Branching montipora bleaching
- Thread starter grant778
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grant778
Member
Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, nitrates 0,5 or in between (I'm not good at differing between the two colors on the chart). Nitrates will probably go up a little soon after a feeding mishap today where waaay too much food got into the aquarium. I got most of it out with my net and the goby will eat some but it will definitely call a little increase in nitrates. Not that it really matters cus I have a water changed scheduled this weekend (I do them weekly) It was supposed to be done tomorrow but I decided to wait another day due to the montipora issue so that no more stress is caused. I broke off the limb where the main bleaching was occurring. I glued it onto a rock so that it possibly may recover, though I doubt it will. I also broke off 3 more very small sections and glued them in various locations in the hope that at least one would survive :/ Pictures will come eventually prehaps tomorrow morning as it is not the best time to take photos right now. If the bleaching continues I imagine I will continue breaking off surviving pieces and glueing them around the aquarium.
btldreef
Moderator
I tried replying to this last night, but it kept freezing up on me.
What are you phosphate, alk, ca and mag readings. Digitata is usually very hardy. The only times I've ever had an issue with it is when the alk is too low, or too high, but usually it's a low number that causes rapid bleaching for me.
Also, how old is your tank?
Do you have other SPS?
What are you phosphate, alk, ca and mag readings. Digitata is usually very hardy. The only times I've ever had an issue with it is when the alk is too low, or too high, but usually it's a low number that causes rapid bleaching for me.
Also, how old is your tank?
Do you have other SPS?
grant778
Member
The tank is about 7 months old. I have a phosphate test kit but no alk or magnesium. I tested calcium before I put it in and it was 520. I have only had an xenia coral before this which I kept for 4 months until it died after I had some lighting issues. The montipora at this point looks as though it is pretty much a goner but I will test phosphates tomorrow to see if that was the issue. I have kept no sps before this. I really went to the store to get another xenia but my mom gave me the impression that she didn't like how the xenia looked so I looked around in the lfs's coral tank for a while and saw the montipora so we got that :/
I think the issue at this point was that I didn't start at low enough power with the light. I had started at 50 percent but reef breeder's says to start at 30 percent or less which I am at now to no avail :/
I think the issue at this point was that I didn't start at low enough power with the light. I had started at 50 percent but reef breeder's says to start at 30 percent or less which I am at now to no avail :/
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
1. Make sure your temperature is stable... within 1*F. Temp swings cause a lot of issues with SPS and are usually overlooked. fans, heaters, chillers, whatever it takes for temperature control - this is important with SPS success... knowing what your temp is at all times and monitoring it carefully. Temperature swings can cause major problems.
2. Make sure your salinity is stable... have an auto top off system to make sure that your salinity doesn't swing. This is the second most overlooked quick fix. Use a refractometer to know exactly where your salinity sits. Correctly calibrate it, and then add it to your weekly maintenance routine. Pick one day a week that you can dedicate one or two hours towards maintenance, including a water change, water tests and even allocate 30 minutes for careful observations. Heck, even start a small journal.
3. Alkalinity is a big killer for SPS corals. If you don't have a test kit, get one. Make sure that you're keeping your alkalinity and calcium and magnesium in check by adding the correct dosages from whatever potions you are using. IF you don't dose, that's perfectly fine. You probably don't have enough corals in the tank to even warrant dosing anyways. So, weekly 10 to 20% water changes is necessary - by also removing detritus out of the system and keeping your filters changed and clean.
4. Built up detritus. If detritus is building up in your tank, in your sandbed and everywhere else, it's time to clean it all out, blow off all of your rocks and get your tank sparking clean. After removing as much detritus as possible, take your sump out and clean all of the muck that has built up in it and redesign your filtration system where ALL of your water has to pass through a filter sock or two in order to reach the sump. Keep your filter socks changed out regularly. Removing detritus from the system will actually make your nitrates and phosphates decrease pretty easily and quickly.
5. Change your lighting scheme. I'm starting to realize that it's not the quantity of the light but the quality of the light that makes a big difference. PAR readings with LEDs basically mean nothing at this point, since it is so completely inaccurate. Some LED fixturs have low PAR readings but a 3:1 or 4:1 PUR reading. PUR is Photosynthetically Useable Radiation... Which means that your fixture might put out 4 parts PUR to 1 part PAR... this is what makes LEDs extremely efficient. Dial down your LEDs and follow the guidelines on the Reefbreeders website. Once you have all the corals that you are ever going to have in the tank, then you can start increasing the intensity by 10% every week. Most people end up only running ReefBreeder LEDs at 70% of total intensity at MAX.
Once you have taken care of these aspects, then you should start to try adding frags again to the tank. Get yourself some accurate test kits - especially calcium, alkalinity and magnesium test kits. Knowing where your alkalinity sits is one of the most important results that you have got to keep up with, especially when dealing with SPS corals. If you have any corals already in your tank, make these changes gradually. Making any large adjustments in the tank very quickly can cause severe problems. do some detritus control one day, ... a water change the next week, change out one filter and leave in the other for a few more days... just change your routine a little at a time over the course of the next month or two.
One indicator of a clean and well maintained tank is the presence of coralline algae. If you can get your coralline algae to grow well and thrive, then you can get your SPS corals in your tank to do well too.
