Pocillopora turning brown?

[~reefchik~]

I think I've read where this is due to lighting, but I'm not clear on what's going on exactly.  There is still growth and polyp extension but overall this coral is getting pretty brown.  Is this lack of UV?

[jd]

What lights are you running now? I have one and it is fairly brown, I've always attributed it to low light. Its going under MH in a few days, I'll let you know how it colors up.

[HUNGER]

it could be

[Reefd Up]

Could be a lot of things. Could be too little light, old bulbs, or high nutrients most likely. What are your phosphates and nitrates testing at?

[UDJustin]

I was gonna say high nitrates too

[harleyrider]

Pocillopora

   Intense lighting is recommended for best coloration and overall health. Use either Metal Halide lighting or a large bank of high output fluorescent or compact fluorescent bulbs. If not provided proper lighting, the colors of Pocillopora may fade, but worse the coral may not receive enough energy and perish. Strong water movement is recommended. Pocillopora relies heavily on the products of their zooxanthellae. This coral may benefit from the addition of phytoplankton as a food source.

[~reefchik~]

What lights are you running now? I have one and it is fairly brown, I've always attributed it to low light. Its going under MH in a few days, I'll let you know how it colors up.

4 x 65w 10Ks/actinic PCs.  This coral is in the top 7-8 inches of the water. 

[~reefchik~]

Could be a lot of things. Could be too little light, old bulbs, or high nutrients most likely. What are your phosphates and nitrates testing at?

Near zero and zero respectively, last time I checked.  I'm probably due to check again since messing with the sump the other day though.  I'll retest again and post if anything is different.  The bulbs are fairly new (less than 6 months).

[~reefchik~]

Pocillopora

   Intense lighting is recommended for best coloration and overall health. Use either Metal Halide lighting or a large bank of high output fluorescent or compact fluorescent bulbs. If not provided proper lighting, the colors of Pocillopora may fade, but worse the coral may not receive enough energy and perish. Strong water movement is recommended. Pocillopora relies heavily on the products of their zooxanthellae. This coral may benefit from the addition of phytoplankton as a food source.

I would be amazed if there was not enough light for this coral.  I think spectrum might be an issue though.  It's growing nicely, so it's not perishing by any means.  I will try and get side by side photos of how much it's grown and post them tomorrow.   

Now, strong water movement?  I *think* the tank has strongish water movement.  Everything moves constantly in the turbulence provided by a Koralia in one corner and the return valve on the other meeting in the front-middle.

I feed the entire tank with frozen most nights and the tiny bits in there seem like they should be food enough.  I also recently began adding cyclopeez 2x a week.  I use IPSF Coral Heaven maybe once or twice a month when I think of it. 

[cyberwollf]

That's 1 korilla (4?) and return pump in a 90?

[harleyrider]

That's 1 korilla (4?) and return pump in a 90?

Just my opinion but thats not even close to having enough...lmao, myself i have mag 7 return, and 3 Korillas, and wonder somethimes about buying another, and thats just in a 75 gallon.

[coral ranch]

It could be the lighting. When we moved our pink pocillipora under pc lighting last winter it browned up.We also got growth and when we returned it to the green house in the spring it turned pink in about 10 days. The darker green pocillapora does great under strong pc lighting.

[jeremyt]

if you have a splash shield on the fixture make sure you clean it weekly, also if it is on legs i would take them off and sit the fixture right on top of the tank (if it has a shield).

[~reefchik~]

That's 1 korilla (4?) and return pump in a 90?

Yep.  Koralia is #3 I believe.  This return pump pushes water with enough force to either dig up the sand in the corner or practically blow water out the front of the tank until it's adjusted just right.  But I went ahead and turned on the other powerhead in there (Aquaclear 20) for more. 

[Lost Floridian]

To give you an idea about water movement and SPS, when we had our SPS dominate 40g we had 2x Korallia 3s, 1x Koralia 4, and a 1200g/hr (-4' head loss) return pump, that added up to about a 80x/hr turnover - that's a bit high but the plan for the new tank is 2x 3200g pumps + the return pump... right now your at what, ~20x/hr turnover.

All that said I think the way to get it to color back up is to move it up to the top of the tank and work on water quality. The H20 flow was just a side note

[Reefd Up]

If it was lack of flow, you'd likely have STN (slow tissue necrosis) around the base.  If it was low lighting...well, you'd have a brown coral, but we had the same lights over a 40g tank.  If the coral is very close to the top, you shouldn't have a problem. How long has the coral been in the tank overall?  How long was it in the tank before it browned out?  If the coral was just added, it may be brown from stress...some SPS take a while to color back up after being added.  If it has been in the tank for a while, it probably is an excess nutrient problem.  You may have high phosphates/nitrates, but the creatures in your tank are using them...leaving you testing at an ok level.  Phosphate is difficult to test (insert discussion on organic/inorganic phosphates).  If you think your flow/light is ok (btw...what is your light cycle?), you may want to look into using GFO (granular ferric oxide) to reduce your phosphates.  SPS also require VERY stable parameters.  If your salinity is fluctuating (was that you who posted their hydrometer was waaay off from a refractometer?), Ca/Alk/Mag/pH/temp are fluctuating, light cycle is inadequate, etc, you're likely to have a brown coral as well.

[~reefchik~]

Somewhere in there Nikki, you probably hit on it.
I'm going to say it's fluctuating salinity first off, because it does.  I top the tank off each day and now it's worse with the glass tops gone.

I will post test results here later on.  I didn't get them done yesterday because we had too much going on.

