Emergency Help Needed: Power Outage & Coral Bleaching

bikinibottom · 01/29/2011, 03:49 PM

My power went out for 48 hours (lost power about 3 hours before the lights shut off for the day). My tank temp dropped from ~80 degrees to ~67 degrees, and of course my lights (T-5's) were down as well. I assume that the pH must've dropped due to respiration when the lights went off, but I didn't check it.

Power has been restored for ~12 hours, it came back on last night. So the lights were on for about 3 hours before they powered off again last night. All looked fine at that point except things like GSP's were still closed.

About 2 hours ago I checked on the tank and all of the green montipora are bleached (they only have some tinges of green remaining here and there). I'm assuming that the thermal stress and pH swings caused the bleaching. GSP are still closed, but everything else looks more or less OK (mushrooms, zoos, etc), although it's hard to tell because the tank is very cloudy. My protein skimmer is overflowing.

I'm in the process of mixing some water to start doing some water changes. Two questions:

1. Is there anything more I can do than water changes to help "save" this tank.

2. Is it possible that the corals could regain their zooxanthellae or are they doomed? It looks like there are pinpoints of green and that that the polyps are still there.

bb

bikinibottom · 01/29/2011, 05:29 PM

Also... the entire room smells like a swamp. Is the coral already dead or does it have a chanced?

stormrider27 · 01/29/2011, 08:38 PM

Man that sucks! I would do a water change and run carbon ASAP. Best of luck!!

greech · 01/29/2011, 08:46 PM

FREQUENT water changes and run polyfilter and carbon. Are the SPS RTNing or just losing color/browning?

cherubfish pair · 01/29/2011, 08:46 PM

Shouldn't be that much stress from all that. It could be that they were already stressed and the power out just made it much worse.

I've got a vortech with battery backup which gives me piece of mind. The worse thing that happens during a power out is that oxygen gets depleted. Corals take in O2 since they are animals. The battery backup creates water movement on the surface which puts O2 in the water.

bikinibottom · 01/31/2011, 03:11 PM

@greech: as you suggested, i actually think the SPS were RTN'ing. At first I thought they bleached b/c they were completely white and I didn't see any signs of RTN. But then a second tank started RTN'ing about 24 hours later.... Two interesting things: it seems to be happening more in the bottom of the tank (makes sense -- less O2 down there); and the green ones are starting more in "threads", while the brown ones are taking on a more mottled appearance.

The fact that it happened to both tanks (and the second tank was started a couple years after the first tank and has different stuff in them with the exception of the montipora which I fragged from the first tank), suggests to me that it was caused by (or should I say impacted by) the multiple stresses: no lights, 15 degree drop in temperature, low DO, low pH, etc.

agold11520 · 01/31/2011, 03:25 PM

I almost totaled my 75 gallon reef after losing all power for six hours in the dead of winter, I purchased a 5000 watt generator. Will never risk having my babies die! Lost all fish and a few SPS. Temp dropped to 57 degrees. Wont happen again!

01/29/2011, 03:49 PM	#1
bikinibottom Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Silver Spring, MD Posts: 12	Emergency Help Needed: Power Outage & Coral Bleaching My power went out for 48 hours (lost power about 3 hours before the lights shut off for the day). My tank temp dropped from ~80 degrees to ~67 degrees, and of course my lights (T-5's) were down as well. I assume that the pH must've dropped due to respiration when the lights went off, but I didn't check it. Power has been restored for ~12 hours, it came back on last night. So the lights were on for about 3 hours before they powered off again last night. All looked fine at that point except things like GSP's were still closed. About 2 hours ago I checked on the tank and all of the green montipora are bleached (they only have some tinges of green remaining here and there). I'm assuming that the thermal stress and pH swings caused the bleaching. GSP are still closed, but everything else looks more or less OK (mushrooms, zoos, etc), although it's hard to tell because the tank is very cloudy. My protein skimmer is overflowing. I'm in the process of mixing some water to start doing some water changes. Two questions: 1. Is there anything more I can do than water changes to help "save" this tank. 2. Is it possible that the corals could regain their zooxanthellae or are they doomed? It looks like there are pinpoints of green and that that the polyps are still there. bb

01/29/2011, 08:46 PM	#4
greech Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 3,133	FREQUENT water changes and run polyfilter and carbon. Are the SPS RTNing or just losing color/browning? __________________ ~Graham Current Tank Info: Tank: 40 breeder; 20H sump w/SWC 120; Sicce 3.0 return; Vortech MP-10; Sundial T5, DIY Actinic LED (3W Cree). Livestock: Pair of Black & Whites; Midas Blenny; Firefish; Yasha/pistol; Black Leopard Wrasse; LPS and SPS

01/29/2011, 08:46 PM	#5
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	Shouldn't be that much stress from all that. It could be that they were already stressed and the power out just made it much worse. I've got a vortech with battery backup which gives me piece of mind. The worse thing that happens during a power out is that oxygen gets depleted. Corals take in O2 since they are animals. The battery backup creates water movement on the surface which puts O2 in the water. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

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01/29/2011, 05:29 PM	#2
bikinibottom Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Silver Spring, MD Posts: 12	Also... the entire room smells like a swamp. Is the coral already dead or does it have a chanced?

01/29/2011, 08:38 PM	#3
stormrider27 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Sarasota, FL Posts: 530	Man that sucks! I would do a water change and run carbon ASAP. Best of luck!!

01/31/2011, 03:11 PM	#6
bikinibottom Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Silver Spring, MD Posts: 12	@greech: as you suggested, i actually think the SPS were RTN'ing. At first I thought they bleached b/c they were completely white and I didn't see any signs of RTN. But then a second tank started RTN'ing about 24 hours later.... Two interesting things: it seems to be happening more in the bottom of the tank (makes sense -- less O2 down there); and the green ones are starting more in "threads", while the brown ones are taking on a more mottled appearance. The fact that it happened to both tanks (and the second tank was started a couple years after the first tank and has different stuff in them with the exception of the montipora which I fragged from the first tank), suggests to me that it was caused by (or should I say impacted by) the multiple stresses: no lights, 15 degree drop in temperature, low DO, low pH, etc.

01/31/2011, 03:25 PM	#7
agold11520 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: NY Posts: 121	I almost totaled my 75 gallon reef after losing all power for six hours in the dead of winter, I purchased a 5000 watt generator. Will never risk having my babies die! Lost all fish and a few SPS. Temp dropped to 57 degrees. Wont happen again!