The struggle continues….

[Syntax]

I’m still struggling on keeping sps, even digitata are having issues. Anyone seen this before? Base turning white but polyps still extend.

Alk: 7.5
Mag: 1300
Calcium: 420
Potassium 420

Here’s the base of a 3 week old acro frag. It starts to encrust and then starts deteriorating at the encrusting part.

Clams and lps are growing well.


Any ideas?

 

[Chris A.]

Nutrients levels
Par numbers
Flow

 

[Syntax]

Nitrate around 8
Phosphate .08
2 mp40’s at reefcrest at 100%
2 Nero 7’s at random up to 80%
Wav blowing at the back on random
Halides for lighting with xho’s. 3 250 watt. About 15 inches above tank. Par is around 350 mid tank

The gyre is not currently on

 

[Chris A.]

How old is the tank?
I know I couldn’t keep acros in my tank for almost 2 years. A lot of losses until one day it happened.

 

[Chris A.]

Also have you tried running some carbon? Could be something in the water or even coral warfare

 

[wdebenedettojr]

What kind of test kit are you using to test nutrients and your alk? To me that looks like a nutrient issue. As Chris mentioned running some carbon might be a good idea. Have you ever done an icp yet?

 

[Syntax]

I run carbon maybe every two to three weeks, running fresh carbon now. Tank is about 18 months

 

[Syntax]

What kind of test kit are you using to test nutrients and your alk? To me that looks like a nutrient issue. As Chris mentioned running some carbon might be a good idea. Have you ever done an icp yet?

I’m using Hannah for nutrients. I have not run an icp in a few months.

I change about 10% a week with Red Sea salt. Dose 2 part with tropic Marin trace and use kalk at night via a doser. I have a trident to keep track of the big 3.

 

[Syntax]

I’m thinking of getting rid of all my sps and filling the tank with photosynthetic gorgs and euphyllia.

Acropora are my thing, but watching things slowly die over the past year keeps dampening my enjoyment of the hobby. Maybe revisit them in a year or so.

 

[Chris.sturgis]

I would recommend running a icp test and checking all the magnets that are in your tank to make sure nothings compromised.

 

[Syntax]

I would recommend running a icp test and checking all the magnets that are in your tank to make sure nothings compromised.

I have a test, just need to collect water and send it in. I checked magnets a couple months ago, but will check them again as well.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Spaceman]

How old are those halide bulbs?

 

[reefkeeper2]

Looks like stn to me. What's your pH? I used to struggle with outbreaks of stn. It's caused by a pathogenic bacteria. I've not had a problem since I boosted pH and try to keep it above 8. I've read people are using antibiotics ( cipro mostly) to treat it also. Once a coral has it its more or less doomed if not treated.

 

[Syntax]

How old are those halide bulbs?

I recently switched them out, but I was having the same issue before the change. They were about 15 months, but didn’t have a lot of burn hours per day, maybe about 4 to 5 hours as an average.

 

[Syntax]

Looks like stn to me. What's your pH? I used to struggle with outbreaks of stn. It's caused by a pathogenic bacteria. I've not had a problem since I boosted pH and try to keep it above 8. I've read people are using antibiotics ( cipro mostly) to treat it also. Once a coral has it it’s more or less doomed if not treated.

It’s definitely not the typical stn since the polyps are still present and extend. Ph drops to about 7.9ish at night and around 8.1 during the day. My last aquabiomics came back as inconclusive several months ago. I won’t spend another $100 on that test. I treated the tank with oxolinic acid about 8 months ago.

 

[reefkeeper2]

Well I guess that rules out stn, unless it's some unusual organism. If it is some kind of contaminant I would think the whole colony would look sick but the unaffected part looks healthy. Plus the other critters are fine. A deficiency of some kind would be the next best guess.

 

[Reefried]

How big is the tank? What calcium test kit are you using. I have had some sps bleach out when calcium dropped low. It was 320-ish when I had the problems. If the tank is 4’ then 100% on Vortechs seems really high. If it is 6’ then maybe not so much. I have a 4’ tank with two MP40’s and they never get above 55%. I had them at 60-65% and had zero polyp extension on frags. Not that flow could cause STN but just a thought.

 

[Syntax]

How big is the tank? What calcium test kit are you using. I have had some sps bleach out when calcium dropped low. It was 320-ish when I had the problems. If the tank is 4’ then 100% on Vortechs seems really high. If it is 6’ then maybe not so much. I have a 4’ tank with two MP40’s and they never get above 55%. I had them at 60-65% and had zero polyp extension on frags. Not that flow could cause STN but just a thought.

The tank is 5x2x2 about 160 gallons. I’m using the trident and salifert for the big 3.

 

[ChrisPchef]

I’m more of a soft coral guy myself so take what I’m saying with a grain of salt. I only recently added some SPS that are off to a good start. That being said, I’ve noticed your return pump and power heads seem to be lower in the tank. Do you have any surface agitation to oxygenate the water? If not that could help solve your issue.

 

[Syntax]

I’m more of a soft coral guy myself so take what I’m saying with a grain of salt. I only recently added some SPS that are off to a good start. That being said, I’ve noticed your return pump and power heads seem to be lower in the tank. Do you have any surface agitation to oxygenate the water? If not that could help solve your issue.

I lowered the pumps to get more flow closer to the sticks. I see rippling on the waters surface from the gyre when it is on, which is usually.

I didn’t think about the return being low, I’ll move it closer to the surface and see what happens.

Thank you.