SPS at low tide

Broder

Broder

Mudshark
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For a while now I've been battling to get my SPS at the top of my tank to colour up. The ones in the mid region of my tank have far better colour. The coral that responded the worst, with receding tissue, was a pocillopora. Last night the penny dropped that it was all the corals that were exposed during my weekly waterchanges that were battling.

Previously I'd been led to believe that corals were exposed at low tide and this actually improved the colour. What is the connection here or am I looking in the wrong place?
 
Hi Mudshark - not all SPS are exposed to air during low tide. Only certain SPS corals on certain reefs..... the SPS corals that you have are MOST likely deeper water SPS. Meaning that they NEVER went out of the water.... therefor the reaction you are seeing....
 
It's also possible that they're receiving too much light up there. Or more likely that they have not yet had enough time to acclimatise to increased light. When did you place the ones near the surface, and what lighting do you have?

Q
 
Quinton said:
It's also possible that they're receiving too much light up there. Or more likely that they have not yet had enough time to acclimatise to increased light. When did you place the ones near the surface, and what lighting do you have?

Q
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It's a pink pocillopora, purple tip acro and lumo green acro that are causing me grief. They are about 30-35cm away from 150w 15000k lamps. The purple tip colours up sometimes but then loses colour again. They have been in the current position for at least 6 months. I run my alk at about 10 and cal at 450. Could it maybe be that a drop in these parameters with the addition of 20% NSW could cause slight bleaching?
 
NSW if collected from a clean spot will not cause any side effects.
When these corals are exposed, how long are they exposed for Mudshark?
Could you perhaps supply us with some pics of the corals.
30-35cm away from a MH is fine.
 
Mekaeel said:
I think 30- 40 minutes might be a bit too long. Remember most of the corals we have are aqua cultured rather than from the wild where they are use to be being exposed on low tide over long periods of time. IMO

Some awsome pieces you got there!
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As I was typing it I realised that it was too long to be exposed. Thanks Mekaeel. I hope that one day soon my tank will be a shadow of yours.
 
Mekaeel said:
I think 30- 40 minutes might be a bit too long. Remember most of the corals we have are aqua cultured rather than from the wild where they are use to be being exposed on low tide over long periods of time.
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Keep in mind that on real reefs you would still have wave action and water spray which will keep the corals moist to some extent, even if they are exposed. Also, corals need to produce a mucous layer to protect them from drying out. In nature the corals are constantly eating plankton, which gives them enough energy, proteins, etc. to be able to produce this mucous every day. Unfortunately in our aquariums the corals are virtually starved, only surviving due to the energy produced by their symbiotic algae - this probably does not leave enough excess energy and "organic building blocks" to manufacture enough mucous to protect themselves from drying out.

I would suggest that you keep the MH's and fans switched off during the water-change periods, and keep a spray bottle with tank water handy to "mist" the corals every few minutes.

Hennie
 
Reef Maniac said:
Keep in mind that on real reefs you would still have wave action and water spray which will keep the corals moist to some extent, even if they are exposed. Also, corals need to produce a mucous layer to protect them from drying out. In nature the corals are constantly eating plankton, which gives them enough energy, proteins, etc. to be able to produce this mucous every day. Unfortunately in our aquariums the corals are virtually starved, only surviving due to the energy produced by their symbiotic algae - this probably does not leave enough excess energy and "organic building blocks" to manufacture enough mucous to protect themselves from drying out.

I would suggest that you keep the MH's and fans switched off during the water-change periods, and keep a spray bottle with tank water handy to "mist" the corals every few minutes.

Hennie
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Thank you for the input Hennie, something I didnt think off. I love learning something new in this hobbie everyday :slayer:
 
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