Stylophora bleaching from the bottom?

[Dburr1014]

This makes total sense (shading). It’s the part closest to the rock that would receive the least amount of light that is starting to do this. I haven’t noticed any algae growth on the coral itself.

But I'm not seeing any shading that would do that.
And then he said "high phosphate" would do that. We established you don't have high phosphate.

 

[derek12261984]

But I'm not seeing any shading that would do that.
And then he said "high phosphate" would do that. We established you don't have high phosphate.

Yeah, definitely not high on po4

 

[derek12261984]

But I'm not seeing any shading that would do that.
And then he said "high phosphate" would do that. We established you don't have high phosphate.

But the top of the coral does cast a shadow on the lower portion of the frag. It’s just in a weird spot between my 2 lights

 

[X-37B]

Here is the tank currently. I’ve got two clown fish, a lawnmower, bunny, a six line, several different types of snails and hermits, one C hair, a yellow tang and a mandarin goby, and two tuxedo urchins. The system itself is about six months old. I feed small amounts three times a day. I dose the tank currently with all four reef and Neo nitro. Water changes are 10% every other week.

Hard to see. Some white light would help.
Is that the setting you use for your
system when the lights are at your set level?
If it is the par looks weak.
The low light you say you read about is nonsense, imo.
Light at the correct level is something you need to focus on.

What lights do you run?

In your current situation turning up the lights will create more algae.

Focus on getting your system stable. Get your aglae under control. The algae is using all the no3 and po4 you put in the system.

 

[derek12261984]

Hard to see. Some white light would help.
Is that the setting you use for your
system when the lights are at your set level?
If it is the par looks weak.
The low light you say you read about is nonsense, imo.
Light at the correct level is something you need to focus on.

In your current situation turning up the lights will create more algae.

Focus on getting your system stable. Get your aglae under control. The algae is using all the no3 and po4 you put in the system.

Oh no that is moonlight mode which kicks on a little before lights out. I have a 140 W light on each side of the tank. I am running low whites (less than 5% warm and bright white) with my blues/purples at about 75%. The green hair algae has been the bane of my growing experience lol. I will say, however, that my numbers, water quality wise, have been super steady and I think that has something to do with fields of green my refugium (lol my aquarium) has growing. I test everything three times a week and it’s almost always in that same pocket that you can see in my picture. I do have flux rx on hand but I’ve been paranoid about putting any chemicals into my system. In fact, the only chemical filtration I have on the unit currently is a small pack of purigen.

 

[derek12261984]

Hard to see. Some white light would help.
Is that the setting you use for your
system when the lights are at your set level?
If it is the par looks weak.
The low light you say you read about is nonsense, imo.
Light at the correct level is something you need to focus on.

What lights do you run?

In your current situation turning up the lights will create more algae.

Focus on getting your system stable. Get your aglae under control. The algae is using all the no3 and po4 you put in the system.

Oh and my light schedule looks like this:
9-11:00 slow ramp up.
11-5 full daylight/power using the mix provided above.
6-8 ramp down
8-10 moonlight mode( Blues only at 1%)

 

[derek12261984]

Oh and my light schedule looks like this:
9-11:00 slow ramp up.
11-5 full daylight/power using the mix provided above.
6-8 ramp down
8-10 moonlight mode( Blues only at 1%)

Oh and they are smatfarm lights

 

[X-37B]

Oh no that is moonlight mode which kicks on a little before lights out. I have a 140 W light on each side of the tank. I am running low whites (less than 5% warm and bright white) with my blues/purples at about 75%. The green hair algae has been the bane of my growing experience lol. I will say, however, that my numbers, water quality wise, have been super steady and I think that has something to do with fields of green my refugium (lol my aquarium) has growing. I test everything three times a week and it’s almost always in that same pocket that you can see in my picture. I do have flux rx on hand but I’ve been paranoid about putting any chemicals into my system. In fact, the only chemical filtration I have on the unit currently is a small pack of purigen.

If you like the algae it works same removing both from your system.
Thats why it needs to be removed.

If you can trim it down to the rock a sea hare will have it all gone in several week.

Looks like you started with dead rock so fighting the algae has to be done until its gone. It can take quite awhile.

A few pieces of live rock would help in more ways than you think.

I have used an algaeside in the past and it does work.

Take a pic with lights at your max setting when you can. White gives alot of par so 30% would be a good start.

 

[derek12261984]

If you like the algae it works same removing both from your system.
Thats why it needs to be removed.

If you can trim it down to the rock a sea hare will have it all gone in several week.

Looks like you started with dead rock so fighting the algae has to be done until its gone. It can take quite awhile.

A few pieces of live rock would help in more ways than you think.

I have used an algaeside in the past and it does work.

Take a pic with lights at your max setting when you can. White gives alot of par so 30% would be a good start.

Will do! I’ll grab a picture in the morning. The algae is short enough right now where I have to use my fingernails to pull it and even then it’s difficult to pull out. I do have a sea hare in my tank. He’s been in there for about a month now along with two tuxedo urchins. I can definitely tell they’ve made an impact, but I think it’s gonna take a little more time. I definitely want it out. I’ve just been hesitant to use fluconozal or other algae killers. I am almost to the point, however that I’m ready to give one a try. I’ve always tried to keep things as natural as possible in this tank, and as I was going through the process of setting it up and building, I tried to build a biome from the ground up if that makes sense.

