Hey, I’m back! And with questions about SPS bleaching in a Coral Lab I’m partaking in.

[LaxFrags]

Hey everyone! Not sure if anyone here remembers me but I used to be big into the hobby a few years back when I was younger. Unfortunately I had to sell everything because I couldn’t invest the time to keep my livestock healthy with college coming up.

Fast forward to now, I am a freshman in college and just started doing an internship with a professor who is running coral labs at my school, mainly specializing in SPS.

The coral is not looking great right now and most of the small colonies have receding polyps and are bleached. They are not sure why and I figured I’d post some of the tests here to see if anyone could help. The tanks are run on 6 AI hydra 64s run on relatively low intensity, 8 hour cycle, adequate water flow. We are also getting a full comprehensive on the water with a local coral supply store.

The pH is measured with millivolts but is equivalent to 8-9 on a normal scale. The calcium is also low but is being dosed daily. I’ve attached pics of everything below. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

 

[dilligaf29]

Oh joy I’ll never forget u

 

[Cpage101]

Hey everyone! Not sure if anyone here remembers me but I used to be big into the hobby a few years back when I was younger. Unfortunately I had to sell everything because I couldn’t invest the time to keep my livestock healthy with college coming up.

Fast forward to now, I am a freshman in college and just started doing an internship with a professor who is running coral labs at my school, mainly specializing in SPS.

The coral is not looking great right now and most of the small colonies have receding polyps and are bleached. They are not sure why and I figured I’d post some of the tests here to see if anyone could help. The tanks are run on 6 AI hydra 64s run on relatively low intensity, 8 hour cycle, adequate water flow. We are also getting a full comprehensive on the water with a local coral supply store.

The pH is measured with millivolts but is equivalent to 8-9 on a normal scale. The calcium is also low but is being dosed daily. I’ve attached pics of everything below. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

As you know stability is key, also there is no mention of nitrate and phosphate which sps also need to thrive. if both 0 than that too could be an issue. provide the following. are there any fish in the system?
More info about the system this coral is in.
Alkalinity DKh
Magnesium PPm
Calcium PPm
Phosphate PPm
Nitrate PPm
Par at coral under lights.
SPS type? Looks to be pocillipora possibly.

 

[LaxFrags]

Sorry for taking so long to respond, I got shoulder surgery so have been dealing with recovery. We did a lab test on all the water parameters, here were the results:

Actual tanks: https://lab.atiaquaristik.com/share/c4c00c842ef05a1747fb
Mixing tanks: https://lab.atiaquaristik.com/share/360e4c446ec3cc5e6f22

Some of the coral is pocillipora, some is a variety of acropora. Some are protected species imported from hawaii, not exactly sure what kind. I would say they are definitely beginning to regain color as well which is a good start for now.

Nutrients is definitely low within the tank. They also upped the dosage of alkalinity and calcium following the results. I suggested adding fish, as wouldn't that increase nutrients from their waste? Thanks everyone!!

 

[LaxFrags]

 

[Cpage101]

defiantly need some nutrients in there at least .03 Po4 and 8-10PPM No3. the corals need nutrients

 

[SteveDola]

The water is too sterile and you need to either dose nutrients or provide animals that do. Its essentially a bare-bottom ULNS environment (very popular in the later 2000s and 2010s. People would strive for near 0 nutrients but that starves the zooxanthellae causing bleaching.