I edited my post above (from yesterday) to add more info on feeding for you. Some great links w/more info as well.
Sorry couldn't stay around yesterday, was in and out last night. Back on this morning.
-- So, how do the corals and anemone look today?
-- Has the bleaching stopped?
-- How does the anemone look?
Another question re: the marinepure rocks, did you rinse them before putting them in the tank? I heard that they can have dust on them.
Coral Bleaching
Here is more info on coral bleaching, to help you understand what is happening in the coral. Bleaching once started in a coral can act like a domino affect. Once triggered, all polyps in a coral tend to react and expel their symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae), what you want to do is to stop this reaction. If it were me, I think I would either move the coral to a lower location in the tank or minimize the light level. Other people frag their corals so that the frags can survive. I idea is that once the bleaching has started it is hard to stop until the whole coral bleaches. By fragging a few tips, at least you would save those bits and not end up loosing the entire coral.
What is happening to the coral when bleaching occurs?
Well, bleaching it is a regulatory process for the coral. Coral polyps can expel and incorporate zooxanthellae on a regular basis. They expel zooxanthellae to help regulate themselves.
Photosynthesis occurs within zooxanthellae, and produces glucose and oxygen for the coral, this is food for them. When coral bleaching occurs, too much oxygen is produced and is toxic to the coral. So, if the zooxanthellae is making too much oxygen, the coral expels the zooxanthellae (it is a regulatory process so the coral doesn’t obtain cell and organ damage from too much oxygen (which is toxic). We see this expelling of zooxanthellae as bleaching, the coral loosing its color.
Despite the fact that both the coral and the zooxanthellae happily make use of the produced glucose and oxygen (corals and zooxanthellae oxidize glucose back to H2O and CO2 to make ATP again, which at last provides the required metabolic energy), but there is a catch. Oxygen is toxic. Quite toxic. It reacts with a vast array of organic molecules present in coral and algal cells, damaging cell organelles (small “organs” of all living cells) and DNA stored in the cell’s nucleus. Yeah I just geeked out on you a little just then
, but more in depth info doesn't hurt.
Article:
This coral will self-destruct in ...
What to do now?
Maintain constant water parameters. No fluctuations. Keep bleached corals away from bright strong lights for a couple of weeks. Monitor the look of the corals, make sure there is still tissue and polyps on the coral. Polyps may be retracted. Monitor your ammonia and nitrates b/c you switched out rocks with established bacteria and added marinepure and reefrock which may not have enough established bacteria to breakdown fish/food waste (watch for a mini-cycle) Gather foods for your acros, get a pipette, feed every three days a very tiny amount spot feeding with pumps off for 5 minutes, then back on. Don't over feed, you need to maintain good water parameters. Keep up on weekly water changes. If you want to slowly raise Alk levels do it over the next 3-4 weeks. Don't raise them fast. The corals are already stressed, any more disturbance can be a deal breaker with them. Lastly, keep you hands out of the tank and don't mess w/it anymore. Maintain a constant state of parameters and allow the corals to recuperate.
Not sure what to do about the nem. Never had one nor worked w/one.
Good luck and keep us posted.
