Need some SPS help

[skeety]

sorry. The brown coral is only green at the bleached part closes to the rock. The picture doesn't do it justice, but the part sticking up where the underside is bleached is actually bright white.

ANd the 2nd coral, I'd made a comment (right before the picture, so it's easily missed), that the shot was a week or so after the bleaching, so algae is starting to grow over the bleached area (dead area). Thus the green.

They first fade, and become a lighter shade of whatever color they originally were, then they bleach, and when they bleach, it's bright white.

Then, a few days later...green (as the algae grows over).

Then, about a week later, purple...as the corraline overgrows the algae.

[Twitterbait]

tell you fish to stop peeing on the trees...

[Wiskey]

Just so we don't confuse people, this is STN not bleaching. If it were bleaching the pylops would still be open on the bleached part it would just be clear/white. In this case no algae could grow on it.


Whiskey

[Geoff]

i feel that if it were phosphate wicking on the coral skeleton than corraline would not be able to get a foothold.

it does kinda sound like phosphate wicking though. chemical warefare also, but since you use carbon, that seems less likely.

how much detritus do you siphon out every week?

G~

[skeety]

I'd say quite a bit. But it's all light tan/gray matter.

But now that i'm doing water changes the right way, we shall see if the amount is reduced each week. But this week, MANY a pretty thick tan/gray cloud was lifted.

(honestly...not sure how to answer the "how much" question. How do i measure it or quantify it?)

[Geoff]

the next time you do a water change. note how many gallons it takes to remove all of the detritus. on my 125g tank i can remove all detritus from the system with a 5 gallon water change.

i think that it is this high because i had it sitting on the front deck the whole time i was in Ireland and i am sure i had some leafy matter and other things contaminated it with a little phosphates.

G~

[skeety]

~G, I'll do that.

This last time (which was the first time syphoning straight out of the tank...took me about 8 gallons before I was just sucking out extra water. First 8 gallons was made up of some pretty thick clouds.

I'm really hoping the WC thing method might have been the problem. Not that any particular toxins were released with such a shallow CC bed. But maybe they were slightly toxic...and just the sheer quantity of it swirlin around the tank for an hour or so before it cleared..... I don't know.

Either way...I'll let you know with this next water change if the quantity of dirty water's changed.

[skeety]

Originally Posted by Geoff

the next time you do a water change. note how many gallons it takes to remove all of the detritus. on my 125g tank i can remove all detritus from the system with a 5 gallon water change.

i think that it is this high because i had it sitting on the front deck the whole time i was in Ireland and i am sure i had some leafy matter and other things contaminated it with a little phosphates.

G~

Did my 2nd water change yesterday (via this new method). First time it took about 7-8 gallons. And there were some THICK clouds. This time, it took me about 6 gallons, and the clouds weren't NEARLY as thick as before. I'm really thinking this was the problem. All recession has halted completely in the tank. Still not seeing much growth, but it's only been a month of improved exporting, so I think I'll give it some more time.

Also removed the sponge from the sump's baffles. Not sure why I kept it there all this time. Mainly cause it came with the sump, and there's where it was supposed to go...so I'd just rinse it every water change, and put it back. But no more.

Got a really good feeling that I'm gonna start seeing some major improvements in the tank!

Want to thank EVERYONE who helped. I know my initial posts were extremely lengthy, and I truly appreciate everyone taking the time to give me some feedback!!

[Twitterbait]

No problem, did you extend your photoperiod at all?

[skeety]

I did at first, by only 20 minutes.

and two days later, I saw more recession on the two affected SPS's, overnight than I normally do in a week. So I backed off from that.

We'll try this approach first...and if I don't see a change, maybe I'll give the extended photo period another go (maybe shorter increments).

[Twitterbait]

how is the ca and alk

[skeety]

Originally Posted by Twitterbait

how is the ca and alk

A smidge off, but currently correcting.

Alk is a little high, at 12. And Calcium is a little low at 340.

But I've increased the drip on my Ca reactor...so in a few days, I'm
hoping to be dead on.

Plus, I just did a 15gl water change yesterday, so that should have pulled the levels a bit more in line as well.

[Twitterbait]

good, your growth will really depend on you light, flow, ca and alk.

[ReelFreak]

Nice to hear it's getting better for you! It's amazing how many variables come together to enable us to keep reefs at all......It's great to have community forums like TRT so others can share their experiences, both good and bad.

Post some updated pics as the recovery progresses!

[skeety]

thanks! Will do!


also added three really tiny blue/green Chromis last night, since up until now, there's been only 3 fish in whole 84 gallon system. Not sure if that'll help, but I liked them! hahaha

also, hopefully it doesn't relate, but can someone maybe give me some info or links on Phosphate wicking? Not entirely sure I understand the concept.

Is it simply the idea of algae (as a result of P) growing from WITHIN the coral? Via the LR it's attached to? or is there more to it (if that's even right).