Help!!! Corals Bleaching

Discussion in 'Coral Health' started by gamma, Aug 30, 2004.

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  1. gamma

    gamma Spaghetti Worm

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    I have a few acroporas bleaching.  I have one completely white, and 2 more that are getting there.  I have a few other acroporas that still have their color, but I'm worried that they might also get bleached.  My water params are as follows:

    alkalinity - 7 dKh
    ammonia - 0
    ca - 435
    nitrite - 0
    nitrate - 0
    pH - 8.0
    phosphate - 0
    sg - 1.024
    temp - 77.0

    Not exactly sure what needs to be done at this point.  I've reduced my lighting to the following schedule:

    4:00 actinics on
    5:00 mh's on
    11:00 mh's off
    12:00 actinics off

    I know my pH & alkalinity are on the low end of the spectrum.  I'm working on it.  Any ideas? :'( :'( :-/ :-[ :huh: :(
     
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  3. gamma

    gamma Spaghetti Worm

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    did i stump everyone?
     
  4. amcarrig

    amcarrig Super Moderator

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    What do the corals share a tank with? When did they start bleaching?

    All you can do at this point is try to save a few frags by snapping them off above the point that they're bleaching :(
     
  5. Jason McKenzie

    Jason McKenzie Super Moderator

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    Are they just turning white or is the flesh flaking off? What are your Day night temp swing? are they Frags from another colony or are they wild caught?
     
  6. gamma

    gamma Spaghetti Worm

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    they're turning white and the flesh is flaking off. i believe most of them are not frags and are wild caught.

    i have several inverts sharing the tank:
    nassarius snails
    red legged hermits
    blue legged hermits
    yellow sea cucumber
    blue linkia star
    fire shrimp
    cleaner shrimp
    purple lobster
    bubble tip anemone

    only 1 fish:
    domino (killed my pair of clarkii clowns, a few days ago - he's going to a new home - the fuge!!!)

    the corals started bleaching about 10 days ago. one thing I didn't do was acclimate them (i know bad). is it too late to acclimate them to the lighting using screens?

    i'm currently using oceanic sea salt and have been advised to switch to natural ocean water, which i'm considering.

    any thoughts, opinions?
     
  7. amcarrig

    amcarrig Super Moderator

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    Well, not acclimating probably played a big part in their bleaching but I too am wondering if you've had any temperature fluctuations?

    I wouldn't switch from sea salt to sea water at this point as I don't believe that it will stop your corals from bleaching.

    The only thing I can advise you to do at this point is to start fragging and hope for the best.
     
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  9. Jason McKenzie

    Jason McKenzie Super Moderator

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    Most bleaching is not because of lights. It's not a fadeing of colour do to too strong of light.
    How long have they been in the Tank. Wild caugh SPS are a lot more sensitive to change than frags. I just lost a wild tricolour do to temp swings. Or at least that is what I think.

    J
     
  10. JohnO

    JohnO Moderator

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    Gamma,

    I'm no expert, but from what I have read the coral is not bleaching. What you have is RTN

    Refer here

    http://www.netpets.com/fish/reference/reefref/schiemer.html

    Quote

    " There is a big difference between bleaching and rapid tissue necrosis. The latter is loss of tissue whereas in bleaching no tissue is lost.
    In RTN the polyp tissue starts to disintegrate, often at the base of the coral, and sloughs off. If water it directed at it, the tissue detaches from the coral and floats around, the tissue is dead. "


    John