Need help pokerstar turned brown

islandcreation · #1 12/18/2007, 01:50 PM

I had this pokerstar piece for 1 month and its been great under my 20k. Its about 8 inches away from the water surface and the lighting was about 12 inches away from the water surface. I just got a new canopy made and new xm bulbs 10k (Got the 10k due to the review regarding the high amount of par). The canopy is larger and the lights sit about 2 feet about the water surface now. My pokerstar turned brown! Polyp extensions all there but its brown? All my other corals are fine! What gives?

sjfishguy · #2 12/18/2007, 03:50 PM

why are the lights 2 feet above your water? That means that coral is almost 3 feet from your lights. It is obviously not getting enough light. Also, 10k bulbs are not going to nearly give you the bright colors of a 14k or 20k. Yeah, they have more par and corals will grow faster, but I like my corals to look nice and bright too, that is why I would never put a 10k in my display without A LOT of supplemental lighting.

Also, we are speaking of the pokerstar montipora right? If so that is an SPS, not an LPS (you posted this question in the LPS forum, that is why I mention this)

fierceseaman · #3 12/18/2007, 11:42 PM

I thought browning means that a coral is receiving too MUCH light??

islandcreation · #4 12/19/2007, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by fierceseaman
I thought browning means that a coral is receiving too MUCH light??

Anyone else? I'm confused with two answers... So if the coral browns out with polpy extension still but just turns brown, is it too much light or not enough?

sjfishguy · #5 12/19/2007, 12:37 PM

I have never seen a coral brown from getting too much light; bleach yes, brown no. Browing usually means the coral has increased the amount of zooanthallae in its tissues to compensate for lower light levels. Some acros may brown due to other stressors (alk, pH, etc) and water quality fluctuations. This happens much less frequently with species other than acros.

What wattage are your new bulbs? There is NO WAY that coral is getting too much light. And don't fierce's response as an answer, I think he was asking a question. Since this is an SPS coral, if you post your question over in the SPS forum you will get 500 responses matching mine (and probably more complicated answers than you want).

RandyO · #6 12/19/2007, 01:36 PM

I've heard of some Montipora browning out due to an Alkalinity drop.

Check your levels and see where your at.

islandcreation · #7 12/19/2007, 06:46 PM

Thanks for the responses. And sorry for putting this on the wrong section. I'm going to lower the light with chains. Its currently attached to the top of the hood which is fairly large. And I'll do a complete water change and test to check parameters. Thanks

SPStoner · #8 12/19/2007, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by RandyO
I've heard of some Montipora browning out due to an Alkalinity drop.

Check your levels and see where your at.

Right on, Randy. This particular species of Montipora is very susceptible to alk drops and alk fluctuations. Make sure your alkalinity is within acceptable parameters and also that it remains as stable as possible. I have had 4 different colonies of this coral brown out in 3 days when my CO2 ran out on my reactor. Had it refilled within 24 hours but the slight drop and fluctuation browned these all out and they stayed that way for a month!

As far as lighting goes, I have found the aquacultured colonies to be much more tolerant of high light levels than their wild counterparts. I have never had an AC bleach and blast them with light from day one. The wild colonies or frags of them need to be more slowly acclimated to higher light levels, IMO.

Hope this helps and good luck!