Mobile Bay Reef Keepers

I have a giant Pocillapora coral (~7" across) that has begun to bleach. It sits at the top of my tank about 5-6" below the lighting. I've always had four 96 watt VHOs. I use to have a single 250 watt MH (6,500K). Around Christmas I added a second MH fixture, but switched to a 10,000K lamps. All my other corals are doing fine and are growing as usual.



Has anyone had any experience with "established" Pocillapora coral bleaching? I got this one from Terry over a year ago as a piece of rubble that was at the bottom of his tank. It has done very well until now.

Is it bleaching or browning? IME they brown easily when lighting changes. But they also can recover well. Adding the extra halide may indeed have stressed it... if you think it is bleaching and not browning then you can move it lower in the water column for a few weeks and see how it does.... It should be fine in high light in the long run though......

It is bleaching! You can't tell from this picture because the bleaching is on the top. The polyps are still there, but they're a ghostly white. I'll try to move it to the bottom of the tank. I don't really have the room to make the move. I'll figure out a way to get it done though. Thanks!

this may seem like a silly question, but what is the temperature of the tank now, after adding the new halides? Significant change even if within the safe params?
Other tank params good? Just curious.....

It should be okay.... that poccillopora is almost indestructable. Terry had in a mound of rubble and it continued to grow. I think he considered it a weed at the time.

SaltnLime wrote:this may seem like a silly question, but what is the temperature of the tank now, after adding the new halides? Significant change even if within the safe params? Other tank params good? Just curious.....

That's a really good question! I added another fan to the canopy when I added the light. Before the light, the summer time temperature was about 81F and now during the winter it's the same.

I am worried what will happen this summer though. My house is staying a consistent 72F during the winter, but during the summer I peak to about 76F-77F. I'll be adding a fan to the sump then!

I haven't checked my nitrates for awhile, but other than that... yes they're all good. I'll check them today just to make sure.

I just checked my nitrates and they're high; about 10-25 ppm. For the last year or so I've been <5 ppm. I'm going to do a 40% water change for a short term fix.

I think I need to up my refugium's capacity. Does anyone have an old 29G tank they want to sell?

Yeah but it is drilled at the top.

PM sent.

If you replace your old fuge I might be interested in taking it off your hands. Just let me know.

Joe

It's a 10G drilled in the back top center. Joe, you can have first choice to buy it if I get the bigger one worked out.

Works for me.

Joe

I did a 40% water change on Sunday and again Monday night. My nitrates must have been closer to 30+ because I'm still between 5-10 ppm now.

I'll do another water change tonight after work. My purple Monti Cap is bleached out too! I don't know how I let this happen!

Geez Jeff, shame shame! it's all that frozen food you have been feeding!

Mmmm.... yep.