Porcillipora is bleaching out

[jb61264]

I'm newer to keeping SPS and have a mixed reef that has been doing really well for the last 6 months. I have thriving monti caps, a Fiji acro that sits right next to my softball sized flourescent green porcillipora and just noticed today that it is bleaching out on one side. It has been sitting next to a rock that has some huge hairy mushrooms and am wondering if they could have perhaps caused this? Alk is 7.5 which I think is low, Calcium is 440 and I just added a calcium reactor to my system, my pH does fluctuate throughout a 24hour period from about 7.9 to 8.2. My temperature fluctuates from 79-82, I run a TEK 6 lamp T5.

I haven't run ammonia, nitrate, or nitrite and will be testing those out tonight and posting.

Should I move my colony or start immediately fragging it out to save it...will it completely bleach out?

 

[irocz2280]

correct alk is low get that up. calcium is ok, ph isn't too much of a concern with corals as long as it doesn't effect Calc. Magnesium, and Alk. But you should check your magnesium also that is another major component in your reef chem. If the mushrooms are not touching the coral you should be fine. I think its more to do with your water Params. I also have t-5 and love them. Also how long have you had this coral ? Did you acclimate the pocill to your lights if it is a new specimen?

 

[irocz2280]

Show a pic if poss.

 

[jb61264]

Here is a picture...it is pretty much dead center in the picture appearing like it is below the pump in the background...you can see how it is bleaching from the bottom up

 

[john90009]

either something is stinging it- or its getting to much flow but it looks like its only bleaching near other corals : /

 

[jb61264]

So will the entire colony continue to bleach out?...should I frag out some pieces to try and same it? Not sure what to do.

I don't think it is getting too much flow because the area that is bleaching out is actually on the other side of the pump that is about 6-8" away (Koralia 1)

 

[john90009]

from my angle it looks liek the fuzzy shroom is relle close to it, does it ever flow alittle off the rocks and gets near to the birds nest. Most people cut off dead coral- i dont tho. if its rtn or stn causes then you would deff want the dead pieces off but i have seen burnt tips and stung corals recover just as long as optimal conditions are kept.

 

[Surf&turf]

from my angle it looks liek the fuzzy shroom is relle close to it, does it ever flow alittle off the rocks and gets near to the birds nest. Most people cut off dead coral- i dont tho. if its rtn or stn causes then you would deff want the dead pieces off but i have seen burnt tips and stung corals recover just as long as optimal conditions are kept.

+1 My Millie fell against my torch and bleached a tip and it recovered.

I would say the shrooms could be the culprit.

 

[jb61264]

wow...thanks for the feedback guys..i am going to move the piece today...i did notice when i got home from work today that it appeared more of it had bleached out today...I am very concerned at this point about losing the entire piece...its almost halfway gone

should i consider fragging it out to keep it alive?

 

[john90009]

frag some tips that are furthest away from the dead- these will be your healthiest pieces. then its up to you wether to cut the dead off, i leave the dead tips on mine because when i have tip burn from alk the skin covers faster then it would take to make a whole new skeleton.

 

[jb61264]

I fragged off about four tips and moved the main piece from its location by the large frilly mushrooms...I'm so bummed out, it was such a beautiful piece

 

[irocz2280]

i think it will be ok as long as you keep it away from the nasty corals i would personally relocate the shrooms if i could but if thats not poss then so be it the reason i say this is shrooms don't mind being moved around as much as sps corals. good luck i know what that feels like i think we all do.

 

[jb61264]

I checked my phosphate tonight with a Red Sea phosphate test kit...it tested out between the 0 and 0.1 color indicator so I'm sure phosphates are ok...I have been using chaeto since day one of my tank startup and about 3 months ago I added a BRS GFO reactor. Also tested my Alkalinity and it is 8.5....pH is 8.1 and temperature is 82

 

[irocz2280]

alk seems to be a little low don't you think

 

[HANDYANDY]

think the temperature is a little high 78 perfect imo

 

[jb61264]

I am working on gradually bringing the alk up a bit...I fragged five pieces off of the main colony which has completely bleached out. The hermits and snails certainly knew it was dying off and have been having a feast...there is just a small area of tissue left on the main colony now and I'm hoping I can save some of the frags now