Can SPS that has started to bleach be brought back?

[bmasculine]

I recently moved about six frags from a smaller tank to my new setup and I've killed three of them the other three have started bleaching so I moved them down lower in the tank. Can this be fixed? Not sure what happened really the tank they came out of had intense LED's on it. The tank there in now has 175w 15k xm bulbs and 165w t-12 actinics.

 

[Amphiprion]

They can be saved, but you need to immediately reduce intensity. Moving them to the bottom was a good start. Can you raise either of your fixtures? If not, try using some netting or screen in layers to block incident light and gradually remove it.

 

[bmasculine]

Thanks for the response my fixture can not be moved because of canopy, may try the screen like u we're saying. Is there any other reason other than light that they would bleach? I just feel like my LED's were much more intense

 

[Amphiprion]

Sure, plenty of other potential reasons. However quick light reduction, as long as it isn't too dim, is one of the quickest, easiest and safest things to address during a bleaching event. Can you give a quick list of current parameters and setup info?

 

[bmasculine]

CA 420 Mg 1300 Alk 9 No3 0 Po4 .08 I'm running 3 175 w 15k xm metal halides 2 165w T-12 actinics reef octopus dnwb 150 skimmer reef octopus gfo reactor 20 gal refugium tunze ato iwaki return pump and 4 sicce voyager power heads for flow

 

[bmasculine]

It's a 175 gal bow front. I know the phosphates are a little high but I've heard this will brown corals not bleach them. All of my lps are doing great but I'm having fits with my SPS

 

[Amphiprion]

You'll have a lot of mixed opinions, but while not exceptionally low, the phosphate concentration is by no means awful. Phosphate concentrations in that range shouldn't result in the issues you are experiencing. I would refrain from trying to make any changes other than shielding the fixtures to reduce light for the time being. See how things react to the reduced intensity. If it still worsens, then you can look to some other cause as to why they are bleaching.

I don't know how intense the LEDs were the corals used to be under, but by halide standards, the XM 15K is not particularly intense. I bleach corals that used to be under intense Radions, AI fixtures, etc. very easily if not careful, but my lighting is pretty extreme.

 

[bmasculine]

I was running a coral life T-5 fixture with 10k & Actinic and a Fluval marine & reef LED fixture @ 20k on the small tank. Yeah I agree with you that the xm 15k isn't a very intense halide that's why initially I placed the frags so high in the tank. Seeing as how they were about the same depth in the small tank I figured they'd be fine. I had read that the xm 15k dosent have much PAR as compared to the 10k but I really like the color it produces. I tried the screen like you mentioned. I'm gonna leave the screen on there and gradually move my frags to the height I want them and then start removing the peices of screen. I think that would work best.

 

[bmasculine]

Thanks again for the help!