What causes LPS corals to be unhappy?

[Lavey29]

The past week. I noticed some decline in my LPS corals who had been thriving the past few months. My parameters are very stabil and I do not think this has any direct nexus. I lost a torch head, couple zoa heads and couple duncan heads. All the other corals do not seem completely happy either.

The only change has been adding diffusers to my XR15 lights. I increased the intensity by 15% to compensate for the diffusers.

Do you think the lighting change is the source of my problems? Perhaps some pests are attacking my corals? I have 4 wrasses in the tank to hunt for pests. I have not seen my cleaner crew messing with anything.

It's like everything was perfect and now it's not.

Thoughts?

 

[Pistondog]

Unlikely 15% light change would cause that.
Can you list the parameters and tank specifics?

 

[KrisReef]

Well I have noticed that in this hobby the one question we all ask ourselves from time to time; "Why did I go and mess with it when everything was perfect?"

Pictures, parameters, age of tank, and list of fish and corals in the tank along with recent additions (fish and coral) are points of information that might improve the guesses that folks provide to explain how come you went messing with a perfect tank? and how come it's failing now?, and most important, what might you do, if anything? to get it back to perfect going forward?

 

[Lavey29]

Well I have noticed that in this hobby the one question we all ask ourselves from time to time; "Why did I go and mess with it when everything was perfect?"

Pictures, parameters, age of tank, and list of fish and corals in the tank along with recent additions (fish and coral) are points of information that might improve the guesses that folks provide to explain how come you went messing with a perfect tank? and how come it's failing now?, and most important, what might you do, if anything? to get it back to perfect going forward?

The tank was doing well but the disco bright XR15 lights were annoying sitting in front of the tank. The diffusers greatly improved the visual appeal of the lights.

Now are they messing with my corals well being? That is what I'm wondering.

 

[KrisReef]

Thanks for the clarification. I wouldn't expect this to be the case but let's see what other folk know/think about a diffuser change and the impacts upon corals. With what little I know I might be tempted to react and turn the light back 15% to the intensity pre diffuser. I understand why you pushed them forward but perhaps 15% is too much? Again, I don't know this, just thinking and typing. -bump!

 

[Lavey29]

Unlikely 15% light change would cause that.
Can you list the parameters and tank specifics?

Red sea XL300 going on 9 months old. Lot of LPS and few sorts. One SPS frag. 65g display with 15g sump. I run an oversize skimmer with a refugium and a bag of carbon. My lights are on 10 hours with ramp up and down. I have 9 healthy fish, 2 cleaner shrimp, banded shrimp. Couple starfish, emerald crabs and various snails. Everything is alive and kicking well.

Alk 8.4
Cal 470
Nit 8.4
Phos .07
Mag 1470
Sal 1.026
Temp 77

I dose red sea AB and oyster feast couple times a week. Chaeto gro twice a week. I use coral pro salt and change 15% water every 2 weeks now. I use RODI water.

 

[polyppal]

if LPS are unhappy its usually a Po4 or No3 spike, unlikely a diffuser on the light would cause much of an effect

edit: you posted parameters, I don't see anything crazy. Any fish or larger livestock die lately? If it were me id probably do a larger water change in case some contaminant somehow got in the tank.

 

[Lavey29]

if LPS are unhappy its usually a Po4 or No3 spike, unlikely a diffuser on the light would cause much of an effect

edit: you posted parameters, I don't see anything crazy.

I had slight phos spike deep cleaning my sand 3 weeks ago. It hit .21 but came down gradually over 2 weeks.

 

[JGT]

Agree, it’s not the lights. You params look good. Any chance of metals or rust happening.

 

[polyppal]

any of those deaths from new corals?

 

[GHOSTLY]

Parameter swings, high flow, and intense lights

 

[Lavey29]

Agree, it’s not the lights. You params look good. Any chance of metals or rust happening.

I haven't done an ICP test

 

[Lavey29]

any of those deaths from new corals?

No established for over 5 months

 

[Lavey29]

Parameter swings, high flow, and intense lights

I haven't had big swings. My flow has been consistent for almost 9 months. The only lighting change was adding diffusers to my XR15 pro lights.

 

[GHOSTLY]

I haven't had big swings. My flow has been consistent for almost 9 months. The only lighting change was adding diffusers to my XR15 pro lights.

Hmm diffusers wouldn't have done it. Ehats your parameters for specifically nitrate.

 

[Lavey29]

Hmm diffusers wouldn't have done it. Ehats your parameters for specifically nitrate.

Nitrate is fine maybe even slightly low for LPS. My coral vendor keeps his 100k frag tanks at 10.

 

[Lavey29]

Ultimately. I am probably leaning towards overall tank maturity as the source of my LPS problem. At 9 months my tank is not mature yet and even though I can focus on numbers I can test weekly for and water changes. There is so much going on behind the scenes in my tank and I'm guessing my microfauna and bio diversity is still developing so as to create a perfect environment for coral growth.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

I agree with possible metals. Try running some cuprasorb. It has saved my butt. I am dropping some in the reactor tomorrow as my corals are looking less than perfect. I had a magnet go bad on a probe holder, and another time it was my ro water. Also run an ATI water test. The other thing could be stray voltage. Good luck.

 

[Lavey29]

I agree with possible metals. Try running some cuprasorb. It has saved my butt. I am dropping some in the reactor tomorrow as my corals are looking less than perfect. I had a magnet go bad on a probe holder, and another time it was my ro water. Also run an ATI water test. The other thing could be stray voltage. Good luck.

I ordered some yesterday

 

[Lavey29]

One thing I considered was that deep siphon sand cleaning during water changes released a small amount of ammonia into the water that irritated the corals? Do any of you dose prime when stirring up the sandbed?