[~reefchik~]

 

I guess I can STOP relying on Kent Tech A & B to keep my pH, alkalinity and calcium in balance!!
My pH has dropped to 7.7, and Ca is only 210! 

I was better off using pickling lime as my calcium source. 

Fortunately the nitrate and phosphates are still very low - almost undetectable. 

Now here's a good question:  I found a large box of reef chemicals in the basement about a month ago.  Some of them are old but unopened, and some of course have been opened.  Do these things typically have a shelf life? 

[cyberwollf]

I was better off using pickling lime as my calcium source. 

+1

[ohioreef]

Ive always had good luck using pickling lime.

[UDJustin]

yes they have a shelf life

[Reefd Up]

Yes, they have a shelf life.  What are you wanting to use ("reef chemicals")? 

[HUNGER]

yes they do some say on them when they go bad

[~reefchik~]

Have I been doing the Ca test wrong?  I use Salifert.

I add the #3 reagent in drops until the pink solution turns blue.  Where the tip of the black plunger is, is where you read the Ca in ppm on the chart.  I keep getting 1.5 ml left meaning (I think) 420-430 ppm in Ca.  reading from the chart.

Then they have this calculation on there as a second choice:

ppm Ca = (1-reading in step 6) x 500

Doing it that way, 1 - 1.5 = 0.5
0.5 x 500 = 250 

What the heck?  Big difference there.  Salifert experts, anyone?

[lazylivin]

Your first one was right. It is 425
It was .15 ml left. 1 - .15 x 500 = 425

[~reefchik~]

And that's why I got Cs in Chemistry and Ds and Fs in Math. 
Good thing I make a living as an artist and not a scientist, ain't it?

Thanks.  So then things aren't as bad in my tank (water params) as I thought yesterday. 

So then, it's down to lights.  My new LED strip came today and it's on.  It does add some shimmer.
I believe I may buy another one.  Not sure yet.  The new stoneys are clustered under this light now, and I'll watch them for a few days to a week and make a decision.  So far I'm impressed with LEDS though...geez.  Serious light output.

[chromiumlux]

Dont forget nutrient levels. Some sps do not do well in high nutrients. Color will fade.

[cyberwollf]

And that's why I got Cs in Chemistry and Ds and Fs in Math. 
Good thing I make a living as an artist and not a scientist, ain't it?

Thanks.  So then things aren't as bad in my tank (water params) as I thought yesterday. 

So then, it's down to lights.  My new LED strip came today and it's on.  It does add some shimmer.
I believe I may buy another one.  Not sure yet.  The new stoneys are clustered under this light now, and I'll watch them for a few days to a week and make a decision.  So far I'm impressed with LEDS though...geez.  Serious light output.

i'd really like to check the LEDs with the PAR meter before you buy any more. Just want to be sure it's worth your money. Human eyes can be decieving on par vs brightness

[~reefchik~]

Dont forget nutrient levels. Some sps do not do well in high nutrients. Color will fade.

  Can you be more specific?  What nutrients?

[~reefchik~]

i'd really like to check the LEDs with the PAR meter before you buy any more. Just want to be sure it's worth your money. Human eyes can be decieving on par vs brightness

  Will you be in the Miamisburg/W Carrollton area anytime soon?

[Reefd Up]

  Can you be more specific?  What nutrients?

He was probably referring to excess phosphates and nitrates. 

[~reefchik~]

I'd already posted those values though.  I thought he meant something else 

[~reefchik~]

 

All my SPS are coloring up nicely!  I like it!

[HUNGER]

thats good

[ghurlag]

What did I miss?  What changed?

[HUNGER]

All my SPS are coloring up nicely!  I like it!

this

[~reefchik~]

What did I miss?  What changed?

http://americanaquariumproducts.com/LEDLights.html

Got me one a' these newfangled thangs:

* AquaBeam 500; 12 watt Marine Blue- $169.99
(3 blue emitters & 2 14,000K Daylight emitters)
A good choice for high light requiring corals/clams or as a more blue supplement to the Reef White. Also a good compliment to T2 or T5 Daylight systems

[HUNGER]

very nice lets know how well it works

[~reefchik~]

"Official Ohio Reef PAR Meter Results"

Measurements with all PCs (2 65w double 10K tubes and 2 65w actinic 03 tubes) and new LED AquaRay:

Center of tank 
1" deep:  115
7" deep:   85
Sandbed (14-15" deep):  55

Right side of tank (this is PC light only with only a little throw from LEDs)
1":  180
7":   90
sand: 40-50 shadowy near rocks
sand: 55-60 out in open

Left side of tank PCs and directly under LED strip:
1":  200
7":  125-130
sand:  37.5 ish in the shadows
sand:  50 in the open

All lights off except LEDs:
1":  150-175
7":  75
sand:  37.5

Ok and then I hooked up my new Koralia 4. 

OMG!!  They should call this thing Tsunami!  It literally blew water in my face when I first turned it on, positioned about 6 inches down the back wall of the tank and pointing upwards about a 30* angle.    It took a long time of moving it and repositioning it (so much fun when the magnet falls off behind the tank) and finally I had to settle on about 6-7 in down the far right side wall of the tank blowing lengthwise across the tops of the corals. 

Needless to say I had the sandstorm of a lifetime in the tank for a while.  But I have a bit more confidence that my rock is going to stay cleaner of detritus with this much water movement, and presumably now the SPS will be happier too.  The softies, not so much 

[HUNGER]

thats look good

[~reefchik~]

I went ahead and ordered the all white LED strip to go with it.  I think then I will be set for whatever I want to grow.