LobsterOfJustice
Recovering Detritophobe
Hey all,
I've had SPS dominant tank in the past and I am just getting back into SPS again after getting back into the hobby about a year ago. I've got a cap that isnt looking great and I wondered if yall could help me figure it out.
Tank was set up summer 2012 and moved this past February to a new house. Other SPS (2 other caps, digi, birdsnest, and an acro) are doing well, as well as a lot of softies, euphyllia, a clam, and 2 BTAs. I have a MP40 and an overpowered return pump on a seaswirl for flow. Ca and Alk are maintained via 2-part on dosing pumps and are steady at 420 Ca and 8dkh Alk. Nitrates are less than 2. I don't test for PO4 but I run GFO 24/7 and I do not have algae issues. The piece is near the top of the tank under 2x 100w VHO and 2x 250w MH. I do about 10% water changes once a week.
I got this particular piece maybe 4 months ago, and it has grown a good amount since then. However, the past few weeks it has been getting lighter and lighter in color. It's not RTN or STN, there isnt tissue peeling or dead area yet. Its like the tissue layer on the entire coral is getting thinner and thinner. The color is fading to the point that it will eventually just fade into dead. It's also starting to get "dirty" with a bit of brown algae dusting covering the whole coral. Yes, I'm sure the coral is still alive, I'm not a newbie.
My thoughts:
Low light? The bulbs are due for a change, but it's pretty high up there, even old MH should be giving it enough light to survive, right? And other corals are doing well. Plus it was doing well and growing over the past few months, intensity doesn't drop off that fast, does it?
Allelopathy? The piece is only a few inches away from (and downstream from) a medium size toadstool leather. I do run carbon changed monthly.
I've had SPS dominant tank in the past and I am just getting back into SPS again after getting back into the hobby about a year ago. I've got a cap that isnt looking great and I wondered if yall could help me figure it out.
Tank was set up summer 2012 and moved this past February to a new house. Other SPS (2 other caps, digi, birdsnest, and an acro) are doing well, as well as a lot of softies, euphyllia, a clam, and 2 BTAs. I have a MP40 and an overpowered return pump on a seaswirl for flow. Ca and Alk are maintained via 2-part on dosing pumps and are steady at 420 Ca and 8dkh Alk. Nitrates are less than 2. I don't test for PO4 but I run GFO 24/7 and I do not have algae issues. The piece is near the top of the tank under 2x 100w VHO and 2x 250w MH. I do about 10% water changes once a week.
I got this particular piece maybe 4 months ago, and it has grown a good amount since then. However, the past few weeks it has been getting lighter and lighter in color. It's not RTN or STN, there isnt tissue peeling or dead area yet. Its like the tissue layer on the entire coral is getting thinner and thinner. The color is fading to the point that it will eventually just fade into dead. It's also starting to get "dirty" with a bit of brown algae dusting covering the whole coral. Yes, I'm sure the coral is still alive, I'm not a newbie.
My thoughts:
Low light? The bulbs are due for a change, but it's pretty high up there, even old MH should be giving it enough light to survive, right? And other corals are doing well. Plus it was doing well and growing over the past few months, intensity doesn't drop off that fast, does it?
Allelopathy? The piece is only a few inches away from (and downstream from) a medium size toadstool leather. I do run carbon changed monthly.
