why is my Seriatopora fading?

[daintree]

My Seriatopora has been losing color over the past two weeks. Tank is a 40-gallon cube with AI Prime lighting, running at 70% intensity for 8 hours. Parameters are stable, 1.025 salinity, 8.2 pH, 78°F, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate. I do 10% water changes weekly with Red Sea Coral Pro. Any ideas what's up?

[Tidalwave]

Could be light stress. Seriatopora can be finicky with intensity. I'd dial the Prime down to 50% for a week and see if they perk up. Also, check your alk, it's not listed. If it's swinging, that'll mess with them.

[boomer]

Could be light stress. Seriatopora can be finicky with intensity. I'd dial the Prime down to 50% for a week and see if they perk up. Also, check your alk, it's not listed. If it's swinging, that'll mess with them.

Yep, alk is key. Mine faded when my alk dropped below 7. Test it ASAP. If it's low, dose slowly to avoid shocking them.

[fluffybolt]

Mine did the same thing last month. Turned out my magnesium was way low. You gotta check that too. I use Salifert kits, they're pretty reliable.

[southernbreeze]

How old are your bulbs? If they're past 9 months, the spectrum might be off. Seriatopora needs that blue peak to thrive. Also, any new fish picking at them? Sometimes they get stressed from harassment.

[daintree]

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I'll test alk and mag today. Bulbs are 6 months old, and no new fish. Appreciate the help.

[Tidalwave]

Keep us posted. If it's not alk or mag, we can troubleshoot further. Sometimes it's just a weird phase they go through.

[boomer]

Mine did the same thing last month. Turned out my magnesium was way low. You gotta check that too. I use Salifert kits, they're pretty reliable.

Seconding Salifert. API kits can be sketchy for mag. Also, if you're dosing, go slow. Too much too fast will freak them out.

[southernbreeze]

Yeah, and don't forget flow. If they're in a dead spot, they might not be getting enough food. Seriatopora likes a gentle sway, not a blast.