Light issue?

[sgt.ruedas]

So I would say I'm still fairly new to the hobby have been in and out for the last 5 years or so. This is the first time I'm trying sps coral. I have a 75 gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump the lights are maxspect Razor R5-200. I have them set at a preset mode for LPS/SPS. I have 2 800 gph powerhead and 2 530gph powerheads My calcium has been stable around 415 mag around 1350 alk at 9 DKH. But I seem to be having trouble with my montipora could it be too much light not enough light or am I missing something with dosing anyone has some advice? Lights are about a foot from the water line and 16in from the highest coral

 

[jcook54]

Did you start all of them off on a low level? Too much light will screw a coral up a lot faster than too little. At this point I'd consider turning down the intensity or moving the frags to a lower level. What's the coral in the last picture? It looks like it's been growing in your system for a while but I could be mistaken. How's everything else look? If it's just different montipora species turning white, I'd suspect montipora eating nudis but that's just because I've had them and I'm really jumpy about those stupid critters. Have you noticed any little white things on the frags? Also, what do your nitrates and phosphates test at? Your parameters sound good and it is a little odd that it's only the montis.

 

[sgt.ruedas]

I started them off at the top of the tank I haven't seen anything on them and ive had them in my tank for about a month now. I've checked my phosphate and they were a little high so I bought some chemi pure and it's been in the tank for about a week nitrates are good. Is really only the montipora but that's really the only sps I have in the tank I wanted to start with something easier than just jumping into acros. The montipora seem to be losing color on the edges little by little. I'll try lowering them in the tank and see if that works. Should I cut off the dead part of the coral?

 

[jcook54]

I would move them down for sure. At 80%, that's quite a lot of light. It's always advisable to start a frag towards the bottom and that particular fixture can put out the PAR. My bet is on too much light. If it were my frags, I'd cut off the dead stuff just so no algae grows on them. I've seen dead spots start to grow GHA and irritate the rest of the healthy part. What are the times for the lights to turn on and off? I think my max period with lights at full intensity is somewhere around 7 hours with an hour or two on each end for a ramp up and down.

 

[sgt.ruedas]

I'll move them down and see how they do then and I have them turning on at 830am and off at 9pm too much?

 

[jcook54]

I got new fixtures for Christmas so I've been working on my lighting program quite a bit. I don't have it set exactly where I want it but my target for "max intensity" photoperiod is going to be somewhere around 8 hours. That is, lights at or around full intensity for 8 hours with a ramp up and ramp down. I'm going really slow with my setup because it's easy to burn corals with too much light. Here's what my current program looks like.



I like the colors so now I'm slowly working to increase the duration. Right now I'm at about 6 hours of peak intensity with a ramp on either end. I add 15 minutes every months and keep an eye on the corals. It's really slow going but I've got the time! I would consider shortening your overall duration and adding a ramp on either end. A lot of folks have differing opinions but 12.5 hours at full set intensity is on the higher side of things. I would also try and rent or borrow a PAR meter so you'll know what kind of intensity you're giving your tank with you exact light fixture. I'm betting that at 80% you're getting some pretty serious PAR on those montis and it's quite a bit more than what they were use to.

 

[dball711]

I’d agree too much light, move them down and turn the lights down, maybe to 50%. Best to put them on the sand bed till they recover, maybe in the shadows is possible. I’d also recommend turning the whites way down, maybe even to 0%.

 

[Tjb61885]

To much light...