Flowerpot coral bleaching

[Calappidae]

I have a flower pot coral in the mid layer of my tank under 120w evergrow full spectrum LEDs with their atinic and daylight dimmers channeled at 100 (as high as they can go) apox. 7 inches above the water line.

Half the colony is bleached (lost color and transparent), specifically the half facing upward torwards the LEDs. Is it getting too much light or is it getting not enough?

 

[Reef Frog]

To me, it sounds like too much light if you're using powerful 3 watt units at 100%.

I keep ORA Reds under 6 T5s on the sand bed, about 14"-16" below the waterline. I've never used LEDs but have read all the SPS threads where people are bleaching light loving corals like acros & birdsnests, so I wound think gonis would be very susceptible to bleaching in your case (assuming I am understanding your LED fixture).

I would try moving it down, possibly in a shaded area and/or adjust your lighting down if possible. Since your goni sounds like it has expelled its symbiotic algae, it may be at risk regarding nutrition...so feeding it might not be a bad idea. Wild caught gonis are hard to keep under the best circumstances, so I would address this right away.

 

[Calappidae]

I moved it to the sandbed and dimmed the LEDs to 70.

If it begins to recover would I be able to just slowly increase the light over time to bring it back up or no?

 

[Reef Frog]

Your plan to let it recover and then move it sounds fine. I'm not sure it could tolerate 100% power with high strength LEDs however...but don't really know since I've never used them. But most people seem to keep them on the sand bed. Some kind if screening to block some light is another option. Moderate but not intense flow is important too for this animal's survival.