 

[nano reef]

I have a stylo doing the exact same thing. It just started recently I have had it for about 2 months!

Can I ask you guys about easy sps like stylo, digis and birds nest. What kind of po4 and no3 do they like?

The only sps in my tank is that stylo and lepto but not sure if leptos are sps.

I just found out my no3 is up to 25! I added about 3 new fish so I guess that did it and also feeding some new corals.

I have a huge problem! I way overbought because I was owed by 2 company's that sell on ebay and one of them I have stayed on for about 4 to 5 months. They were giving me a huge problem over my credit! Very long story. I couldnt resit it some of these corals that went off pretty cheap.

Some I paid alot for so dont want to loose. They arent giving me all of my credit now! Very very thricky for such famous companys! Ones initals are Cb and the others are asd! Hate to sling mud bit it is what it is!

I am considering carbon dosing with fauna marin or adding a hob refugium. Having some problems getting my skimmer to keep skimming as well so not sure about the carbon dosing but CEO says you dont need it with their carbon source! Not so sure I believe all their claims though as to how different and better their product line of carbon dosing is!

Trying to get this straighten out soon so I can get my coarls shipped. Does it take a while for a refugium to get nitrates and po4 down plus I run gfo and just got my levels right at 0.03 but have also got readings that were up to 0.08 maybe because I use it in the filter sock!


Really wish I could hold these corals until I figure this out! The last time they held my order they ended up sending most of the wrong coarls! Thats why I in this situation with asd! over 1,200 bucks to!

Sorry so much info! I got a little carried away! haha

Oh, I dont know if I should remove gfo if I add the fuge or just take out little by little Fauna marin says little by little

 

[X-37B]

Will do! I’ll grab a picture in the morning. The algae is short enough right now where I have to use my fingernails to pull it and even then it’s difficult to pull out. I do have a sea hare in my tank. He’s been in there for about a month now along with two tuxedo urchins. I can definitely tell they’ve made an impact, but I think it’s gonna take a little more time. I definitely want it out. I’ve just been hesitant to use fluconozal or other algae killers. I am almost to the point, however that I’m ready to give one a try. I’ve always tried to keep things as natural as possible in this tank, and as I was going through the process of setting it up and building, I tried to build a biome from the ground up if that makes sense.

Get 5 turbo snails and 10 trochus sails if you have none to start. They will help alot.
I use them in all my systems.

 

[X-37B]

This is my current purple stylo in my 3 month old ext170.
This is what live rock can do for your system. Its getting 200 par.
There is a purple digi to the right if the stylo.
Zoom in for a closer view.

 

[goosemans]

dosing phosphate and nitrate is just feeding into your algae problem. Stop dosing and do some water changes. Your nutrient export either needs to be increased or increase volume of water changes and/or more frequently.

 

[derek12261984]

dosing phosphate and nitrate is just feeding into your algae problem. Stop dosing and do some water changes. Your nutrient export either needs to be increased or increase volume of water changes and/or more frequently.

I’ll bump it up to weekly. My initial plan was to do a 10% change every week, but with nutrients being so low I didn’t think I should. I had Dino before the algae so I’m paranoid about that coming back

 

[derek12261984]

This is my current purple stylo in my 3 month old ext170.
This is what live rock can do for your system. Its getting 200 par.
There is a purple digi to the right if the stylo.
Zoom in for a closer view.

I’ll look and see if I can find some. I did start with dry rock and bacteria.

 

[thedon986]

dosing phosphate and nitrate is just feeding into your algae problem. Stop dosing and do some water changes. Your nutrient export either needs to be increased or increase volume of water changes and/or more frequently.

Can you explain how water changes would fix his issue of almost zero nitrates and phosphates?

 

[goosemans]

I’ll bump it up to weekly. My initial plan was to do a 10% change every week, but with nutrients being so low I didn’t think I should. I had Dino before the algae so I’m paranoid about that coming back

I understand your concern. You can also soak your rocks in a bucket of tank water with hydrogen peroxide. That’ll vaporize the algae. Just make sure to refill your tank with fresh saltwater afterwards.

 

[goosemans]

Can you explain how water changes would fix his issue of almost zero nitrates and phosphates?

He has zero nitrates and phosphates because the algae is stripping it out of the tank. The test kits are giving a false reading that there is no N & P when in reality there’s too much nutrients hence why he got an algae problem.

 

[X-37B]

I’ll look and see if I can find some. I did start with dry rock and bacteria.

GulfLiveRock overnight to your door for $10lb.
Both of my systems have GLR.
My ext50 is 18 days old. One piece of dead rock. The dead rock will get the uglies for a couple months
The live rock wont.
Par is 100 on the top of the rocks when all are on running ab+ 30%
I shut down 5 system a year ago and moved. Last move as im retired now. However im off to a good start now.

Ext50

 

[Dburr1014]

But the top of the coral does cast a shadow on the lower portion of the frag. It’s just in a weird spot between my 2 lights

I understand what your saying.
I have the same coral, it's actually a massive Colony about 9/10 inches in diameter. All of the top growth Shades the bottom completely. My shading is the flesh Fades to White and there still polyps out.
Yours is very different, the flesh ends hard and you have no polyps. That is a completely different condition than shading.