Finally, we know that reef nutrition plays a very important part in reef biology. Our oceans are rich in food but poor in nutrients. Meaning that corals have lots and lots of live foods to eat, and do not have to deal with levels of nitrate and phosphate that we do in our own home aquariums. Providing the proper source of nutrition to each coral while maintaining low levels of nitrate and phosphate is key to dealing with SPS corals.
I have learned that a KISS method is probably best when dealing with SPS Corals as well... keep it simple, stupid. lol. Make sure you are doing all the weekly maintenance routines, check your salinity, temps, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium. Observe your corals - watch for browning over time or bleaching over time. (Browning is from too much nutrients, bleaching is from not enough nutrients.) Rapid bleaching or RTN - Rapid Tissue Necrosis is still not fully understood by aquarists or scientists and can only be speculated upon. I prefer to think that it was just meant to be. lol. I don't have the tools necessary to study it at a level needed in order to understand it.
That powerhead of yours acts like a squirt gun. I wouldn't aim it at any coral at all... only passive water movement is necessary with montipora - only enough flow to guaranty that detritus does not settle on top of the plate.
Generally when dealing with flow and SPS corals,... a lot more water movement is necessary for thicker branched acroporas and then a lot less flow is required for the smaller, more delicate thin branched SPS corals. They live basically in two different environments and have different flow requirements. We as aquarists like to keep a bunch of different species of corals in the same box and sometimes it just doesn't work that great.
2. Make sure your salinity is stable... have an auto top off system to make sure that your salinity doesn't swing. This is the second most overlooked quick fix. Use a refractometer to know exactly where your salinity sits. Correctly calibrate it, and then add it to your weekly maintenance routine. Pick one day a week that you can dedicate one or two hours towards maintenance, including a water change, water tests and even allocate 30 minutes for careful observations. Heck, even start a small journal.
3. Alkalinity is a big killer for SPS corals. If you don't have a test kit, get one. Make sure that you're keeping your alkalinity and calcium and magnesium in check by adding the correct dosages from whatever potions you are using. IF you don't dose, that's perfectly fine. You probably don't have enough corals in the tank to even warrant dosing anyways. So, weekly 10 to 20% water changes is necessary - by also removing detritus out of the system and keeping your filters changed and clean.
4. Built up detritus. If detritus is building up in your tank, in your sandbed and everywhere else, it's time to clean it all out, blow off all of your rocks and get your tank sparking clean. After removing as much detritus as possible, take your sump out and clean all of the muck that has built up in it and redesign your filtration system where ALL of your water has to pass through a filter sock or two in order to reach the sump. Keep your filter socks changed out regularly. Removing detritus from the system will actually make your nitrates and phosphates decrease pretty easily and quickly.
5. Change your lighting scheme. I'm starting to realize that it's not the quantity of the light but the quality of the light that makes a big difference. PAR readings with LEDs basically mean nothing at this point, since it is so completely inaccurate. Some LED fixturs have low PAR readings but a 3:1 or 4:1 PUR reading. PUR is Photosynthetically Useable Radiation... Which means that your fixture might put out 4 parts PUR to 1 part PAR... this is what makes LEDs extremely efficient. Dial down your LEDs and follow the guidelines on the Reefbreeders website. Once you have all the corals that you are ever going to have in the tank, then you can start increasing the intensity by 10% every week. Most people end up only running ReefBreeder LEDs at 70% of total intensity at MAX.
Once you have taken care of these aspects, then you should start to try adding frags again to the tank. Get yourself some accurate test kits - especially calcium, alkalinity and magnesium test kits. Knowing where your alkalinity sits is one of the most important results that you have got to keep up with, especially when dealing with SPS corals. If you have any corals already in your tank, make these changes gradually. Making any large adjustments in the tank very quickly can cause severe problems. do some detritus control one day, ... a water change the next week, change out one filter and leave in the other for a few more days... just change your routine a little at a time over the course of the next month or two.
One indicator of a clean and well maintained tank is the presence of coralline algae. If you can get your coralline algae to grow well and thrive, then you can get your SPS corals in your tank to do well too.
Finally, we know that reef nutrition plays a very important part in reef biology. Our oceans are rich in food but poor in nutrients. Meaning that corals have lots and lots of live foods to eat, and do not have to deal with levels of nitrate and phosphate that we do in our own home aquariums. Providing the proper source of nutrition to each coral while maintaining low levels of nitrate and phosphate is key to dealing with SPS corals.
I have learned that a KISS method is probably best when dealing with SPS Corals as well... keep it simple, stupid. lol. Make sure you are doing all the weekly maintenance routines, check your salinity, temps, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium. Observe your corals - watch for browning over time or bleaching over time. (Browning is from too much nutrients, bleaching is from not enough nutrients.) Rapid bleaching or RTN - Rapid Tissue Necrosis is still not fully understood by aquarists or scientists and can only be speculated upon. I prefer to think that it was just meant to be. lol. I don't have the tools necessary to study it at a level needed in order to understand it.
That powerhead of yours acts like a squirt gun. I wouldn't aim it at any coral at all... only passive water movement is necessary with montipora - only enough flow to guaranty that detritus does not settle on top of the plate.
Generally when dealing with flow and SPS corals,... a lot more water movement is necessary for thicker branched acroporas and then a lot less flow is required for the smaller, more delicate thin branched SPS corals. They live basically in two different environments and have different flow requirements. We as aquarists like to keep a bunch of different species of corals in the same box and sometimes it just doesn't work that great.
