Some LPS Problems

[michfish5]

Over the last month I have been having some problems with a couple of my LPS corals. My 65 gallon has the following corals: Frogspawn, Torch, Hammer, Colt, Yellow Polyps, and Open Brain (Trachyphyllia)

The brain was doing really well and was really inflated for several weeks and then it started to close up a bit. I moved it off the rocks down to the sand. It sometimes inflates a bit but never as much as it used to. After feeding, it gets a bit bigger but then recesses again.

My frogspawn, which was also doing really well and is usually huge, has been laying over a bit in the middle over the last two weeks. I am attaching pictures from mid November and now.

My parameters are: Temp 80, SG 1.025, Ph 8.2, NH3 0, NO2 0, NO3 0, PO4 .02, kH 9.1, Ca 475, Mg 1500. My Mg always seems to be high since I started using Reef Crystals. Same with my Ca. I am working on raising my Alk.

Could the Colt be bothering either of these corals? Is it placement thing? All other corals seem to be doing well. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[agruetz]

When is the last time you changed your bulbs?

 

[michfish5]

I got the lights new in July. Could it be time to change already? I have the AquaticLife Quad T5 setup. Its been about six months so maybe. Would that cause the frogspawn to lay open like that? Should I move that up off the sand?

 

[michfish5]

Anyone have other theories besides lighting?

 

[aromano]

Aleopathy from the colt. I have that same fixture and change my bulbs every 6-8 months. I've never noticed any real changes in behavior but I do see increases in algae growth as the lights age, I guess the spectrum gets a bit redder.

 

[michfish5]

If it is aleopathy from the colt, would running carbon be enough? I dropped some GAC in my HOB yesterday. As it turns out I wound up moving the frogspawn up off the sand and onto a rock that is even a little closer to the colt to try to get it some more light! That colt was the first coral I got and it is really doing well. But I fear that it may also caused the demise of a toadstool leather that was right below it a few months ago. Right now I have mostly LPS corals and those two softies. Is there any place I could put that colt that it would bother the LPS less? I have pics of the tank up top. Any advice would really be appreciated.