What causes sps coral to brown out?
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: SPS
Forum Description: This is the place to ask questions SPS corals.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=46755
Printed Date: November 27 2024 at 8:40pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: What causes sps coral to brown out?
Posted By: swiftra
Subject: What causes sps coral to brown out?
Date Posted: February 12 2011 at 9:17am
|
So just was curious what causes this? Trying a couple of different sps corals in my tank now and in the the past they have either starting losing their flesh from the bottom up or turned brown and died. Is the browning caused by too much light or not enough, trace elements not at the right levels, or not enough flow or too much? Right now levels in my tank are cal 420 alk 10 dkh and mag 1250. Also what does RTN refer to? I have heard it before and curious what it means.
------------- If you make it idiot proof, someone will find a better idiot! Well 100g crashed when I moved it. Starting a 50g cube now. |
Replies:
Posted By: badfinger
Date Posted: February 12 2011 at 9:32am
| Rapid tissure narcosis and STN is slow tissue narcosis |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: February 12 2011 at 10:35am
|
Thanks for the Alk, Ca and Mg levels. Show us a pic of your tank and answer the questions below and we will help you keep SPS colorful. What is the size and age of this tank? Is it the 100 gal just started? Does it have a cover or is the hood completely closed in? What lights? What is the filtration? What is the temperature and salinity? What is the maximum temperature in the PM? Does the pic(s) show the nozzles and powerheads so we can see the flow?  Oh and that's necrosis not narcosis. All it means is that the tissue is dieing back quickly or slowly, nothing more.  It can be caused by all the things you mentioned... and more.------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
|
Posted By: bur01014
Date Posted: February 12 2011 at 12:41pm
|
Browning SPS= not enough light or too many nutrients in your tank......or a combination of them both... You need to have cleaner water and step up the amount of light....not duration, but PAR....what are your lights and what are you doing for nutrient export....? |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: February 12 2011 at 10:44pm
|
^ He nailed it. Not enough PAR, not enough flow, excessive nutrients or all of the above. Like Mark mentioned if you can post a pic it would help us out a ton. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: swiftra
Date Posted: February 12 2011 at 11:18pm
|
Will have to take some pics tomorrow when the lights come on. Guess I should update my sig line the tank is a year old but I guess in a lot of ways that is still pretty new. Yes it is the 100g 6' long style and I think 18" high but need to measure to be sure. Lighting is 4 39w t-5's 2 175w mh and 2 t-8's not sure on the wattage but are 36" long. Kind of a scab together hood until I can afford better. The hood is not totally enclosed has holes on the side and on top to allow air flow also has a couple of fans running to help. Filtration is 120# or so of live rock and sand no idea how much but bed is probably 2-3" deep in most places. Small excaliber skimmer (soon to be upgraded). Salinity is steady at 1.024 and temp is low in the morning of 73 and high after the lights turn out of 76. Flow is a rio 3100 return, koralin 3 on one end of the tank, maxi 1200 on the other, and koralin knock off in the center specs say 1100 gph. Return nozzles are pointing up and both power heads on the ends are near the surface koralin knock off is towards the bottom pointing up. Will try to get pics posted tomorrow. Thanks Ryan ------------- If you make it idiot proof, someone will find a better idiot! Well 100g crashed when I moved it. Starting a 50g cube now. |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: February 13 2011 at 12:41am
|
It definitely sounds like you need more light. Heat will completely negate the benefits of T5's. The more heat, the more resistance thus much less PAR is produced. We'll be able to tell much better when the pic gets posted. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: bur01014
Date Posted: February 13 2011 at 2:07am
|
I agree with Capn....your lighting setup needs to be improved. I also will say you need to upgrade the skimmer as well. Lighting and a good skimmer are two very important factors in determining colorful SPS vs browning.....also a little worried about your flow...is the maxi modded? I think it may be sufficient, but focus not so much at pointing them all "up" but placing them where the SPS get a good "random" flow....you really could get by with just one of your pumps pointing up to agitate the surface sufficiently....Full Tank Shot would help....as well as some pics of the browned out corals.... Other helpful things: Feeding regimen & How many fish you have... I am also worried about your nutrient export...what are your nitrates and phosphates at? It sounds like your skimmer is your lone source of nutrient export (no fuge? dosing anything? waterchange freq?), which is fine to do, but if you are going to do this, it needs to be a great skimmer! |
Posted By: swiftra
Date Posted: February 13 2011 at 9:56am
Strange thing is I have had some orange monti that after slowly moving it up in my tank when it got to the top 1/3 it bleached out on me. Moved it back down and seems to be getting it's color back. I know monti is not very light intense coral but the bleaching happened within a couple of days. Would that still happen if the lighting was lacking? Also I'm more than a little confused on flow. In a lot of places in the tank I have a hard time placing lps corals. Seems like the flow is too much and they won't open and extend. This is where I have ended up placing most of the sps figuring the higher flow would be better for them. I guess I should be a little clearer on the browning out. I have around 7 different frags of sps in there now and none of them have browned out yet. In the past I have had several that have browned out. Of course I have changed several things in the tank since then. Just was curious what caused it and ways to avoid it this time. I really appreciate all the feed back you guys are giving helping me understand a little better. As far as export goes I am running a dsb, rubble rock, and cheato in the sump. Forgot to include that in my other post. All the N's are at 0 every time I test. Never have tested for phosphates though. Water changes about once a month maybe less. Dosing alk, cal, mag and iodine. Thought about strontium and potassium but don't have a test kit for these. Makes me nervous . For fish I have tailbot damsel, sailfin tang, potters angel, potters wrasse, melanarous wrasse. Feeding is about an 1/8 of a cube of emerald entree or mysis or brine every day at night. One capful of Aqua vitro once a week and either oyster eggs or zooplankton once a week around 1 or 2 teaspoons. Mix in some frozen baby brine shrimp every once in a while. The lps in the tank are exploding with growth right now. Have candy canes, acans, blasto's, and zoo's. Also guess I should say since changing the rockwork in the tank to allow better water movement my pink bird's nest has really started growing. So maybe the changes I made have helped and I'm just being a sissy worrying about this.  Anyways thanks for all your help guys and sorry for the long post. Will post pics when the lights come on.
------------- If you make it idiot proof, someone will find a better idiot! Well 100g crashed when I moved it. Starting a 50g cube now. |
Posted By: swiftra
Date Posted: February 15 2011 at 5:07pm
Sorry took so long but here a few pics. Full Tank  Left Side  Right Side Thanks for any and all help. Ryan ------------- If you make it idiot proof, someone will find a better idiot! Well 100g crashed when I moved it. Starting a 50g cube now. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: February 16 2011 at 1:18pm
|
Something there is bothering me. Can't quite put my finger on it, right now. I'll come back later. Can we see a pic of underneath? ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: February 17 2011 at 12:32pm
|
Still wondering if we might see a pic of the sump and Refugium
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
|
Posted By: swiftra
Date Posted: February 17 2011 at 9:30pm
Here you go Mark. ------------- If you make it idiot proof, someone will find a better idiot! Well 100g crashed when I moved it. Starting a 50g cube now. |