Are we headed for a crash or is it lighting?

[dougchambers]

About four (4) weeks ago we noticed a gradual shifting in the colors of our SPS corals. They started loosing color and there was less polyp extension. Our VHO bulbs had been running for about 12 months and we figured we were due for a change.

Rather than load new VHO bulbs, we moved to T5 lighting. Since the upgrade we have been battling with lighting combinations and still have not come to a balance that we like. Regardless, the corals are still not turning around with the new lighting. We have blocked about 40% of the T5’s due to what looked like some initial burning on the tops of branches high in the water column. After looking closely tonight, more of the SPS are getting light grey patches on their base. Our green Montipora has turn 90% grey and our Orange Monti is a pale orange with a few bright polys. All of this has happened in the last 4 weeks. All of the other livestock and clams look great. The clams love the new lighting!

I did an 8-gallon water change over the weekend and second battery of tests tonight. I’m concerned that we are headed for a crash or catastrophic loss of our SPS colonies. Are we just fighting the new lighting or is there something else we should be looking at.

Water Parameters:
Temp: 82.2
SG: 1.024
Alk: 3.43/9.6 (Low – Ca Reactor Stalled)
Ca: 380 (Low – Ca Reactor Stalled)
Phos: 0
Silicates: 0
Amonia: <0.4
Nitrite: <0.1
Nitrate: <1

Our Ca Reactor effluent valve got plugged over the weekend and I have been struggling to get it fired back up. Tonight I adjusted the Alk and Ca levels so they should be back around 3.8 and 440 with a pH of ~8.3. I am preparing another water change for Wednesday.

We are at a loss…

Any thoughts?

[organicreefer]

whats up with the detectable amonia and nitrites?

constantly shifting light intensity and spectrum cant be the greatest thing for them right now -i would get that squared away(read:leave it alone)asap.

did have any temp spikes or anything or introduce anything around the time this began ??

[dougchambers]

Reefer,

Not sure what's going on with the Ammonia and Nitrites. We lost a couple of large Trochus in the past few weeks that slimed everything, but I'd be surprised if they would cause the bump. We are preparing a water change right now for tomorrow.

We haven't seen any temp spikes or offsets. If anything, or overall temperature has dropped ~1-1.5F since adding the T5.

We haven't added anything recently. In fact we pulled some large soft pieces out. We have seen an explosion in the Zoos growth. They have started taking over one whole section of rock and one corner of the tank. I am going to try and thin them out (gloved of course) before the water change.

I balanced out our lighting and plan to just lock it down for a few weeks to see how things react.

Thanks,

Doug

[Northman_with_reef]

Patience!

When i Switced from my 6x36W normal flos too 2x250wMHs, my tank looked like crap.
And nothing would grow, after a month corals began adapting to the light and they lokked even more striking than before.

Unless something is wrong about your chemestriy, it seems pretty normal.
As i said it takes time for the tank to look really good again.

[dougchambers]

Northman,

Thanks for the encouragement. Just to be safe we are doing another water change tonight and I will load carbon afterwards. I adjusted the photoperiod for yesterday to cover more lighting longer and across all the bulb spectrums. It’s hard to tell after one day, but the montipora looked slightly better.

I think its just time to ride it out and watch for any major changes that dictate a reaction.

Patience is not my strong point…

Doug