Pocillopora turning white

[mrg02d]

Hello all,
It looks as if my Pocillopora is dying. The base of it is turning white and the polyps looking terrible!

All my parameters are good.

What could cause a Pocillopora to start turning white? My Acroporas are doing well...Maybe too well..Even my little Pocillopora frag (broken off during shipment back when I first got this) is doing the same thing. Only the ends of the branches has any pink left. What could cause this to happen so quickly?

Seems to me that if my Acroporas are doing well, then so should the Pocillopora. I moved it down in the tank in case its getting too much light and flow. It was at the top with the acroporas.

Lighting is 4-24in 96w t5 ATI bulbs. 1000GPH flow very turbulent at the top and all this in a 20g tall tank.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[Jimbo7]

Picture? Sometimes the larger things get, the more light they block from the main parts. It could be perfectly fine, but the main stem and bottom aren't getting any light. If this is the case, no worries, everything will still survive on what is being collected by the higher branches.

just a theory, pics would help more.

 

[six2sevenproductions]

I've seen this before on my acro. If it is not your water then it is definitly your lighting. I went on vacation for a month once and one of my rocks carrying an acropora was knocked over. the acro was on its side for a month and not getting any light on that side. when i picked it, that entire side was white. took a long time to get it healthy again. I will never leave people in charge of my tank again.

 

[mr_X]

i would look to flow in that particular area, and alk.

 

[melosu58]

There is not another coral in the near vicinity?

 

[mrg02d]

The only corals near it are acroporas. Maybe they dont like to have pocillopora nearby? Alkalinity is 10dKH and flow is turbulent. (Over 50 times turn over in my tank combined from power heads).

Like I said, the acros are doing good. They are growing a good bit now after months of nothing but coloring up. This is strange to me. I moved the coral down to less light and less flow. Still not getting better, nor getting worse.

Matt

 

[mr_X]

what about fluctuations in alk at certain times? how are you replacing alk and calcium?

 

[mrg02d]

what about fluctuations in alk at certain times? how are you replacing alk and calcium?

Hmmm...I dont check often enough to catch a fluctuation. I check about once a week. (Before a PWC). I replace both via PWC since I dont have many high demand SPS. Just a couple frags.

Alkalinity and Calcium seem to stay the same, but I can start checking them both more often to watch for fluctuations.

Matt

 

[mr_X]

it's just a shot in the dark really, but worth a look.