Whats wrong with my efflo ??

[FWC]

Yes ,the SPS around doesn't look the best ,the lighter piece was just introduced to the tank a few hours before hand. The milli beside did suffer some tissue damage at the base ,however it has good polyp extension and has been growing well.

Also that sounds like something to check for. I'll for to go out and buy a magnesium test. Thanks

[ScubaSteve]

In addition to new lights, when I see white spots like that a few things come to mind:

-Super low nutrients (ie. excessive biopellets). Basically it's starving. But seeing that the other corals around it are not super hot, I don't think this is the issue.

-Alk fluctuations. How are you topping up your calc and alk? It looks like the swings might be too large.

-New GFO. I've had a couple of colonies go belly up on me if I change too much GFO at once. The process by which they depart sound similar to what you are seeing and takes a few days to a week. The GFO, in addition to dropping phosphates to very low levels, can cause other parameter fluctuations which can take out more sensitive corals.

Based on what I see there, I'm putting my money on a parameter fluctuation; probably alk but it could be any one of them.

[Stones]

As dreef already mentioned, check to see what your Mg levels are at as STN from the tips down is often associated with a Mg shortage.

Running only a 2 bulb T5 fixture is likely also not enough light for your aquarium. To sucessfully maintain SPS under T5's, most people typically run either 6, 8 or 12 bulb fixtures. Personally, I feel that a 6 bulb fixture would be a little on the weak side to keep SPS happy and healthy.

Also, I'm pretty sure that you've misidentified your Acropora. An A. efflorescens is one of the few plating species of Acropora and typically looks like this:


They are an extremely sensitive and tempermental species of acropora that often take years to color up and can sit for prolonged periods of time without growing or changing color. They brown out from changes in nutrient levels, changes in light or rapid changes in alkalinty very easily as well.

[FWC]

Thanks for the advice everyone

I'm not sure if it really is an efflo ,I bought it as a "blue rim efflo" ,so thats what I've been calling it.

So pretty much it sounds like I need to do the following to get my efflo (and sps in general) back into tip top shape:

-Add more lights. I've been wanting to do this for quite a while. I was thinking four T5's with two LED strips.

-Make sure to test/dose accordingly for Cal/Mag/Alk

-Keep up on water changes.

Also I did add GFO to my tank for the first time in a while about a week ago ,however when I was last using GFO in the tank I saw nothing like this with the coral.

Also my tanks not a low nutrient system by any means

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by reefermadness

The sps around it also look in poor condition from what i can tell. Perhaps something or things aren't quite right for sps success.

agreed also, im thinking if you want to do an sps tank, the most important things are :

parameters, lights,flow and nutrients.....its very important to keep these in sync consistently to keep sps colored and thrieving.


basically your lights may be under powered, the flow to laminar and your tank parameters are constantly changing.

if your not using your test kits then you prob have no idea where your calcium and alk stand, so chances are they are fluctuating up and down with water changes

hope this helps



i woulld get to checking and logging my alk and calcium, i would run some gfo for phos and look into a flow and lighting upgrade.


perhaps starting with some easier sps will help as well as some of those are tuff to take care of under the best of conditions

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by FWC

Thanks for the advice everyone

I'm not sure if it really is an efflo ,I bought it as a "blue rim efflo" ,so thats what I've been calling it.

So pretty much it sounds like I need to do the following to get my efflo (and sps in general) back into tip top shape:

-Add more lights. I've been wanting to do this for quite a while. I was thinking four T5's with two LED strips.

-Make sure to test/dose accordingly for Cal/Mag/Alk

-Keep up on water changes.

Also I did add GFO to my tank for the first time in a while about a week ago ,however when I was last using GFO in the tank I saw nothing like this with the coral.

Also my tanks not a low nutrient system by any means

your on the right track , i still would go for more powerfull lighting and flow.

the gfo needs to be rinsed clean through the reactor before it is used.

when you say by no means a low nutrient system what do you mean??

[reefwars]

also judging by the pics tank maturity may not be on your side??