Corals Turning White!

[think_tink13]

I have a Peach Monti Digi and Slimer and both are beginning to turn white! The Digi more than the Slimer.
The salinity was a bit high at .028 and its now back down to .025 where I normally keep it. The Nitrates, Nitrites, and Ammonia levels are all at 0. pH was at 8.1 and I just added buffer.
The flow isn't hard at all or weak its a nice flow. And they are both pretty close to the light. What can I do to stop them from turning white?

 

[veni vidi vici]

That dosent look good.How long have you had them for?

 

[tizzo]

If it were me, I would cut above the infected area and hope for the best.
It looks like RTN or STN, (rapid or slow tissue neucrosis), once a spots been stripped of it's tissue, it's more likely to spread than recover.
If you cut off the diseased part you can maybe hope that the upper polyps haven't been infected yet.

 

[slugkeeper]

1. What is your calcium level?
2. Any softies in the tank?

 

[veni vidi vici]

Could be alot of reasons :
Light or water acclimation.
Water parameters.
Something picking at it.
Bugs ,nudis.
Flow-to much or to little.
Or just one of those unexplained reasons.

 

[tankgeeks]

I agree, it could be multiple things, or a combination of things that could cause that. SPS corals need to be carefully acclimated to tank parameters and lighting conditions, its best to start them lower in the tank and gradually move them up as they get used to your lighting. I also agree its best to frag the healthy tops and hope for the best. Future reference its always best to have stable parameters before adding new corals. Hope that helps and good luck!

 

[think_tink13]

I have had the corals for about 2 weeks now. This started happening maybe on Wednesday from what I can remember. I have Xenia and a Kenya tree in the tank as well and they are doing just fine. I don't have a test kit for calcium but I do add Kent Marine Coral Vite. When I got the corals, the parameters were good and stable and I temperature and light acclimated them but I did have to re glue it to the rock since it came off. Could being out of the water for too long have affected it?
How should I cut it? I have never cut corals before. Is there a special technique?

 

[aqua_scaping]

whats your exact lighting?
is it pc? t-5? vho? mh? what? if its pc then thats your problem even though its extremely close to top.

 

[tankgeeks]

some kind of shears can cut help you the healthy part off and re glue it.....keep in mind sps corals are a whole new ball park and are way more sensitive than hardy corals like sofites and xenia.. also you need to invest in alkalinity and calcium test kits if youre going to be diving into the world of SPS corals! Stability is HUGE, and ALL parameters need to be constantly in check. Being out of the water for too long is unlikely, unless it was for hours and hours of time (think about low tide in the wild reefs....corals are exposed out of the water for an hour or so until the tides come back in.)

 

[think_tink13]

Originally Posted by Aqua_Scaping
http:///forum/post/2637659
whats your exact lighting?
is it pc? t-5? vho? mh? what? if its pc then thats your problem even though its extremely close to top.
20" Satellite 40W w/Lunar Light
Are these lights bad for SPS corals? Should I put them in the tank with the T5 lights?

 

[aqua_scaping]

For the coral you wnat to keep yes they are bad, the acros are bleaching due to not enough light. The bleaching that is occuring is showing that the plankton inside the acro is dying so eitheir new light or i would take them back if you can

 

[think_tink13]

Originally Posted by Aqua_Scaping
http:///forum/post/2637701
For the coral you wnat to keep yes they are bad, the acros are bleaching due to not enough light. The bleaching that is occuring is showing that the plankton inside the acro is dying so eitheir new light or i would take them back if you can
I got them from another user on the message board. Should these lights be okay for soft corals and Zoanthids?
I'm going to go move them to the T5 tank and hope they do better in there.

 

[aqua_scaping]

personally any lighting is good for softies but higher the watt more color it bring out on them but low light wont hurt em

 

[notsonoob]

This is probably due to change in light patterns.
If it were a Satellite lighting system, which I use for a backup right now it could be that the corals you bought were used to more intense light and that in fact as Aqua-scraping states and they probably lost the algea. Sometimes this happens moving corals or by shipping as well.
You could move them or try to dose with phytoplankton.
The same thing happened when I had to run my backup as I lost a ballast on my MH. Corals are pretty durable and can handle water issues, but light is what stirs them up the most. Just think about how anything can change in the ocean, except for the intensity of the sun (for the most part)
You have to also remember that it takes a couple of weeks sometimes to fully aclimate them into a new tank and sometimes corals look for dead during this time.