 15 0 0
8p. 10 20 5 0 0
9p 0 0 0 0 0

 

[outhouse]

wow lots of led time after 5 to 6 hours peak intensity the corals cannot absorb anymore light.

I run 2pm to 10pm B so 8 hours and white from 3 to 9 so 6 hours white

 

[PghReef]

Wow beautiful. You might be on to something as when I ran a tank with only t5s years ago I never had any of these problems. I also only kept lps though never many sps. This time I'm sps dominated, and most of my pieces come from vender that blast them with led lights.

I actually got away from large water changes thinking stability would be better. Ib the past whenever I noticed something struggling and would do large WC or start dipping I always felt like the stress of parameter swings or handling caused an accelerated demise

 

[outhouse]

4 t5 bulb from 1030am until 630pm.

very close to mine Your T5s alone should be able to run your tank and grow what ever you want.

 

[DonTavo27]

Just for kicks, check your impellers for rust?
had a similar issue with an old 240g tank I had back in the day. Turned out the shaft to the impeller of one my return pumps cracked and rusted.

 

[outhouse]

I actually got away from large water changes thinking stability would be better.

ive gone years in the past with different methods. when I got away from water changes is when the tank went south. I currently have a 300 g system and do monthly 100g water changes, and my tank looks the best it has in years. Cold water changes or warm, doesnt matter. It loves changed water more the better. BUT I dont notice lack of growth from old water things just start to decay and ill get GHS or bubble algae or both

 

[outhouse]

Just for kicks, check your impellers for rust?
had a similar issue with an old 240g tank I had back in the day. Turned out the shaft to the impeller of one my return pumps cracked and rusted.

heard the same for cracked magnets

 

[PghReef]

My lighting is all 4 t5 bulb from 1030am until 630pm. Kessil schedule as follows
Time. Int-color-uv-red-green
9a. 15. 15 10 0 0
10a. 20 25 15 0 0
11a. 60 50 50 5 5
4p. 60 50 55 5 5
6p. 60 50 40 0 0
7p. 30 35 15 0 0
8p. 10 20 5 0 0
9p 0 0 0 0 0

wow lots of led time after 5 to 6 hours peak intensity the corals cannot absorb anymore light.

I run 2pm to 10pm B so 8 hours and white from 3 to 9 so 6 hours white

So it's only about 7 hours of more intense led lighting to coincide with the t5s. The other hours before and after provide an extra 5 hours of bluer lighting with ramp up and down just for viewing pleasure. I thought a lot of people run 12 hour cycles with ramp up and down no?

Back when I had just t5 I did a quad t5 bulb for 10 hours on my 46 gallon.

 

[outhouse]

I always felt like the stress of parameter swings or handling caused an accelerated demise

I have done SPS in the past successfully. But not only SPS so take my advise with a grain of salt, but large water changes never lost me a single piece of coral in 30 years

 

[outhouse]

a lot of people run 12 hour cycles with ramp up and down no?

They do , but it is only for viewing pleasure. it does not enhance growth at all.

 

[PghReef]

heard the same for cracked magnets

Check everything monthly and no signs of rust or problems. Although I am due to take apart and clean the skimmer and return pumps so I havnt seen those impellers. All PH magnets look good, I know vortech has a few issues with swelling and rust. I'd think that'd show iron or other trace metals on ICP if it were an issue though but could be wrong