LarryD Posted August 15, 2015 Author Share Posted August 15, 2015 So I might just be seeing what I want to be but I feel like I am actually getting better polyp extension from the setosa than I was before reducing the light intensity. I am definitely seeing a happier devil's hand and the zoas and palys don't seem to care one way or the other, but like I said I could just be imagining things with the setosa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 LEDs can quickly burn out a coral. I lowered the intensity on mine about three months ago and everything is happier since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryD Posted August 24, 2015 Author Share Posted August 24, 2015 So the LEDs are ~30% lower than what they originally were, I have not seen any change in the setosa as of yet. I know we discussed the possibility of there not being enough nutrients in the tank but I am not real sure how to up them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryD Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 So the setosa is still getting worst so I broke it lose of the rock it was on and moved it to the sand bed. The zoas and palys are doing just fine so I would not think it was the light but I am completely out of my element with sps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 I looked at your first picture and it seems like you had pretty good polyp extension, just pale color. Do you still see good polyp extension? I have seen montis pale when alk is too high, my red monti cap turned pink when alk hit 9.5. I do have a low nutrient system. You might consider lowering your alk from 11 down to 9 or 8.5. My monti went back to bright red when I lowered alk from 9.5 down to 8.5. Took about a month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryD Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 I still have good polyp but the tips are pretty white now. I just tested my alk and I am getting 9-10 dKH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 White tips can be growth or it can be alk burn. Post an updated pic if you get a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryD Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 It is not a great picture but here it is as of the move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Sorry, I can't really tell if it's growth or not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryD Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 I don't think it is growth it has not started encrusting at all and it looks like there might be some zoozanthelle puke coming out of the tips but it could also be something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Setosa doesn't turn white as the tips grow. White tips on that coral would have to be alk burn or STN. I believe that Alk burn can occur above 10 dKH in most acropora species, but I've never had it occur in my tanks so I don't know what it looks like. Maybe someone else can chime in on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryD Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 How would someone who is not dosing alk bring their alkalinity down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 I don't think you have to lower it at 10 dKH because most Alk problems occur at very high ranges like 14 dKH. If I wanted Alk to go down, then I just wouldn't dose and the corals would bring it down naturally. Other than that I'm not sure how to lower it. You're using a salt that is high in Ca and Alk so even if you did a water change it probably wouldn't go down. My guess is STN that is not Alk related. It could be that the high light shocked it or that the tank is too young. Sometimes an event occurs that the coral doesn't like and it doesn't show physical signs for a week or more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 LarryD, sorry about your coral. I'm not sure what to add .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Larry, it looks like too much light. Just keep it on the sandbed for a bit and see how it reacts to it. I don't know what salt you're using but like Sascha said, it's probably one of the "pro" salts that has higher Ca and Alk. You probably don't need to use that type of salt yet until your Ca/Alk demands increase. You can just use any other brand that has more normal levels of Ca/Alk in it instead of the elevated types. The alk levels will go down on their own with uptake, though in your system, it may take a long time since there isn't a lot of corals uptaking. You can always use muriatic acid to lower it but I don't suggest that. I would just recommend letting it go down naturally. My setosa currently sits in par from 50-150 (low light) and is happy. They don't need much light and still look good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryD Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 Larry, it looks like too much light. Just keep it on the sandbed for a bit and see how it reacts to it. I don't know what salt you're using but like Sascha said, it's probably one of the "pro" salts that has higher Ca and Alk. You probably don't need to use that type of salt yet until your Ca/Alk demands increase. You can just use any other brand that has more normal levels of Ca/Alk in it instead of the elevated types. The alk levels will go down on their own with uptake, though in your system, it may take a long time since there isn't a lot of corals uptaking. You can always use muriatic acid to lower it but I don't suggest that. I would just recommend letting it go down naturally. My setosa currently sits in par from 50-150 (low light) and is happy. They don't need much light and still look good. Ya I am going to leave it down low, I don't want to reduce the light anymore because the softies still seem to enjoy it. I am using the Red Sea coral pro so that is why it is higher. I am going to cut back on water changes to every other week unless I see a problem arise. It was also suggest to me by a friend from college that I might try and add a month or something to increase my uptake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryD Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 So I don't think the setosa is going to make it, I am still getting polyp extension but the entire frag is basically white now with the exception of the polyps. I think this might be a sign that I am not cut out for sps right now as everything else in the tank seems to be doing well and growing some (the blue ric I got at the same time is two or three times bigger than when I got it) I am thinking I am going to stick with lps and softies for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 It's not a bad idea to build up your experience as you say. Keeping SPS in a 10 gallon tank is very challenging, especially without automation and dosing equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryD Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 It's not a bad idea to build up your experience as you say. Keeping SPS in a 10 gallon tank is very challenging, especially without automation and dosing equipment.I will admit I was not planning to try any sps in this tank and just stick with lps and softies however Sascha gave me the frag to try when I was buying some other stuff from him. Now that my sps experiement appears to be a failure I just need to find a new home for my gsp colony so I can make more room for more smaller colonies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryD Posted September 13, 2015 Author Share Posted September 13, 2015 Figured I would give you guys a final update on the setosa, it is dead. I don't know if it was just the new nature of the tank or the lights or what but it just never got there. I think for now I am probably going to stay away from the sps, the tank is doing well and my lps and softies all seem happy and are growing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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