SPS Bleaching from the base up

[Acro_holic]

Hey DFWMAS!

I am new to SPS and for the first few months frags I had were doing great. Now, I have some bleacing from the base up and loss of color. Tips look like new growth still and there is some good polyp extension. Not all my frags are losing color but green slimmer seems to be the one getting the worst of it. I am sure its not rapid tissue degeneration as the base is not super white and where there is bleaching there is still some polyp extension.

Running 8 bulb dimmable ATI fixture ? 6 bulbs on at a time at 75% and run time is around 5 hours (been ramping up since getting new frags)

105 Rimless - been running for years.

My water test using Red Sea test kit
Ca ? 390
Alk ? 9.5
Mg ? 1400
Nitrates ? 0
Salinity 1.025

LFS water test result using Sailfert
Ca ? 450
Alk ? 11
Mg ? 1170
Phosphate - .003

I dose Alk and CA- 22Ml a day. Since testing I?ve stopped dosing Alk and turned off GFO/Carbon

Now, there is obviously a huge different in what I tested and what the LFS tested. My red sea test kit might be a little old and I may not be proficient in using it so I am going on the premise that the LFS got it more correct than I did.

Here are a few things that I expect to be causing the problem (if not all)

Too high Alk
Too low light
Too high light
Poor flow area (running 1 Gyre on the opposite end of the tank from the green slimmer)
Micro nutrient deficient

Beyond this I really do not know and dont want to start changing a lot at worse making the issue that much harder to deal with.

Did a 10 gallon water change 2 days ago and working on a new batch of salt water to do a much larger water change on Christmas. Plan on doing 40+ gallons.

I REALLY want to nip this as fast as possible because I?ve picked up a TON of new frags trading my old softies for new SPS frags.

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So I am looking for a quick fix, most likely cause, and long term fix. (yes, getting paramerters in check and stability is key)


Sorry to go on and on.

 

[DFW]

Brian, I doubt that the magnesium is at 1170, although raising it above 1400 is not a problem either, IMO. I think that running the t5s at 100% for 8, or 9 hours per day would be better. That is my opinion. And I also expect that the flow is not enough. The tentacles/polyps should be moving a lot in the current most of the time, IMO.

 

[Acro_holic]

Thanks!

When I picked up my first frags from you I had yet to switch to T5's I believe. When I first swtich i was running at 100% for 9 hours and I had some algea growth. it was like a brown dust all over everthing and it killed off my pinky the bear. So far thats all I've lost completely. Once I turned down the lights all algea went away and now I've begun ramping them back up. I run 8 bulbs and %100 seems like a lot imo.

 

[DFW]

Well, I run 4 t5s for 9 hours, and 16 3watt LEDs for 13 hours, and 14 more 3 watt LEDs for 6 hours per day. The LEDs are probably equivalent to at least 2, and probably 3 t5s. And my tank is only 16 inches wide, and 24 inches deep. And on my little 3 foot long tank there is a wp-40 on else mode running all the time, one on each end taking turns so that both ends get some strong current. My acros are between 9 and 15 inches of the lights. Diatom blooms happen some times. Silicates are associated with diatoms. I hope that some others will offer some ideas for you!

 

[Acro_holic]

Here is a better pic of what I am talking about

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[DFW]

That looks like an area that is shaded by the upper branches of the coral. If all light begins to be blocked from an area it cannot keep growing, I don't think. Could that be it?