Acro Bleaching
- Thread starter Corvus
- Start date
reefer gladness
Well-Known Member
SPS corals require pristine water conditions. Generally speaking nitrates under 10ppm, phosphates around .02-03.
Low alkalinity or high alkalinity are also common causes as SPS corals start sucking up a lot of calcium carbonate.
Low alkalinity or high alkalinity are also common causes as SPS corals start sucking up a lot of calcium carbonate.
Crazyeyes
Member
So many factors to consider when figuring out why it's bleaching. Couple things though, how rapidly is it bleaching? Are there other SPS (acros in particular) in the tank, if so how are they doing? When I see SPS bleaching I usually ask how long has it been in that spot (just so you can either rule out light or not), other than that I'd check things like KH, KH is important but more important than a particular number is, is that number stable. Things like temp swings, SG swings can also wipe out SPS. And honestly, sometimes SPS just die, I just recently had an acro go from very dull brown(previous owner didn't have nowhere near enough light) to coloring up nicely to completely dead in about 3 weeks, meanwhile the other pieces in the tank were doing fine.
sirrealism
Well-Known Member
Also one quick thing to add. Check for red bugs. They are very very small and the best way to see them is to take a pic of it as close as you can. They look like tiny red fleas and they only like smooth SPS. They wont bother a millie or birdsnest. Post a pic and tell us how long you have had it. what lighting your using and where it is in your tank.
Only two small branches are bleaching--slowly. ALK test kit is on way to me. It's the only sps in the tank. SG stable at 1.025. Up high in tank. 10 inches below light--Maxspect Razor (the most powerful one). "Current" from the protein skimmer return tube flows about two inches to the side of the coral. Temp stable.
C.
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sirrealism
Well-Known Member
Your having issues with other corals as you just posted about your favia. I would be doing some water changes. I would think something is not right in your system. Do you have kids? If so check your sump for a something like a penny or anything that should not be there. Also a pic goes a long way in trying to find whats wrong
The vendor did not tell me that waves would help with the bleaching, only that I should have one to make the acro (and other corals) happy. I've ordered a Jebao WP-25 as I really needed to have one anyway. The vendor does not sell them, so I got it on Amazon.
My alk tests at 9
I have a Maxspect Razor 1600W LED light.
Sorry, don't have the species for the acro handy at the moment. I know it was called an ultra neon yellow with blue tips.
Thanks!
C.
My alk tests at 9
I have a Maxspect Razor 1600W LED light.
Sorry, don't have the species for the acro handy at the moment. I know it was called an ultra neon yellow with blue tips.
Thanks!
C.
Crazyeyes
Member
9 dkh is fine, continue to test though and make sure it's not swinging around. I know you said you tested po4 and no3 and they weren't an issue but I want to ask, what test kit were those? And actually, what test kit is the alk? Might also want to try moving it down a little and see if that changes or suspends the bleaching. If it continues you can frag the bleached branches and see if you can save the piece. One thing I just figured I'd ask, are you carbon dosing of any sort, i.e vinegar, vodka, nopox or biopellets? I ask because usually in a LNS/ULNS 9 dkh can bleach SPS.
Yes, it's new.
It's looking a tad better and I'm sure the wave maker will help. Everything else in tank is doing well except for the favia that was damaged in transit (I recently remembered that when the UPS guy delivered the box to me a few days ago, the "This Side Up" arrow was pointing down at the ground! Which might explain why the bag containing the favia was resting against the cold pak on the "bottom" of the box). Geez....
C.
It's looking a tad better and I'm sure the wave maker will help. Everything else in tank is doing well except for the favia that was damaged in transit (I recently remembered that when the UPS guy delivered the box to me a few days ago, the "This Side Up" arrow was pointing down at the ground! Which might explain why the bag containing the favia was resting against the cold pak on the "bottom" of the box). Geez....
C.
Snid
Active Member
As much as it pains me to say it, because I used to be a huge UPS fan over Fedex, I've heard that Fedex has better shipping methods for packages dealing with living animals. If you buy from the same buyer again (or get a replacement), maybe ask them if UPS is their only method? 
Still bleached a bit but looking ok. All water params seem fine: phos 0, nitate 0, nitrite 0, dkh 8.5, ph 8.2, calcium 440, magnesium 1200, temp steady at 77-78. I've been putting a card on the glass above the acro to tone down the lighting a bit. The acro has been in tank for 3-1/2 weeks now. Should I give it the "full dose" of light now? I also add two drops of Kent Lugol's to the tank every week.
BTW, flow is excellent with my Jebao 25 putting out a nice wave current about three inches behind the acro. There is a great back and forth wave on the water's surface.
C.
BTW, flow is excellent with my Jebao 25 putting out a nice wave current about three inches behind the acro. There is a great back and forth wave on the water's surface.
C.