Bleaching

[FishyReef]

How long does it take a coral to start to show signs of bleaching? I've had a plating montipora in my tank for about 3 weeks and it was looking pretty good for the first 2 weeks, but isn't looking so good over the past few days. I decreased the intensity of my lights last week when I thought my Australomussa was having trouble and then noticed that my monti was starting to show hints of white around its edges. I moved it higher in the water column to see if that helped but the white seemed to be progressing so I moved it back down to the bottom. In the process of moving it I accidentally dropped it and it landed upside down on the bottom of the tank, causing a few more white areas on top - I figured that was from injury, but it has continued to look worse over the last two days getting more white around the edges and getting cobweb like structures on top of it. I don't know if the cobweb structures are from the coral or from stuff in the water column catching on it. My turbo snails and urchin also keep moving it (my urchin practically flipped it over an hour ago). I am wondering if it is bleaching and if so what I can do to save it? My lights (AI Sol) now are never above 80% combined of all colors; I have them closer to 60-75% for only a few hours in the afternoon, and then ranging from 30-50% during the other hours of the day, with moon lighting to start and end the day. I have no idea at this point whether the coral is getting to much or too little light, since bleaching can occur in either condition.

 

[FishyReef]

So my monti is definitely bleaching, it has lost its color around its entire edge and the area on to where I dropped it is getting worse. I'm tempted to turn my lights back up to the higher settings that I had them on previously. Any other suggestions? Thank you!! (I should note that I also think part of the problem is water quality - my paramters are good but there is a lot of particles in the water, from an algae bloom and from no running skimmer, I may also have phosphates leaching from my rocks but I don't have a test for phosphates so don't know for sure, but at least from looking online this seems to be a common problme with the pukani rock). I would really appreciate any ideas anyone has!

Thank you!

 

[sen5241b]

Did you "light acclimate" the coral when you put it in your tank? Once a bleaching starts no matter what you do it may be too late to stop it. Corals can bleach cause they get too much, light, too much nitrates or phosphates and for other reasons. Manhandling a coral or injuring it can definitely end up killing it.

 

[FishyReef]

Did you "light acclimate" the coral when you put it in your tank? Once a bleaching starts no matter what you do it may be too late to stop it. Corals can bleach cause they get too much, light, too much nitrates or phosphates and for other reasons. Manhandling a coral or injuring it can definitely end up killing it.

Yes, I did light acclimate it (or at least I was in the process of doing so) - starting it on the bottom in a shady area, then moving it a little higher in the water column after a week, still in a shaded area of the tank, with a plan to continue moving it into its final spot over several weeks. It was doing well in the beginning (both on the bottom and after I moved it higher), but I was afraid one of my snails or urchins was going to knock it off its perch (I didn't epoxy it since it wasn't in its final spot yet), so I moved it back to the bottom, and that's when I accidentally dropped it onto the bottom of the tank and injured it. I'd really like to try to save it if possible, but I just am so new at this that I don't know what the right next step is!

 

[little_fish]

I think between too much light too fast and all the manhandling you might have an issue. I would cut off the parts that are clearly dying and put it at the bottom and leave it alone.

SPS dont usually do well in new tanks, it might look like your parameters are spot on, but stability is a huge factor in SPS doing well. Your tank is likely too new for them to flourish.

However, on the other hand SPS do get a white growth ring where the coral is growing. You might have seen that and thought it was dying back when in fact it was doing fine.


Remember, go slow in this hobby! This also applies to freaking out about problems and trying to fix them really fast, you often end up doing more damage.

 

[FishyReef]

Remember, go slow in this hobby! This also applies to freaking out about problems and trying to fix them really fast, you often end up doing more damage.

HA!! Enough said, and pretty accurate for me I might add (but I think you know that) lol ;)

But, yeah, I don't think its new growth on the monti - parts that were clearly colored before no longer are. I do think I moved to fast in getting an SPS - was thinking with my lighting it would be okay, but wasn't thinking about the newness of the tank. I do think the manhandling (between myself, the snails, and the urchins) have been problematic for it. I'll see what I can do to clip off the dying parts and will just keep it on the bottom and leave it alone for a while. Also plan to pick up some strawberry baskets at the store to proect it (and my a.mussa) from being climbed all over - neither seem to like that very much, though my a.mussa recovers easily from that. Fingers crossed I won't lose it.

 

[marcah]

I dont think the manhandling by any snails or yourself is doing as much harm as you think. SPS need a more stable tank like Hannah said I think it is more apt to be something along those lines and check the flow it is getting, to much flow or a flow that it doesnt like may cause white spots to form and actually see like a fillament come out of it...