hammer and other corals look pale

S

Surykor

New member
Hello everyone
I have this Euphy since Christmas. Right now its splitting 2 new heads to form new and in the same time it has some tissue recession from bottom:hmm6:.
I realized it's color is washing out. I have this problem also with other corals (monti digi frag encrusting but becoming pale , acan lord becoming pale and not growing at all) My caulastrea next to hammer is doing fine
Can this be caused by Light? ( too much/too many) I have 35g Breeder (1meter long) lit by 3x 39W T5 ATI (B+ C+ B+)
or nutrients? I have some cladophoropsis algae on rocks and some GHA growing on glass Even through I have ~ 2,5-5 No3 and my hanna ULR shows 0-3 ppb phos. I dose VSV to bring down No3, running Rowaphos and doing 10% WC every week
KH -8
Ca -440
Mg -1420
Sg 1.026
temp 78-79
Notice on pics that all stalks are longer and thinner -not so puffy than when I bought it. can this be also indicator of some issue?
Thanks for your time and advices
Before: 1/2015
NHmZMdgl.jpg

now: 7/2015
cxTdegPl.jpg
 
Last edited:
Your PO4 is almost non-existant; it equates to 0.009ppm PO4. The colour loss is probably due to the fact the zooaxanthellae hosted by the corals aren't getting enough for growth. I'd keep PO4 in the range 0.02-0.06ppm PO4 or 6.5 - 20 ppb phosphorus.
 
I threw away Rowaphos bag yesterday and will test again after a few days...
Yup and forgot to mention that I have only 4 fish in tank. 2 clowns, yellowtail damsel and royal gramma
 
Ok so after some time I still measure 0 Po4 with Hi 736 checker
No rowaphos in sump about a month, algae still present(very likely to be God damn Bryopsis) I still do carbon dosing and my No3 is 2.5 according to salifert test..
Noticed that I dont need to clean front glass film algae it should be also indicator of low Po4 if Im correct
Right now Im trying Brightwell magnesion P to raise magnesium and see if it kills bryopsis.. its about 1900+ Mg right now with no result
 
I don't know, I run 0 Po4 on a Hi 736 checker and my LPS colors look fine. Generally, my LPS look pale when they aren't getting enough light, either because I'm honking with my LED's or because the water is getting that dirty.

So I return the LED's to a brighter setting or add carbon to the sump, and usually everything straightens out within a day or so.

You could also try quitting the carbon dosing for a week or two and see what happens. I was carbon dosing for a while, and my hammer and FS looked very meh throughout. I quit, and everything looked way better. I have a 29g tank, with a 7.5g sump, roughly the same volume you have. I control nitrates fine with chaeto and v10% weekly water changes.
 
Should have a few more months on those bulbs. Tank looks very clean IMO. Add a fish or two and feed away :thumbsup:
 
Thx for replys.
Well on pics tank look clean but it is not :-D we have a wave of heat over a month here in europe .. 38 degrees celsia. I do my best to cool tank with fans .so far so good. Water max 28 degrees C.
I have posibly bryopsis on most of rocks, in evening a layer of diatoms is visible on sand bed.

I wanted to add chaeto to sump but have no light yet because it would add to temp. problem I think..
I have 2 clowns. Gramma and yellowtail damsel and cleaner shrimp. How many fish do you have in your 29g ? :-)
I can try remove screen from top and/or raise hammer from sand bed and observe results..
 
Any update on this? I'm in the same situation and I don't know what the cause is. Hammer is healthy and growing, just pale.
 
Hi.
No change in color of hammer so far.
2 weeks ago I stoped Vodka dosing, reduced rowaphos and algae started to grow more on rocks and glass. So I guess no lack of phosphate cause.
also I put in caulerpa and setup small refugium in middle chamber of sump

Also picked up some green scoly, caulastrea, and piece of red montipora capricornis. Everything is looking fine.
Also I again started to use kalkwasser- new corals suck KH a lot ;)

I saw mother colony of hammer in LFS. tentacles are way more brown than mine. Deeper colored overall. Also I notticed that my crocea has changed color a lot. LFS not sold all other croceas yet and I can see difference. in LFS they are more blue and darker. Mine is more violet and lighter in color.

Well Im trying kent tech M to eliminate bryopsis. without succes so far. I think its maybe similar to bryopsis but not the actual bryopsis. Time will tell..
 
I got the same problem with my gold hammer turns pale to almost white. Did everything i can it still look like dying.
so I switch from Kessil 360W to Maxspect razor 420k 48" now its back to dark gold. :)
 
tsunade said:
I got the same problem with my gold hammer turns pale to almost white. Did everything i can it still look like dying.
so I switch from Kessil 360W to Maxspect razor 420k 48" now its back to dark gold. :)
Click to expand...

Hi, So you changed intensity and/or spectrum of light?
I have T5HO 3x39W without reflectors. Combo is ATI B+C+B+
Some corals- like green montipora capricornis turned to brown and only new growth has some green.
Other example is green Montipora digitata which turned way paler not brown
Both corals are in same depth.
I cannot raise or lower lights because I have tank in "cabinet".
 
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