My SPS Corals are Bleaching

[sanderson417]

This is a weird one for me. I have a 72g bowfront with many corals- 2 montis, a birdsnest, a few softies, and several LPS. I have all of these under T5's. Everything has been great and thriving for many many months. All of a sudden, my SPS started turning white, quickly. My birdsnest turned in a day. The others are starting to turn to. Before you say you can't grow SPS under T5's, my ATI bulbs were working and everything was growing like crazy. I think this happened because my giant mushroom coral closed for a period and secreted a slime/new top. Could this be the cause, and if yes, can this be reversed. My water quality is good: other than alk, which I am trying to raise. The tank has been up for 2 years. What do you think?

 

[mr_X]

Whoever says you can't grow sps under t5 is clearly misinformed. I think it's your alk. Meanwhile, you can run some carbon to remove the leather's effects.

 

[Animal-Chin]

Alk too low? To high? I still don't get what makes sps bleach....

 

[Sniperhank]

Unless the leather is close to the birds nest I wouldn't see it as the reason for such a quick decline. Sps and softies aren't always friends, but I can't see this as being the reason.

Every time I hear of a quick sps downfall, after much hunting, research, and discussion we have landed in alk. Too high and too low can cause fast death. Do you normally dose anything that would cause a fluctuation in alk? Couple weeks between water changes? What are you using to test your alk and what are current levels?

 

[mr_X]

Alk fluctuations can cause RTN. This is what you are experiencing, correct? Rapid tissue necrosis. Usually from the bottom up.

 

[sanderson417]

It is deteriorating from the bottom/base up. And it's happening fast.

 

[Animal-Chin]

If you stablize the alk will the coral come back from RTN?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Is the Alk issue also true for LPS?

 

[sanderson417]

Thanks X. I think I caused this by overdosing. I check my parameters and then have the local LFS double check. Everything was perfect but my ALK was down a lot. I dosed more than usual one day, and that threw off my toadstool. It shriveled up for days and then start secreting its top layer or mucus. Then my SPS started receding rapidly.

 

[mr_X]

Yes, the coral can come back, however, you might need to frag off the dead part. Make sure you take care to cut off some of the good flesh along with the bad so to not leave any on the living parts.
I haven't seen a lot of problems with LPS and Alk. SPS seems more sensitive to it. That's not to say that they (lps) aren't effected by it. They probably are. I've just never seen one decline so quickly as SPS does.

 

[sanderson417]

Oops, previously I stated it was caused by my mushroom. That was a mistake. It's a toadstool that is literally taking over my tank. I have been considering trading him into my LFS, because its so big. I will now definitely look to trade him in.

 

[mr_X]

Yes, I figured you meant toadstool. Softies won't lose a skin coat.

 

[sanderson417]

An update- two of my 3 SPS have rebounded nicely. I can't tell if the birdsnest is coming back or not. Time will tell. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[Animal-Chin]

So what are you doing differently that's caused them to come back? Did you stop dosing? Water changes?

 

[Gregcoyote]

Birds nest is the "canary in the mine" when it comes to low alkalinity. X is right, that's what started your problem. Consider dosing with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or sodium carbonate (soda ash) to get your Kh level up. But do it slowly.

 

[sanderson417]

I did a few large water changes and I think that helped. I still dose, but at the rate I was doing before my LFS told me I needed to increase my dosing.