Sps doing great, now dying fast! Do I have SPS eating nudi's? (pic included)

wetWolger · 04/28/2015, 07:40 PM

So my SPS has been declining over the last two weeks...fast and hard! There have been no new additions for about a month.

My plating acro was the first to die. Another acro is looking really bad. My millipora and last remaining acro are hanging in there, but you can tell they are struggling. My monitpora has lost most of it's polyps!

Surprisingly my birdsnest is the only SPS that seems completely unaffected. My zoas, hammer, acans, all look good.

Everything _was_ growing great and looking good till recently. I have been struggling to figure out what the problem has been. Params look good:

Ammonia & nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 4ppm
Phosphate = 0.05 (might need to change the gfo soonish)
Ca = 440ppm
Mg = 1300ppm
dKH = 8.5
pH = 8.2

Because params were looking good I was wondering if I was starving them. I have recently increased my feeding as a response (from a lack to know what else to do).

Well...Today I found two nudibranches, and am guessing this may be my cause? They are purple with orange gills.

So that poses my questions:

* For those that have had sps eating nudi's how did your SPS show the issue? What did the SPS look like? I always assumed it would look like a dying section, rather than a general health issue.

* I removed two today...what are the chances there are more? How many more? Am I doomed?

* I looked for more on my sps, plugs, anywhere I could find them, but saw nothing I would think is an egg, or other nudi's. One of the two I found was on the glass, the other was on my bare bottom.

Any other recommendations or ideas? It's hard to watch all my SPS die!

wetWolger · 04/29/2015, 06:45 PM

Anyone have any advice?

Reefvet · 04/29/2015, 08:57 PM

The only predatory Nudibranchs I've seen are tiny, maybe 1/8" and white. I've never seen a post with one like your photo shows. Not that that means it's not the culprit, just been in the hobby for 40+ years and that's a first.

Damage from Nudibranchs is pretty obvious, patches of white. When I first saw it on some SPS it looked like a fast growing tip does, bare and white on the end.

Daniel62 · 04/30/2015, 12:35 AM

post in the sps forum

Peter Eichler · 04/30/2015, 12:51 AM

I would examine your zoanthid colonies, as that's most likely what they're after

A sea K · 04/30/2015, 04:22 AM

I know you recently switched salt brands, do you think that may be a possible culprit or just plain coincidence.

oldpaddy · 04/30/2015, 06:01 AM

I've only had white nudi's and I get angry just thinking about them!

wetWolger · 04/30/2015, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A sea K

I know you recently switched salt brands, do you think that may be a possible culprit or just plain coincidence.

I suppose it's possible. I was actually planning on the next water change to start moving back to RSCP. I have been struggling to keep my alk as high as I normally like it with hw-marine reefer. I am just a little surprised that I would run into issues so late in the game....I mean it's been almost a full box at this point.

But I am really struggling to explain my issues as well, so I really don't know.

Canneddynomite · 04/30/2015, 07:13 PM

I've had ones that look just like that but they are brown and green, took out a small patch of Zoas and touched nothing else

04/28/2015, 07:40 PM	#1
wetWolger Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,955	Sps doing great, now dying fast! Do I have SPS eating nudi's? (pic included) So my SPS has been declining over the last two weeks...fast and hard! There have been no new additions for about a month. My plating acro was the first to die. Another acro is looking really bad. My millipora and last remaining acro are hanging in there, but you can tell they are struggling. My monitpora has lost most of it's polyps! Surprisingly my birdsnest is the only SPS that seems completely unaffected. My zoas, hammer, acans, all look good. Everything _was_ growing great and looking good till recently. I have been struggling to figure out what the problem has been. Params look good: Ammonia & nitrite = 0 Nitrate = 4ppm Phosphate = 0.05 (might need to change the gfo soonish) Ca = 440ppm Mg = 1300ppm dKH = 8.5 pH = 8.2 Because params were looking good I was wondering if I was starving them. I have recently increased my feeding as a response (from a lack to know what else to do). Well...Today I found two nudibranches, and am guessing this may be my cause? They are purple with orange gills. So that poses my questions: * For those that have had sps eating nudi's how did your SPS show the issue? What did the SPS look like? I always assumed it would look like a dying section, rather than a general health issue. * I removed two today...what are the chances there are more? How many more? Am I doomed? * I looked for more on my sps, plugs, anywhere I could find them, but saw nothing I would think is an egg, or other nudi's. One of the two I found was on the glass, the other was on my bare bottom. Any other recommendations or ideas? It's hard to watch all my SPS die! __________________ cheers, jent d-_-b Current Tank Info: 66gal = 32x24x20

04/29/2015, 06:45 PM	#2
wetWolger Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,955	Anyone have any advice? __________________ cheers, jent d-_-b Current Tank Info: 66gal = 32x24x20

04/29/2015, 08:57 PM	#3
Reefvet Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 1,941	The only predatory Nudibranchs I've seen are tiny, maybe 1/8" and white. I've never seen a post with one like your photo shows. Not that that means it's not the culprit, just been in the hobby for 40+ years and that's a first. Damage from Nudibranchs is pretty obvious, patches of white. When I first saw it on some SPS it looked like a fast growing tip does, bare and white on the end. __________________ "Skepticism is a method, not a position. It can be defined as a method of intellectual caution and suspended judgment." ~ Rich Ross

04/30/2015, 12:35 AM	#4
Daniel62 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: kingman, AZ Posts: 1,483	post in the sps forum __________________ Mind over matter, if you don't mind it doesn't matter Current Tank Info: 225 reef, 125 clown & haddoni tank, Haddoni's Big Bad & Beautiful, I Love Them!

04/30/2015, 12:51 AM	#5
Peter Eichler Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 6,081	I would examine your zoanthid colonies, as that's most likely what they're after __________________ April 2015 TOTM

04/30/2015, 04:22 AM	#6
A sea K Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Branford Fl Posts: 3,024	I know you recently switched salt brands, do you think that may be a possible culprit or just plain coincidence. __________________ I am not a pro so excuse me if I'm wrong. Current Tank Info: 30gal Deep Blue rimless 9/10/2014, 80gal Deep Blue rimless 40gal sump/refugium 9/11/16 LPS reef, 2 x Kessil A160 with a single Maxspect Razor, RO Prime 150INT skimmer, Sicce 3 return pump, Vortech MP40 and MP10

04/30/2015, 06:01 AM	#7
oldpaddy Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Cape Cod, Mass Posts: 326	I've only had white nudi's and I get angry just thinking about them!

04/30/2015, 07:13 PM	#9
Canneddynomite Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Miami, FL Posts: 111	I've had ones that look just like that but they are brown and green, took out a small patch of Zoas and touched nothing else