SPS's bleaching

[Birds Fan]

Need some help ASAP. Over the last week or so my SPS’s have bleached out. It started with my Blue Millie, which has since recovered. The last 3 days my blue, orange and green Digi’s have bleached. No new livestock has been added. From a maintenance standpoint, nothing has changed except I added Purigen about a month ago. I added it to my canister and I do also run carbon.

My parameters are:
Ammonia and Nitrite are 0
Nitrate <15
Phos 0
Salinity 1.025
Temp 80
Dhk 9
PH 8.1
CA 420

Tank specs: 45g with 65lbs of live rock, 4” DSB, 3gal HOB refugium, Eheim 2206 canister running only a filter pad, carbon and Purigen (cleaned weekly), Tunze skimmer.

I’m thinking I have overkill running both the carbon and Purigen and thereby removing key nutrients. I added the Purigen to aid in nitrate removal as I’d like to get that down to <5. I did a 30% water change last night.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

 

[smcooler]

Purigen will do nothing for nitrate. On 45 gals you need about 1/2 cup carbon changed monthly. Is you temp stable strange sps started to bleach when nothing has changed, look closer at the system,


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[harlequinreef]

just so we are clear, are the corals bleaching or losing tissue? either way, if it has started occuring suddenly, make sure nothing has occured recently that could cause stress like the above post a temp swing. Any bulb changes are duration changes, fish added, new anything?

 

[Birds Fan]

The temp went from 76-80 over a 2 day period. Other than that I can't think of anything else. All my LPS and softies are fine. Should I test for magnesium? It's the only thing I can think of that could cause a problem.

Sadly, my baseball size blue digi bleached last night. That was my favorite and first sps coral. :'(

 

[dart]

are they bleaching or is there tissue lose ?

 

[GregW]

Should I test for magnesium?

Yes! same thing happened to me recently. I check the mag and it was way way low. I brought it back up and the colors are starting to come back. And don't get rid of those bleached corals just yet. Give them a chance and see if they color up.

 

[mott768]

Should I test for magnesium?

Yes! same thing happened to me recently. I check the mag and it was way way low. I brought it back up and the colors are starting to come back. And don't get rid of those bleached corals just yet. Give them a chance and see if they color up.

Very Good advise Greg ;D

Glad to hear they are coming back....How's that monti and chalice doing

 

[Birds Fan]

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to grab a mag test kit today