Too much light? Too little? Or something else?

[Will Wohlers]

I bet it's not nutrients then. I bet you have consistent trace amounts that are being consumed and to low for hobby test kits to register. With low nutrients then you did right lowering the par first. I bet it was more light related if you're regularly feeding that heavy. Dont go crazy raising the no3 and po4 much just increase your daily fish feeding coupled with the par decrease and you'll see a turn around. Remember they bleach far faster then they color back up so don't get discouraged if you don't see an immediate turn around. As long as they're holding steady and not looking worse just be patient.

 

[reef_ninja]

I bet it's not nutrients then. I bet you have consistent trace amounts that are being consumed and to low for hobby test kits to register. With low nutrients then you did right lowering the par first. I bet it was more light related if you're regularly feeding that heavy. Dont go crazy raising the no3 and po4 much just increase your daily fish feeding coupled with the par decrease and you'll see a turn around. Remember they bleach far faster then they color back up so don't get discouraged if you don't see an immediate turn around. As long as they're holding steady and not looking worse just be patient.

Thanks for the additional input here, it’s pretty much inline with what I was thinking too after hearing from everyone here. Really appreciate it!

 

[Will Wohlers]

Thanks for the additional input here, it’s pretty much inline with what I was thinking too after hearing from everyone here. Really appreciate it!

Good luck my friend. Happy holidays and keep us posted.

 

[anthonygf]

Inadequate lighting. A coral like this needs to be higher in the tank and receive adequate water flow. It’s likely lacking both being on the bottom

I also used a viparspectra 300 on a 46 gallon bowfront for close to 4 years and most corals grew well, I was happy with it. I had mine maybe 6-8 inches above water line, just high enough to get no light spill. I upgraded to 2 kessils 360 for my 75 and now 2 years later some of the LED's flicker at times. Ran my lights 80% blue and 60% whites, got one sps coral and grew into a tree from a twig. Now I have 20 or 30 frags. Keep the light!

 

[anthonygf]

I havent forgotten about this thread, got just a little bit of an update.

I've gone through everything I can reasonably think of to address the bleaching, except get a PAR meter and start dosing N and P. Im getting a PAR meter today, and I'll start dosing N and P this week.

After all my experience in the past, I absolutely cannot believe I have to start dosing these. Never even paid attention to these in past tanks, and my mixed reefs thrived well. My only export is a skimmer (no carbon, no GFO, no filter socks, no macro, not even live sand in the fuge). I do dose 4mls of Vibrant once a week (I believe Im on week 4 or 5 now), so Im not sure why this the zero N and P is such an issue in my tank.

But.....the bleaching continues to spread in the tricolor, but its not gone yet. Im also starting to see some whitening at the base on another small acro frag, and a bit of whitening developing on the edge of one of my chalice frags. Acans aren't as puffy either. So its obviously something systemic. Frogspawn, Duncan, and Poci seem happy though.

Ditch the Vibrant, I seem to have had problems with that stuff.

 

[anthonygf]

The PAR was way too high with the reflectors on. Pushing 500-600 at the top ( and that’s with the intensity turned down to about 25% overall) But the reflectors were making it to where there were extreme differences between areas in which corals were only a couple inches from each other. With the reflectors off, coverage is much more even and consistent now.

nutrients have always frustrated me. I have large maroon clown, a good sized lawnmower blenny, a yellow clown goby, and a smallish splendid dottyback. Plus a small CUC. When I feed, I feed heavy, probably a 1.5 cubes per day, plus pellets daily, plus reef roids 2-3 times a week. Export is only a skimmer. No socks, no gfo/carbon/etc. I change out five gallons every two weeks.

Try running your skimmer drain into the filter section, I have been doing this and has raised my nutrients a little.

 

[reef_ninja]

Ditch the Vibrant, I seem to have had problems with that stuff.

I’m really not a fan of additives like vibrant, was really hesitant to start it in the first place, so it’s an easy choice to stop it. It worked great at helping control the algae though.

 

[terraincognita]

Appreciate the input guys, truly. Kind of a bummer with this acro taking a turn like this, it’s a little discouraging. .

I didn’t think it would need to be raised to higher light so quickly, after just a week. I suspect the intensity of my lighting could be increased (I don’t get the PE from some of my LPS I would like either). I’ll raise the acros first, then work on the intensity. With the roids and heavy feeding, I didn’t think nutrients would be an issue.

I don't recommend acclimating to light if you're using LED's.

Unless you're going from a T5 only or Metal Hallide only system I wouldn't ever acclimate LED to LED, most LFS's and online coral stores today as well are using super high powered LED Lights that are probably hitting them at the <320 Par.

I don't think most reefers going to be higher than that either, probably right around.

 

[terraincognita]

Also, I didnt think 9 dkh was high, but Ill drop that a bit.

That's really not too high. I'm running my reef at 10-11

 

[reef_ninja]

That's really not too high. I'm running my reef at 10-11

With zero po4 and no3?

 

[terraincognita]

With zero po4 and no3?

No not with zero PO4 and NO3

 

[PhantomHalo]

This is a great article. I was looking for something like this. I kinda feel this information should be a sticky somewhere.

I agree. It’s a great article that helps to show you how much is actually involved and how they are interconnected. As others have stated, everything slow. Only thing that happens fast is death in saltwater. Lol However, if you know the lights are low, nutrients are low, and alk may not be where you want it, you could increase all the above. I’d just go slow. I started adding 15ml NO3 in my system (350gal total volume) when there was barely a trace of nitrates. I just didn’t want to go too fast and have my PO4 bottom out or spike my alk. Lots to think about. I’m up to 40ml now and barely getting 3ppm when I test the next day.

 

[reef_ninja]

I agree. It’s a great article that helps to show you how much is actually involved and how they are interconnected. As others have stated, everything slow. Only thing that happens fast is death in saltwater. Lol However, if you know the lights are low, nutrients are low, and alk may not be where you want it, you could increase all the above. I’d just go slow. I started adding 15ml NO3 in my system (350gal total volume) when there was barely a trace of nitrates. I just didn’t want to go too fast and have my PO4 bottom out or spike my alk. Lots to think about. I’m up to 40ml now and barely getting 3ppm when I test the next day.

I tried looking for an LPS version of that article, but I think many of the concepts probably translate.

so far with the changes I’ve made, I’m noticing just a bit more inflation from my LPS, maybe it’s a fluke, but they seem happier. Finishers crossed. I’m also going to test some tank water saturated in doses po4 and no3 to test the kits as well.

 

[sq5Guy]

I was watching some where that one of JasonFox tank just had blue lights and corals in there have vibrant colors? How could that be if light is the issue?

 

[reef_ninja]

I was watching some where that one of JasonFox tank just had blue lights and corals in there have vibrant colors? How could that be if light is the issue?

Not sure if I’m following you 100%, but for my issues here, I doubt lighting is the only issue. My bet is, after seeing everyone’s advice here, that nutrients combined with too much par is the issue, the problems of which I believe are possibly compounded by the Vibrant.