corals not doing well

S

splatee

Hi everyone,

I am having a problem with a few of my corals. First off here are my specs on the tank.

55 gallon
Bakpak skimmer
Power filter
1 x 96 watt PC 10k
1 x 96 watt PC 50/50
2 x maxijets 1200

For corals i have the following
Frogspawn
Hammer
Bubble
Richordia
Open Brain

Everything was doing great and then i noticed a couple of weeks ago that my frogspawn was not coming out fully anymore and looked like it is starting to bleach and the same with the brain. Now the other day my bubble coral is all closed up and the hammer is looking to good also. I checked the temp yesterday because it has been hot and it was almost hitting 90 degrees. I took the top off the tank and turned off the lights and did a 10% water change. Today they look about the same, just a little better. i am not sure what is going on. The tank has been set up for about 4 months. I check the salinity and it is around 1.022 and 1.023.

Thank you
 
I have never checked calcium/alk levels, i need to get a kit. For calcium i usually add about half the recomended dosage of liquid calcium once a month. Could a lack of calcium be why my brain had started to bleach out? I target feed the corals once a month also.

I have taken the lid off the top of the tank so it can get better gas exchange. Usually the tank temp hovers around 80 to 82 degrees with the lights on and i am not running a heater.

thank you
 
I have the following in the tank, a one Clown Fish, Lawnmower blenny and a few damsels, and a Skunk Cleaner shrimp. I have never seen them nip at the corals.

And i have not been running a heater now for a few months, the tank is always around 80 degrees when the lights are off and around 85 with them on.

Thank you for all the help
 
Well i have been searching the forum and now i am wondering if the temp being so high has been why my brain started to bleach out and the same with the Frogspawn. I read that at higher temps certain corals can start to bleach.

I am going to get a fan for the top as soon as i can.

Thank you
 
I think the high temps are probably your answer. But, as Matt said, you need to know what your calcium and alk are. Those are teo important tests to have.
-Chuck
 
Well i am at work still so i called my wife to check the temp out on the tank and it was at 85 degrees. So i had her to turn off the lights. Well i i am going to go and get a couple of those small fans the clamp to the desk and just clamp them to the back of the canopy and see if that helps.

Thanks
 
With things starting to bleach, you may also want to check your ammonia levels. Things dying can cause a dominoe effect....just a thought.
 
I know temps in the high 80s will cause frogspawn, open brains, and gorgonians to bleach because I had that problem with my 55 reef, too. Try to get your temps under control if you can or be prepared to sell off or board out to a cooler system any corals showing signs of bleaching. Fans should really help. :)
 
Thanks for all the help everyone.

I am working on getting the tank cooled down and keeping my fingures crossed that they bounce back.

Thank you
 
I thought i would give an update on how things were going. I got the temp down to 76 degrees when the lights are off and it goes up to 80 when on.

What i did was i pulled the canopy forward so there is about a 1/2 inch gap between the front of the tank and canopy. Then i took a fan that we use to cool the room with and faced it towards the front of the tank, this way the air hits the front of the tank and goes through the gap into the canopy and out the back. I also took the cover off, but now i think my lawnmower blenny jumped out, i havent seen him in a few days, i need to get some more eggcrate.

The corals are starting to look alot better. The bubble is starting to "bubble " again lol and the hammer is starting to look alot better also.

I just wanted to tell everyone thanks again for all your help.
 
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