Chalice problems

Tremor_Clown · 06/23/2013, 04:33 PM

Hey everyone...just looking for some advice on what is going on with some of my chalice corals.

My tank is 60+ gallons, mixed corals, medium bioload (feed daily). My salinity is stable at 1.025/1.026. I have a doser with cal/alk/mag stable (alk 8.5, cal 420, mag 1350), nitrates and phosphates are low. I do biweekly 5 gallon water changes. Lighting is a 400w Radium on the old PFO HPS (mislabeled HQI) ballast in a Lumenbright large reflector hanging 24 inches from the water line. Flow is provided by a MP10 and a Koralia 1400.

My chalice corals are not doing well compared to my SPS.
I am confused as what is causing this...maybe this is from too much light (even with the reflector hanging 24 inches from the water), or some disease/pathogen I can't see in the water that is destroying the chalices.

The chalice coral goes through a progression of where the tissue looks normal, then for a while the tissue changes to clear/translucent fleshy spots, then after some time the tissue starts to turn white and completely die off.
I attached some pictures for a better representation of my problem.

Any help would greatly be appreciated.

Tremor_Clown · 06/23/2013, 10:35 PM

Anyone?

bnumair · 06/24/2013, 12:37 AM

did u use any coral dip when u got them? if not try revive and see if there are any bugs.

Tremor_Clown · 06/24/2013, 01:12 AM

Hi bnumair. Thanks for the advice. Yes, I dipped them when I originally got them. I should have mentioned, I've actually had these chalices in my tanks for a couple years now. The issues have been like an on and off thing (which probably explains the slow growth versus tissue die off)

Jonviviano · 06/24/2013, 08:10 AM

Do you feed your chali regularly along with your other corals? what do you feed them? where are they positioned in the tank?

Reef Frog · 06/24/2013, 12:39 PM

I'm thinking its the light. You have a 400 watt HQI in a shallow frag tank (presumed from your pics). Mine, which are healthy, are on the sand bed with T5s, 24" down from the water's surface for comparison....much less light than you have.

But then again, you're saying you had no issues for 2 years under those lights? Hmm...maybe it's not the main factor. A pest dip won't hurt. Good luck.

bnumair · 06/24/2013, 01:31 PM

did u recently change bulbs? and if u did did u acclimate corals to new bulb? its done usually with placing screen door screens in many layers then removing one each week.

greech · 06/24/2013, 01:41 PM

I would definitely be looking at lighting as the culprit. Way too much, especially if this is a shallow tank.

Unfortunately, once a chalice starts to go like they have in your pics, they are tough to revive. Shade them in lower flow and feed them if they will take the food.

willietang021 · 06/24/2013, 07:50 PM

Is the light. I have the same problem before having chalice colonies under my new LEDs. They start losing color and even receding. I place them in shaped area and that helped a lot.

06/24/2013, 12:37 AM	#3
bnumair Dr. Reef at ur service Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tulsa, Ok, USA Posts: 7,751 Blog Entries: 15	did u use any coral dip when u got them? if not try revive and see if there are any bugs. __________________ Water Quality: NO3 0,Phos 0,Cal 440,Alk 7.5,Mag 1300 "Reef Fast, You Crash, Reef Slow, You Pass" Mike's Reef 3:16 Current Tank Info: 350g DT,95g sump, 50g Frag tank, 4800gph return 4x Sea swirls. 6x AI Vega Color. 200# Pukani rock, dual recirculating skimmer, Biopellet, GFO Carbon rx's, Cal rx. Closed loop. 1.5hp chiller, genesis renew. Apex & RKE

06/24/2013, 01:31 PM	#7
bnumair Dr. Reef at ur service Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tulsa, Ok, USA Posts: 7,751 Blog Entries: 15	did u recently change bulbs? and if u did did u acclimate corals to new bulb? its done usually with placing screen door screens in many layers then removing one each week. __________________ Water Quality: NO3 0,Phos 0,Cal 440,Alk 7.5,Mag 1300 "Reef Fast, You Crash, Reef Slow, You Pass" Mike's Reef 3:16 Current Tank Info: 350g DT,95g sump, 50g Frag tank, 4800gph return 4x Sea swirls. 6x AI Vega Color. 200# Pukani rock, dual recirculating skimmer, Biopellet, GFO Carbon rx's, Cal rx. Closed loop. 1.5hp chiller, genesis renew. Apex & RKE

06/24/2013, 01:41 PM	#8
greech Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 3,133	I would definitely be looking at lighting as the culprit. Way too much, especially if this is a shallow tank. Unfortunately, once a chalice starts to go like they have in your pics, they are tough to revive. Shade them in lower flow and feed them if they will take the food. __________________ ~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

06/23/2013, 10:35 PM	#2
Tremor_Clown Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Under my tank Posts: 78	Anyone?

06/24/2013, 01:12 AM	#4
Tremor_Clown Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Under my tank Posts: 78	Hi bnumair. Thanks for the advice. Yes, I dipped them when I originally got them. I should have mentioned, I've actually had these chalices in my tanks for a couple years now. The issues have been like an on and off thing (which probably explains the slow growth versus tissue die off)

06/24/2013, 08:10 AM	#5
Jonviviano Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 417	Do you feed your chali regularly along with your other corals? what do you feed them? where are they positioned in the tank?

06/24/2013, 12:39 PM	#6
Reef Frog Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,121	I'm thinking its the light. You have a 400 watt HQI in a shallow frag tank (presumed from your pics). Mine, which are healthy, are on the sand bed with T5s, 24" down from the water's surface for comparison....much less light than you have. But then again, you're saying you had no issues for 2 years under those lights? Hmm...maybe it's not the main factor. A pest dip won't hurt. Good luck.

06/24/2013, 07:50 PM	#9
willietang021 Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Newhall, CA Posts: 303	Is the light. I have the same problem before having chalice colonies under my new LEDs. They start losing color and even receding. I place them in shaped area and that helped a lot.