Need Advice - SPS bleaching?

[Amazon]

I've got several frags of SPS in our 47 (24" tall). They're under 250MH 14K Pheonix. This tank's been going since February. All corals have been doing great and growing.

Over the last few days I've notived my monti frags (on a rack) turning light green (they were vibrant green). The polyps are out and green, but the skeleton/base is getting lighter and lighter.

Tonight I looked at a formerly brown german blue digi frag (fell in the rock work, so it's low in the tank) that is also very light - except the polyps.

I don't know what's going on. These have not been moved. The bulb has not been changed and the light schedule has been the same from day one.

I'm also noticing other sps frags not looking great - little to no polyp extension.

We dose two part every evening.

The numbers are:
1.025
8.2 ph
10 dkh
425 calc
1300 Mag
78 - 80 temp
0 Ammonia, nitrate

All LPS and fish doing fine.

 

[rtc_reefer]

Well that's a tough one! Did you do anything in the past 3 weeks that may have contaminated the tank? insecticides? lysol the room?

Either way what you dictate does not make sense to me.

I would begin water changes (20 - 30%) every other day until you see the bleaching stop.

Others?

I've got several frags of SPS in our 47 (24" tall). They're under 250MH 14K Pheonix. This tank's been going since February. All corals have been doing great and growing.

Over the last few days I've notived my monti frags (on a rack) turning light green (they were vibrant green). The polyps are out and green, but the skeleton/base is getting lighter and lighter.

Tonight I looked at a formerly brown german blue digi frag (fell in the rock work, so it's low in the tank) that is also very light - except the polyps.

I don't know what's going on. These have not been moved. The bulb has not been changed and the light schedule has been the same from day one.

I'm also noticing other sps frags not looking great - little to no polyp extension.

We dose two part every evening.

The numbers are:
1.025
8.2 ph
10 dkh
425 calc
1300 Mag
78 - 80 temp
0 Ammonia, nitrate

All LPS and fish doing fine.

 

[Cheetos]

Do you by any chance have any leathers in the tank? All your parameters look good. Perhaps running some charcoal and doing the water changes as suggested!

 

[rtc_reefer]

Good point Cheetos! Carbon is what I always take for granted that everyone uses.

 

[Amazon]

We're running carbon and purigen. They are due for a change - that's happening tonight.

FYI: We tested for phosphates today and is was <0.03. Within the error range of the test so it could even be zero.

The only leather in the tank is a small toadstool - maybe 3" across max.

We're just trying to rule out everything we can - thanks for the ideas!

 

[reefkeeper2]

I have had the same experience lately with some of my sps. From what I have read, this is not an uncommon occurance. On RC the general opinion is that my tank is too nutient poor. Also, Jeremy at CRA told me to switch my metal halides back to the AB 250 10K I was using until 6 months ago,when I changed to XM 10k. So I am going to start dosing aminos to get more nitrogen into the tank (without the PO4) and I switched the lamps. I also have a very heavy load of softies in the tank. I use carbon, but now I think I will start using ozone.
So thats my plan. If you hear of anything else to do, please let me know.

 

[chunky_lover52]

also make sure there are no unwanted guests on your corals (monti eating nudi, flat worms, etc.) u could also try jacking your alk to 12 - 14 and mag to almost 1500

 

[Dragon2115]

The only unwanted guest on the coral would be a pair of clown gobies. We've ruled them out as the cause because corals that they never perch on are affected as well.

I suppose it's possible that the tank is nutrient deficient but I would be amazed if that were the case. If anything we over feed everything.

I'm starting to believe this might be the result of temp spike from a week or two ago. It got hotter that day than I had expected and I didn't put the AC in the house. The tank was at almost 82 before I could shut the lights off and get the AC running. That really isn't that much of a spike so I didn't really worry too much. Well that's sure changed now.

 

[reefer125g]

How has the tank temp been in the hot weather?? Your tank sits in a window if I rember? Post some pics of the coral.

 

[Dragon2115]

You must be thinking of someone else. Our tank not near the window and I keep the blinds drawn so the tank never gets sunlight. The tank temp is normally fine. It was just one day that I didn't hear the weather forecast and didn't think it was going to get as hot as it did. I have also installed a temp controller on the lights so they will now automatically shut off if the temp gets too high again.

I'll try to get some photos of the coral tonight. So far I haven't been able to get any that show the color accurately enough.

 

[Greg Hiller]

This thread is getting confusing. I'm going to answer the questions raised by the starter of the thread.

>We're running carbon and purigen<

Any chance you recently 'recharged' your purigen? There was a guy in the club a while back using Purigen that really screwed up his tank when he had some problems with regeneration of this stuff.

I'd also ask the question about temperature. FWIW, a 'spike' of 82, IMO is nothing to worry about unless you normally keep your tank quite cool.

 

[Dragon2115]

Here let me unconfuse you. I'm Amazons' husband so she and I are talking about the same tank.

To answer your question, no the purigen has not been regenerated. I understand the risks involved with it where bleach is used.

As for the temp, the low of the tank is usually on the low end of 77 +/- whatever the accuracy of the thermometer is. I agree that 82 shouldn't be a problem. But it's the only abnormality that we can think of. Everything we've tested has come up negative.

The only other thing that I'm considering is the dosing method. We use Randy's two-part recipe #1 and the tank requires approximately 4 ozs per day to maintain it's levels. I pour the two parts in seperately and fairly slowly but I wonder if this sudden rise in ALK and slow ramp down each day might be causing a problem where it's only 60g minus rock & sand? Could this be a possibility? Should I consider going to a drip or dosing pump for a more even dosing throughout the day?

 

[smithcreek]

The only other thing that I'm considering is the dosing method.

What alk recipe do you use and what does your ph do when you add the alk?

 

[Greg Hiller]

>Should I consider going to a drip or dosing pump for a more even dosing throughout the day?<

Not sure, but I have found that when you get to really high useage levels of the two part systems, you tend to have a lot more precipitation on pumps and other equipment.

 

[Dragon2115]

Randy's two-part recipe #1

PH increases by .1 or maybe just a little over as it moves through the sump which is where the PH probe is. I think the most I've ever seen was a .15 increase. Once it's mixed into the tank the PH settles almost exactly where it was before the dosing.

FWIW, the ALK increases by about 2 DKH after the dosing. Normally I test before I dose just as a sanity check and I try to test at the same time of day for consistency.

 

[Dragon2115]

>Should I consider going to a drip or dosing pump for a more even dosing throughout the day?<

Not sure, but I have found that when you get to really high useage levels of the two part systems, you tend to have a lot more precipitation on pumps and other equipment.

I'm not seeing anything like that in the main tank. And I don't recall seeing it on the plumping/pumps in the sump but I'll recheck tonight to make sure.