Could this be too much light

Pauli · 10-04-2006, 02:04 PM

I took the SPS I had in my smaller tank and put it into my new tank. I also move the others over at the same time on Sat.
My old tank had a 175W MH and the SPS was high in the tank and appeared to be growing fine. I put it in the new tank about half way down under a 250W MH (3 total in this tank but is is almost directly under this one) and it apears to be bleaching badly. I think it is recovering alittle but I am not sure. The other two seem to be doing well. I will have to get names or take pics for you. I didn't do any sort of acclimations.

Tank parameters:
460 ppm Ca
9.6 dKH
<0.1 ppm PO4
0.3 mg/l NO2-
12.5 mg/l NO3
0 NH4
pH=8.24
temp at 78F
I do not have Mg test kit.

Could this just be because of the lights? do you think that it will recover on its own? Anything else that might be causing this?

Pauli · 10-04-2006, 04:03 PM

I tried to get a few pics. They are not that good but tell me what you think, please.

The first 4 at the in the new tank. The 5th one is still in the old tank. And the last 2 are in the new tank.

Wiskey · 10-04-2006, 05:27 PM

ummmm, could be, but one thing that scares me is that this is a new tank, So new that you still have NO2, SPS often don't do well in new tanks especially before the cycle is complete. I would put them back in the old tank, and let the new one stablize.

Otherwise

You might want to raise the lights up a few inches to help acclimate, then slowly lower them back into place over a few weeks.

Whiskey

Pauli · 10-04-2006, 09:59 PM

I am not sure that i actually trust the tetra sea no2-, no3 or the NH3 or even the PO4 tests that I have. They are done using colorimetry and not a titration. The only Salifert tests I have are the alk and Ca.

The tank has been up for 3 months. Another reason that there could be nitrites could be that I have been feeding new fish that were just put into the tank.

I cannot raise the lights but I might be able to remove that bulb for a while.

Do you have any idea what the second last pic is called?

Wiskey · 10-04-2006, 10:33 PM

Oh, 3 months is not that new. You can raise the whole canopy with 2*4's for a bit.

If you remove the bulb then you have no light, that's not good for aclimation, the other option is to use that cheap windowscreen. Put down a bunch of layers then take one per week off.

Looks like a frogspawn.

Whiskey

Wiskey · 10-04-2006, 10:33 PM

Oh, the last pic is not showing up for me, the second to the last pic looks like a frogspawn.

Whiskey

Pauli · 10-05-2006, 08:28 AM

I have 3 250W MH. I would only remove the one that is directly above the coral. I do not know if this is advisable because it is on a ballast that operates 2 bulbs.

Wiskey · 10-05-2006, 02:59 PM

I would not, I would use the window screen method, or raise the canopy, removing the light just acclimates the coral to no light, then it will bleach again when the bulb goes back in.

Whiskey