Coral Bleaching or RTN

[pesto]

I am not sure of the difference between coral bleaching and RTN. However, I have three corals turning white to a varying degree (Blue Stylo, Elkhorn & Purple Nana). I have not lost them but, concerned it may continue and I will. Any ideas on the cause based on my water parameters or some other reason?


(Readings in red indicate out of ideal conditions)

• Nitrite = 0
• Ammonia = 0
• pH = 8.4
• Nitrate = 0
• Phosphate = .25
• Carbonate Hardness = 10
• Calcium = 300
• Salinity = 1.024
• Magnesium = 1400
• Temp = 80

I am daily dosing Randy's Two Part for Alk, Cal & Mag.

Thanks for the help!

 

[frank180reef]

a calc of 300 would do it, I have had sps bleach when my alk is off..................

 

[wrassefan]

bleaching is just losing color but flesh still on the skeleton...rtn means slothing and flesh all gone and what you have left is skeleton only...starts to smell like low tide too. SPS are sensitive to fluctuations in heat, alk/ph, calcium, salinity and "looking at it funny".

 

[pesto]

Yesterday, I increased my calc dosing from 50ml to 150ml daily. Should I make a larger dose to knock it up rapidly or is a slow increase better?

 

[frank180reef]

Yesterday, I increased my calc dosing from 50ml to 150ml daily. Should I make a larger dose to knock it up rapidly or is a slow increase better?

hard to say, guess I would bump it up to the normal range over two/three days and then continue with the higher dose...............

 

[pesto]

Agree ...

 

[Aquaman_68]

u have to have the params in balance....ur alk/kh level is so high that calcium in balance would have to b upwards of higher 400's...Check this out....It will help with getting ur balance in check!!!

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

good luck getting ur params in equalibrium!!

 

[pesto]

u have to have the params in balance....ur alk/kh level is so high that calcium in balance would have to b upwards of higher 400's...Check this out....It will help with getting ur balance in check!!!

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

good luck getting ur params in equalibrium!!

This confuses me. I have always tried to keep parameters in check using the following ranges:

1. Alkalinity = 8 - 12 dKH
2. Calcium = 350 - 450
3. Magnesium = 1250 - 1350 ppm

Is this not accurate?

 

[frank180reef]

you want to be closer to 450 for the calc

as you raise ur calcium your alk will drop a bit............

 

[pesto]

That's what I am shooting for ....

 

[frank180reef]

so when you get closer to 425-450 on the calc , recheck your alk and mag..... you might need to modify your alk dosing also

 

[pesto]

Will do ...

 

[Aquaman_68]

whatever u run ur alk/kh at you have to balance the Ca & mag in unision...

check out this chart!!

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html


In balance..... If ur kh is on the lower side like NSW (around 8) u want ur Ca on the lower side around 400ppm (& no higher) unless u run ur kh higher u don't need to raise ur Ca.. (u will stand a chance of percipitation or Ca going out of solution..or mag going out of solution as u add it!!...) getting trapped in sandbed turing the sb to stone & rendering it useless in the biological sense!!

 

[JohnK]

This link explains getting the levels back to where they should be balanced (note, the link takes a minute to load, it will look like it's not working but then it will work);
http://web.archive.org/web/20021127040526/http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm