Help my sps lost color over night? Help please

[Mattl22]

Yesterday I did a water change and removed all the cheto from my sump as I felt it was just trapping the deritius when the water change was done I put a power head in the fugue section and tried to blow all the left over deritius so it could be caoght by the sock / skimmer
Today all sps lost color some white but still have polyp ext not great though
Checked all parameters everything ok
Did I cause it by adding all the deritius to the tank?
What should I do now besides sulk like a 4 yr old?
Sooo disappointed
Matt

 

[MIKE NY]

possibly check your alk and phos levels..a sudden spike in either can cause it and put the chaeto back in...I shake it out every few weeks when I do a water change and also I put back all the lil critters that come out..

 

[prattreef]

Did you change the carbon as well?

 

[Mattl22]

Just added new phosban and carbon my alk was a little low but nothin un common before. My daily dose
Iguess I'm in the market for some new macro

Mike will they live? How long till they regain color ??
I really need a reactor to keep my levels steady !

 

[Mattl22]

Yes just did

 

[prattreef]

The reason I asked is because it is possible to light shock corals if you do a large WC and change the carbon at the same time-- clarity increases dramatically and the increased light penetration can cause bleaching.

 

[MIKE NY]

x2...the increase in clarity could also have done it...loss of color or bleached is not dead, can you lower the intensity of your LEDs or reduce the amount of hours they are on will help them recover, but it will take time. Because some species of SPS are hardier than others and depending on how badly damaged they are some will recover quickly others longer and some may not make it.

 

[Mattl22]

I will lower them when I get home
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhjjjjhhhhhhhhh


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[Mattl22]

I don't think it's that though because a few didn't lose color some where high up I think it was a combo of things but mostly the removing of macro and letting excess deritius build up in my sump which then spilled into my dt


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[prattreef]

I don't think removing macro or release of detritus had any immediate effect on your corals at all. Why would it?


And not all corals would necessarily suffer from light shock-- least of all the ones higher up that are already used to higher light levels.

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

Matt I feel your pain, you have now luck with sps

 

[gatojebv]

I would say out of all those changes you made probably the phosban had some major effect on the issues you are facing. Lowering phosaphates that fast could shock your SPS. Do some research on that. I am going through the same problem myself. However my setosa is the only one that looks streesed and started to bleach a little.
I hope it recovers.

I changed my phosban after 3 months though.

 

[Mattl22]

I don't think removing macro or release of detritus had any immediate effect on your corals at all. Why would it?


And not all corals would necessarily suffer from light shock-- least of all the ones higher up that are already used to higher light levels.

I have done bigger water changes with no problem !
I'm not saying that's not why and believe me I will be turning down my white LEDs


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[Mattl22]

My phosphates r not too low believe me I have plenty of hair alage and usually feed very heavy in fact if anything they might have been too high but something that I did yesterday made this happen I'm sure of it
One thing I forgot to mention is that a pump I had feeding my sea swirl burnt out last night and started smoking not sure how because it was under water but all my lights flickered and I smelled electrical burn smell it took me a while till I pulled out the pump and smelled it and it was not working to relize it was the problem
Also I turn down my LEDs but still don't think this is it they have been on tank for 2 months no problems and have no optics on them

 

[Mattl22]

Jarrett my tank could totally crash I won't stop till I've grown out an amazing sps tank from small frags

 

[prattreef]

Well, the fried pump is a pretty big ommission to the scenario. Something leetching from the motor is now the most likely suspect.

 

[Mattl22]

I don't know why I left that part out proably because i was convinced that it was from the tank getting all clouded up with cra- when I removed the macro it was a lot the tank got very cloudy

When I rinsed the pump it did have black suit come out of it !

Should I do a lg water change tomorrow ?
Has this ever happened to anyone else?

 

[James]

yes, you should do several large water changes in teh coming days asap. if possible i would do one tonight.

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

well, the fried pump is a pretty big ommission to the scenario. Something leetching from the motor is now the most likely suspect.

+1, do a big water change and hope for the best, i know you keep buying sps like me,lol

 

[Mattl22]

Checked tank this morning still looks bad I will change 25 gal tonight as I drink away my sorrows

I look at these sps tanks that have been running for years like mike ny
And mgny that's the way I want my tank to be if u can grow Sps out like these 2 reefers that's when I'll feel like I've become a pro
Hopefully my corals recover and this is just added to the list of set backs and learning exp


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