ORA blue tort question??

[rholguin]

I have a blue tort that I got from ora about 3 to 4 wks ago. The problem is that some of the tips have started to bleach and the polyps seem to have been tucked in. As far as flow I have 2 powersweep 214gph and a korolia #2. Lighting 6 bulb 24" fixture. All parameters are ok except for ca its kind of low at 375, working on getting up. I have placed under a shaded area at the bottom thinking its getting to much light. Any advice would greatly help.

[jdieck]

You mention 6 bulbs, what kind? If T5 I doubt is the light as torts require a lot of it.
Check you magnesium, adjust your calcium and check that no direct continuous flow is not hitting on it.

[rholguin]

jdieck- 3 ati blue +, 1uvl super acntinic, 1ati pro color, 1 ge 65k. I do not have a mag test.

[rholguin]

Will a lack of food have anything to do with it? I only have 3 fish and about 10 hermit crabs. I only feed twice a day.

[jdieck]

Definitively it is not the light, on the contrary I think it might not be enough but it is too fast for it to afect the coral, usually bleaching tips is environmental, in other words water quality.
Magnesium, calcium, alkalinity, temperature, oganic compounds, phosphate, nitrate or similar.

[jdieck]

Originally posted by rholguin
Will a lack of food have anything to do with it? I only have 3 fish and about 10 hermit crabs. I only feed twice a day.

No not lack of food. Again too soon to be afected by that.

[rholguin]

Well i'll see if i can get a mag test kit and a good phosphate test kit i really dont trust my api test kit. thanks for the advice.

[rholguin]

Im sorry for so many questions, but wouldnt doing weekly water changes keep up with the mag levels? I use oceanic salt mix.

[twon8]

what is your alkalinity?

[rholguin]

twon8- last time i checked it was about 9dkh about two wks ago.

[jdieck]

Originally posted by rholguin
Im sorry for so many questions, but wouldnt doing weekly water changes keep up with the mag levels? I use oceanic salt mix.

With Oceanic it might be as it is higher then normal in Mg but need to test anyhow.

[chessmanmark]

It's difficult to keep acros in a 29 gallon tank because your levels will fluctuate more than in a larger tank. Also, I have my ORA blue tort directly under a 250w MH Phoenix bulb with two 110w VHO bulbs right beside it. I don't think a shaded area at the bottom of your tank is well advised.

[hatfielj]

Its your ca and alk. A calcium level of 375 is going to be stressful on a coral, especially if it came from a tank with better parameters. I would get that up to where it should be along with your alk before adding anything else. Hopefully the coral will bounce back for you. Also, how old is the tank?

[rholguin]

Its about 8mths old.

[fishdoc11]

With all due respect jdieck it could be the light. Lots of people have problems with bleaching/coral lightening using T5's. 6 bulbs over a 29 assuming you have individual reflectors is a lot of light. I kept 16 Acro frags in my 29 under 4 T5's for around 3 months and they did well growth and colorwise. The retracted polyps would lead me to believe something else could be at play.
Is this your first SPS or do you have others that are doing well?
Do you have a picture?
Moving it to the bottom probably wasn't a bad idea but putting it in the shade probably isn't the best.
Also a Ca of 375 is not detrimental, maybe a bit low but lots of SPS tanks have Ca levels in that range and are successful.
hth more than it confuses things, Chris

[rholguin]

Here are some pics
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
I have other sps and they are doing ok

[LobsterOfJustice]

Alkalinity!

[fishdoc11]

Well from the pictures I would agree with jdieck that it is likely something having to do with water quality.

Chris

[twon8]

how are you supplementing/replacing alk/ca?

[rogergolf66]

Originally posted by rholguin
Im sorry for so many questions, but wouldnt doing weekly water changes keep up with the mag levels? I use oceanic salt mix.

only if the mag level is good in the salt mix. with out a test you don't know what they start at. It is always good to test the water before putting it into the tank to make sure all is well with it. I can name at least one salt mix is to low for a reef tank, but I don't know about oceanic salt as I have never used it. using that theory then the cal. level would also be good with weekly changes. i don't know much about the salt you are using but I would consider somthing for reef tanks if that is not I would switch.

also if your mag is low it will be hard to raise the cal level, so get a mag test kit.

[fishdoc11]

Also from the pictures it would appear the coral is loosing flesh.....is this correct? In that case it would tip recession not bleaching. That may confuse some people.

Chris

[rholguin]

I am using esv two part solution for alk/ca. As of today my ca-400, my api test keeps reading the same so I think its a bad test the reading is 9dkh. I've been trying to raise the ca by adding the solution every 24hrs and then testing to see where im at. its been a week from 300 to 400. I've been dosing 10cc of both solutions.

[barjam]

That isn't bleaching, that is recession imho and nothing to do with lighting most likely.

My tort is under 4x54 about half way up and has had no lighting issues. It is actually one of my bettered colored SPS.

[jdieck]

Originally posted by barjam
That isn't bleaching, that is recession imho and nothing to do with lighting most likely.

My tort is under 4x54 about half way up and has had no lighting issues. It is actually one of my bettered colored SPS.

Yes that is tissue necrosis, most likely sudden change in environmental conditions.
Again with 6 T5 were practically 4 of them are actinics (three blue and one super) definitively it is not lighting.
Try to compare your parameters with the parameters it was exposed to before specially PH and temperature.

[barjam]

I would count the Blue Plus as a daylight bulb and not actinic because it's par is equal to or greater than daylight bulbs. Still doesn't change anything, this isn't a lighting issue.