SPS dieing, LPS lost color

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Hello,

In all my troubles the past few months with Hair algae and stuff. I continue to loose SPS frags and my LPS's have lost most of their colors. The SPS frags turn white then the polyps dont come out.

RO/DI/DI

58 - 250W HQI 10K and 2 95W VHO actinics. Just changed bulbs.

Skimmer in sump.

Nitrate = 0
Amon = 0
PH 8.1
Alk = 9 DKH
CA = 370
PO4 = 0
Mag 1200
Sal 1.024
Temp 80

The CA is a PITA to keep level. Ive bee nusing Kalk, B-ionic and turbo calcium (Not at the same time). Also used Tech-M to raise the Mag from 800.

Fish: 2 False percs, 1 6-line wrasse and 1 lawnmower blenny
Few turbo and astrea snails

Corals:
Wesophelia (Purple is gone)
Frogspawn/ hammers almost (transparent)
Few blue shooms (almost transparent)
Monti cap (was pink)
Yellow acro
Green hydro
1 maxima clam - doing ok.

Any ideas on the LPS losing color and the SPS that keep dieing?

I read somewhere about the DSB being a sponge for Magnesium.

I am still debating on yanking the DSB but this could be the last straw if they are related.

[RWD]

Wow, your numbers look good I can't imagine what it could be. How's the temp? I lost a few acros last summer when the tank temp sky rocketed. Just a stab.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Rob_Reef_Keeper
In all my troubles the past few months with Hair algae and stuff.
PO4 = 0

Rob

Phosphates and organics cause those same symptoms.

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Well, My Salifert Phosphate kit reads 0 or undetectible.

I did a voltage chesk as well.

3.6V - Heater is the cause.

How bad is that?

[Geoff]

can you double check your thermometer? high temps can cause bleaching.

phosphates are not easily detectable in the water column. this is why you are seeing any readings for it. from what Spanky just said my guess is that your sand bed is full. do have hair algae or cyano on the sandbed near the LR? these are good indicators for phophates coming out of the SB. the HA and the cyano would bind it up so it would not show up on the tests.

G~

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Hair algae is still down there. Its in patches

The DSB is only 1 year old.

Temp is 82.

[Reefdude5]

I just took out my dsb, seemed it was the problem. The temp might be a tad high, any easy way to lower it?

Darn i should be doing homework!

Does it look like this?

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Rob_Reef_Keeper
Hair algae is still down there. Its in patches

The DSB is only 1 year old.

Temp is 82.

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/sh...threadid=23293

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Reefdude - Its not on the glass anymore.

Some of the HA is turning white.

I thought about yanking the DSB a few months ago.

Its allot of work and am affraid of losing more but it might have to be done.

On my 58 I hope I can remove the DSB in one day. IS this achievable? What can I expect to happen to the livestock.

I would corals, fish, LR . Remove most of the water up the the DSB. Save it in a tub while I shovel out the sand then replace the water(25% new) LR, coral and fish .

Is that OK.

Since there is no sand now, how am I going to keep the LR from sliding all over the bottom?

I am planning on putting in some sand (1 inch) back in in a few months..

[MiddletonMark]

First - I'm suprised no one remarked ... but you just changed your bulb? How old of bulbs? Any spectrum, manufacturer change? Did you do any acclimatization?
If the previous bulbs were more than 6-9 months old - I'd cut down the lighting or raise the bulbs during the firs weeks or so ... otherwise it may bleach [and could this be what he's seeing?]

I'm no expert here [or anywhere ] ... but I know when I replaced my 1 year old MH's [and when I upgraded the reflector and added a bulb] I cut the time I ran my lights by to about 4 hours, increasing every few days another 15 minutes until a few weeks later when they were `back to normal'. Lost a little color on the SPS [a little browner] but everything made it through well.


I've done the bed/tank replacement on a 58g ... it's doable. Two containers - both with water, heater [small] and powerheads ... one for LR, other for corals.
I'd remove the fish if you're removing the DSB too, maybe with the corals?

But I've swapped out one 58g for another in a long Saturday afternoon ... old tank was scratched to hell [bought used] and found a deal at LFS for a new one for about $140 and knew my camera would love me for it [plus myself] ... so I did it.

Zero major problems, minor diatoms the next week on the glass, but no health issues with any critters. Temporary decrease in pods on the glass ... but no livestock issues.

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Frags were bleaching before I change the bulbs. They are the same bulbs just new.

Either 250W MH HQI and 2 95W VHO Actinics is not enough for SPS and too much for LPS.

[MiddletonMark]

250w MH not enough for SPS?
Better go home, tell that to mine with my 175's

I'm thinking Spanky and the others were right then, if this started pre-bulb change. Still might be exacerbated by the bulbs a little bit, though IMO.