all corals are thriving but GBTA is bleaching why?

[bairdimusprime]

ok, the abridged version lol
I've got 17 heads of torch coral, 15 heads of frogspawn, 50+ green hulk pollys 2 huge fuzzy shrooms, some random zoos and a larch chunk of pagoda cup coral all FLOURISHING bright colors awesome display pieces. A rose BTA which bleached after 2 months in my tank and then came back fine eats every other day diced scallops or silversides, and a Green BTA which now 3 months later is bleaching for NO REASON it takes the same foods as the rose. and is Stationed in the same rock since its original placement.

does anyone know why everything would flourice but the nems would bleach out? (they bleach out then get their colors back its quite odd)

I run a 4 bulb t-5 system ati blue special, ati purple plus, coralife 10,000k and a coralife true blue actinic. (my lfs was out of ati blue plus so i had to subsitute)

thanks in advance

Bill

 

[MadReefer]

The only things I recall reading about bleached nems were poor light but that doesn't seem to be the issue with yours. The second was if a fish, like a clown, was stressing it out some how. Hope it recovers.

 

[bairdimusprime]

neither of my clowns host the nems, they prefer the forgspawn.... odd right? but thanks.... i even run a uv sterilizer to ensure clean water on top of my weekly water changes... i've got tons of amphipods reproducing on their own as well plus coraline growth out the wazooo....

 

[NikkiT]

1. Inadequite lighting, as mark mentioned
2. Temprature swings
3. Alk swings
4. Chemical warfare from softies (you did not mention softies, just lps and zoas)

 

[JRWOHLER]

+1 on temp swings and alk swings.

 

[bairdimusprime]

i have no soft corals, i only have whats mentioned maybe i need a new alkalinity test kit. my numbers have been on point for a long while now... only issue is my calcium is around 500 ppm

 

[NikkiT]

To get an accurate idea of the alk "swings" in your tank, you need to test at different times of the day. For example, in the morning before the lights turn on, in the evening when hey are on full blast, and an hour or two after they go out. Repeate for several days to a week.
Are you dosing Ca? Alk? When do you dose? What are your levels 1 hour before you dose? One hour after?
Regarding temp, what is your tank temp in the morning? In the afternoon? At night?
Anems are pretty hardy, especially bubble tips, but they do not like rapid changes in water parameters.
You mentioned that you are feeding silversides and scallops; when was the last time you tested for nitrates? Phosphates? What are your current readings?
My guess would be that either temp or alk is fluctuating though out the day.

 

[bairdimusprime]

I test twice a week, before my water change and then two hours after.
my nitrates and nitrites have been at zero for the last 6 months+ phosphates zero as well (i had a huge phosphate problem around a year ago switched salt mixes and to ro/di water and fixed that problem.) i only use the aquavitro salt mix which is supposedly guaranteed to have correct levels of Cal, mag, and alk so i dont dose what soever.
like i said my fish are vibrant, corals are vibrant and my rose is fine its just GBTA's in my aquarium the tems are between 74-76 throughout the day. im going to have to test for the swings thanks Nikki!

 

[NikkiT]

I use aqua vitro as well, and really like it.
That said, ca is not always as high in my tank as it could be (sps suck it right out of the water) and I do get alk swings on a daily basis, we dose to reduce the extent of the swing. The alk for the newly mixed water is "correct" but changes in temp, photoperiod, and ca levels do effect my alk levels, and very possibly may effect your tank as well.

 

[bairdimusprime]

Nikki thanks so much for all of your help, i will test this weekend when im home.. I work long hours so in order to dedicate the time to the tests it must be a day off.

what do you dose with if you dont mind?