Sudden bleaching of hammer coral

[DiverDave32]

Hi,

I just got back from a two week vacation and my hammer coral has completely bleached see image. I have had the coral for over a year. I was performing 3% water changes everyday of the vacation for the first week but no changes the second week.

My parameters are:

Salinity 1.025
pH 8.24
Ca 490
Alk 6.8 (This dropped from 7.8 prior to leaving)
Mg 1350
Phosphate 0.06
Nitrate 25 ppm (This is always between 15 and 20. It's a little higher than usual but I have not been able to reduce this despite doing 3% daily water changes.

During the vacation I was feeding 3x per day with Spectrum pellets but small amounts that the fish eat within 1 minute. I have Anthias so need to feed frequently.

Not sure if I should move it but there appears to be conflicting comments on whether the bleaching is from too much light or too little. I have a Maxspect Razor 160w, the coral is in the center of the tank and about half way down so about 15 inches below the surface.

Any advice would be appreciated. I'll feed the coral this week and hope for improvement.

Thanks,

Dave

[Ramracer32]

Hey dave i think it got too much light i would move it to a darker part of the tank and sometimes they will come back. Also that looks like a frogspawn just FYI

[DiverDave32]

Thanks for the response. I'll try putting it on the sand bed and hope it gets better. I was just surprised that it happened so suddenly and while I was on vacation.

I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope it recovers. You are right it is frogspawn. thanks for the correction

Dave

[ChronicReefH2o]

What lights are you running and do you know what par they are getting?

[DiverDave32]

Maxspect Razor 160w. I don't have a par meter so can't say what the levels are. I've moved the coral about 30 inches below the surface (on sandbed) and a little more to the side. Before the coral was in the center about 15 inches down.