Bleaching corals...

[Sailfish]

Last few days I've had the impression that my corals have become lighter in color, resembling Zeovit pastels. Today, I was sad to discover that one of my main showpiece corals, a big red puffy Lobo, looks like is starting to lose some pale tissue close to the mouths.

 

First thing that came to mind was the stories I've read about "SPS tip burn", from too high alkalinity, in ULNS. I've been bringing up alk slowly over the last few weeks, with 2-part, from 6.6 dkH to 12 dkH, testing with Hanna Alkalinity meter. Last time that I checked phosphorus with my Hanna meter I measured 0 ppb, which I thought was erroneous, because I had to recalibrate C1 with another tube when the meter turned itself off and such. Also I'm not running a skimmer or a refugium on the system, while feeding 0.5 cubes of frozen food/day (2 small fish). Checked now and got 6 ppb. Nitrates have been undetectable every measurement, including today. That may be because the Red Sea nitrate pro test reagents are two years past expiration. All other tests are within expiration dates.

 

Seems unlikely that my corals are going pale because of too high Alk. Maybe not enough food? 

 

Last weeks, I've had an outbreak of green hair algae and some cyano, after starting to add a bit of sandbed to my previously bare bottom tank. The algae and cyano has died back to nothing, by itself, now. Still some algea in the sump, where I keep some frags. The sump is light with a Maxspect Razor 60W LED fixture.

 

Also, started dosing kalkwasser in ATO yesterday, but a weak solution (0.8 teaspoon/gallon RO/DI). I mixed the kalk in a seperate bucket with a lid and let the percipitate settle for about 2 hours, before i decanted the clearish liquid into my ATO container. The ATO intake is elevated a couple of inches above the bottom, just in case there would be any percipitate that got acidentally transferred from the mixing bucket or there would be any further settling of suspended percipitate in the ATO container. Pretty sure I have not dosed any kalk percipitate into the tank, causing a pH fluctuation. Also, these changes seem to have been ongoing for at least a few days before I started kalkwasser dosing. 

 

My plan is to increase feeding to 1 cube frozen food/day, and perform as close to a 100% water change as I can. Water change in case there is some contaminant that I haven't/can't measure for.

 

I would deeply appreciate some more thoughts about this situation.

 

 

 

[Tamberav]

Just curious as to why you want your alk at 12?

[Sailfish]

30 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

Just curious as to why you want your alk at 12?

 

[Tamberav]

Personally...I don't value fast coral growth being nanos are small and fill in quickly and I am not a vender trying to make money where growth would equal profits.

 

That being said...corals need nitrate and po4 to grow...so if you don't have that but are trying to increase alk...I could see it being an issue. 

 

With LPS that have mouths...target feeding them seems to be the best way to increase growth.

 

I wish some if my LPS would slow down... My plate corals are taking the tank over :p 

[Sailfish]

52 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

I wish some if my LPS would slow down... My plate corals are taking the tank over 

😛

Sounds like a nice problem to have 😊

[Tamberav]

2 hours ago, Sailfish said:

Sounds like a nice problem to have 😊

Lol well the problem is everything is trying to sting and murder everything else.

[Clown79]

Why do you want your alk at 12?

 

Dosing is normally done to replenish what corals use with the target number being what your salt mixes at.

 

If your salt isn't mixing to the number you are trying to achieve, every waterchange will cause fluctuations. Far better using a salt that mixes to a normal level.

 

Alk fluctuations are one of the number one causes of issues with stony corals.

 

Stability is key. 12dkh will not get any different results than 8dkh, the key is keeping it stable.

 

It sounds like a lot is going on. 2 part dosing and kalk use. Algae, and nutrient issues.

 

Your nitrate and phos readings won't necessarily be accurate with an algae outbreak, as the algae is using up the available nutrients.

 

 

[Sailfish]

Still, a great feeding response when dropping pellets over it.

 

Before:

 

 

After:

[mcarroll]

On 10/13/2019 at 5:03 PM, Sailfish said:

First thing that came to mind was the stories I've read about "SPS tip burn", from too high alkalinity, in ULNS.

Bogus concept - good you kept reading.

 

On 10/13/2019 at 5:03 PM, Sailfish said:

Last time that I checked phosphorus with my Hanna meter I measured 0 ppb

This is the issue, no question.

 

On 10/13/2019 at 5:03 PM, Sailfish said:

started dosing kalkwasser in ATO yesterday

Rising pH would complicate things.....stop doing this unless you can monitor pH.

 

If your corals are still having a bad time, dosing some phosphates to get levels right should stop any further damage and begin the recovery process.

 

But it's beet a couple weeks....how are things?