SPS Bleaching?!

[Felixc395]

Recently my pink birdsnest coral as well as my green staghorn acropora seem to be bleaching. They're both about half way up in my aquarium with 4 ATI T5 bulbs. Everyone said that the lighting would be enough, but I'm not quite sure now. My water quality is doing fair, it probably could be doing better though. Is it possible that my water quality is making them bleach or what?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[Chipie]

Are they getting white at the tips or at the base? Pictures would help. What are your parameters? Water quality is very important to SPS.

 

[Felixc395]

Unfortunately my camera is broken right now, but it's more whitish, brown everywhere with the white mainly on the sides halfway between the base and the tips. I'll try to get the water parameters tomorrow as I do a water change. The birdsnest is by far more brownish, while the staghorn is whitish. But what confuses me is that I have a montipora cap right next to these two and it's doing great with awesome color?

 

[AndyH5512]

Check your water parameters, and also make sure they are getting adequate water flow.

 

[divewsharks]

how long have you had the corals? when did you start noticing the loss of color?

 

[Felixc395]

how long have you had the corals? when did you start noticing the loss of color?

I've had the corals for about a month and a half now and they were doing great. But then just a week or so ago they haven't been doing so great.

 

[Chipie]

We'll need to know your parameters to help you identify the problem.

 

[jackson6745]

Bleaching or Tissue loss?

 

[Felixc395]

Sorry about not sharong the parameters until now but here they are:

nitrate: 0ppm
phosphate: 0ppm
ammonia: 0ppm
nitrite: 0ppm

I just tested the basics for today. I can test for other things like calcium and such if anyone thinks that info would be of benefit?

 

[divewsharks]

Sorry about not sharong the parameters until now but here they are:

nitrate: 0ppm
phosphate: 0ppm
ammonia: 0ppm
nitrite: 0ppm

I just tested the basics for today. I can test for other things like calcium and such if anyone thinks that info would be of benefit?

What is your ALK, CA, MG?

 

[RickMartin]

Sorry about not sharong the parameters until now but here they are:

nitrate: 0ppm
phosphate: 0ppm
ammonia: 0ppm
nitrite: 0ppm

I just tested the basics for today. I can test for other things like calcium and such if anyone thinks that info would be of benefit?

Test results for Ca and Alk will provide more information than nitrogen and phosphate.

 

[Felixc395]

My calcium is at 430 ppm. I have a KH test kit and I lost the manual, but it took 10 drops to change the water from blue to yellow (not sure what that means though?). I don't have a magnesium test kit so that's irrelevant with me.

 

[olkeller]

What kind is the test kit.

 

[Felixc395]

All my test kits are API or Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.

 

[mak3mydae]

If its API, then your alk is 10. When the water is blue, you keep adding one drop at a time until it turns a yellow-y kind of color. Not very helpful in terms of why your corals are bleaching. Perhaps SG? Perhaps... just random STN?

 

[divewsharks]

how often do you test your ALK, constant fluctuations in ALK can be detrimental and different corals respond differently to the fluctuations.

As for you lighting, you said 4 ATI bulbs, in a fixture (which one) or a retro kit?
If the whole coral is turning brown then that can be not enough light. If its turning white but flesh is all still there, then that can be too much light.
If you are losing flesh anywhere, that is something different.

do you have camera on your phone, or borrow a friends?

 

[Felixc395]

I don't regularly test my alkalinity at all. My 4 T5 bulbs are in an AquaticLife fixture.

I think i can get these pictures to attach to the post, but it's my first time attaching pictures so sorry if it doesn't work, but here it goes.

 

[Felixc395]

bump

 

[divewsharks]

is the acro just slightly brown and the birdnest white at the base - but has color otherwise?

 

[Felixc395]

The staghorn really is only fading in color for the moment, not bleaching while the birdsnest has it far worse. The birdsnest has splotches of white while the rest is faded in color but still extends it's polyps.