HELP! Let's list the USUAL SUSPECTS for bad tissue

lukinrats · 04/04/2010, 01:57 PM

Ok, so I have these 3 corals that are having trouble. It started with the green acro. I figured flow cause it is on the left in the Vortechs stream. Then the blue acro that is on the right in the other vortech flow. Now I have some bleached spots on the porites and it is starting to grow algae on it.

All other corals are healthy and happy. No problems, great PE and color.

Now I know that this is really not any sufficient information to diagnose by, but I really want to start a list of things that normally end up being the culprits. I have never had any problems like this, so a checklist might help. As far as I can tell, all is well with my water params

let's see if I can figure this out, and save my corals

Thanks
Nathan

RRaider · 04/04/2010, 02:16 PM

Post water params. How old and what brand is your alk test? Are you dosing a carbon source?

lukinrats · 04/04/2010, 02:36 PM

I will do some exact testing later this evening, but my alk was 7.5 last night. My calcium is always up around 480-500 because I use Coralife. Mag was 1700 about 2 weeks ago when I started seeing this. Salinity is 35

I used to use Zeostart and a few supplements, but I stopped all of it about 6 or 8 months ago. I run Gfo and Carbon, but I stopped the Gfo when I saw this starting.

What are some of the things that normally cause this, and should I just go ahead and write these corals off?
I feel like it has to be flow, but I just am not sure

lukinrats · 04/04/2010, 05:07 PM

^^^

lukinrats · 04/04/2010, 08:04 PM

Ok. My magnesium is testing to 1400-1450. I am going to raise a bit

lukinrats · 04/04/2010, 08:30 PM

PO4 measures .02 on my Hanna meter, bug it's hard to tell if it should be .02 or .00.?? My RO/Double DI water tested .03 last night

lukinrats · 04/04/2010, 08:31 PM

Alk is 7.5-8. Measurement is via API/Salifert/Sera/Tropic Marin

API=4-5 months old
Salifert/Sera/Tropic Marin=New (just purchased)

lukinrats · 04/04/2010, 11:12 PM

Did a 20 gallon water change before bed

Any suggestions on how to proceed? Should I frag the parts that are growing algae? Should I leave them alone and hope the tissue grows back? Should I move them in case it is too much direct flow?

asl4me76 · 04/04/2010, 11:21 PM

You said your salinity is 35???? Are you using a refractometer?

Your salinity should be 1.025-1.026

lukinrats · 04/04/2010, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asl4me76

You said your salinity is 35???? Are you using a refractometer?

Your salinity should be 1.025-1.026

35ppt

gcarroll · 04/04/2010, 11:25 PM

Nathan, try raising the alk above 9. That has always slowed or even stopped STN for me. If you are not running a bacterial based system (Prodibio, Zeovit, Vodka, VSV, ect...), you should be good at least to 10.5 dkh.

lukinrats · 04/04/2010, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcarroll

Nathan, try raising the alk above 9. That has always slowed or even stopped STN for me. If you are not running a bacterial based system (Prodibio, Zeovit, Vodka, VSV, ect...), you should be good at least to 10.5 dkh.

I definitely will. Do you think that is the cause of it? Low alk. I ask because I did run zeovit, but stopped a while back. That was why I kept alk that low, and saw no reason to change it

thanks

Pcrain · 04/04/2010, 11:48 PM

if they seem to start declining in health i would frag them up .. they all look pretty bad

lukinrats · 04/04/2010, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pcrain

if they seem to start declining in health i would frag them up .. they all look pretty bad

It just boggles, why would all my other corals be in such great health, and those 3 be so bad. I already fragged the first one. It was the first one that started that, and like you said, had gotten really bad. That blue tenuis however, has great PE and is only like that on the ends that have grown out into the vortechs flow

TitusvileSurfer · 04/05/2010, 12:01 AM

Perhaps you have some unseen predators attacking them.

lukinrats · 04/05/2010, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TitusvileSurfer

Perhaps you have some unseen predators attacking them.

such as? Also, where would they have come from? All of the sudden like this. Do snails carry them?

lukinrats · 04/05/2010, 09:47 AM

Alk was increased to 9 last night

gcarroll · 04/05/2010, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lukinrats

It just boggles, why would all my other corals be in such great health, and those 3 be so bad. I already fragged the first one. It was the first one that started that, and like you said, had gotten really bad. That blue tenuis however, has great PE and is only like that on the ends that have grown out into the vortechs flow

IME, some acros are more sensitive tolow alk as others. back in the day before those biological carbon dosing sytems were around, we sps keepers ran DKH above 10 regularly. Few seemed to run less than 8 DKH for fear of RTN/STN.

lukinrats · 04/05/2010, 11:56 AM

Thanks Greg! It very much sounds like the corals are reacting to my low alk. I always kept it around 8 and I think that would be good, but my tank all of a sudden started using alk faster and my limewater couldn't keep up. It got down to around 6 before I caught it

Has to be the issue, I think

gcarroll · 04/06/2010, 09:56 PM

I would bet one it. I see you are in mississippi. Did you move? For some reason I thought you were in Kentucky.

lukinrats · 04/06/2010, 10:18 PM

I hope! I have it up between 9-10 dKH, so we will see. Should I frag the blueish acro and the porites, or just leave them alone.

Always have been in Mississippi. Hopefully I can get off work for Macna ;-)

04/04/2010, 01:57 PM	#1
lukinrats Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, Mississippi Posts: 1,256	HELP! Let's list the USUAL SUSPECTS for bad tissue Ok, so I have these 3 corals that are having trouble. It started with the green acro. I figured flow cause it is on the left in the Vortechs stream. Then the blue acro that is on the right in the other vortech flow. Now I have some bleached spots on the porites and it is starting to grow algae on it. All other corals are healthy and happy. No problems, great PE and color. Now I know that this is really not any sufficient information to diagnose by, but I really want to start a list of things that normally end up being the culprits. I have never had any problems like this, so a checklist might help. As far as I can tell, all is well with my water params let's see if I can figure this out, and save my corals Thanks Nathan

04/04/2010, 11:25 PM	#11
gcarroll Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Orange, CA Posts: 9,666	Nathan, try raising the alk above 9. That has always slowed or even stopped STN for me. If you are not running a bacterial based system (Prodibio, Zeovit, Vodka, VSV, ect...), you should be good at least to 10.5 dkh. __________________ Greg Carroll I will be at REEF-A-PALOOZA! SPS = Stability Promotes Success Be wary of advice coming from those who will not show you the fruits of their success! Current Tank Info: building: 250g AGE Euro tank, Abyzz A200, Vertex Supra-G filtration, Ecotech Radion Pro LEDs, ...

04/05/2010, 12:01 AM	#15
TitusvileSurfer Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Titusville, FL Posts: 3,227	Perhaps you have some unseen predators attacking them. __________________ The ocean is the pinnacle of reef tanks. Someone up there is keeping up with his PH and Phosphates to.

04/06/2010, 09:56 PM	#20
gcarroll Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Orange, CA Posts: 9,666	I would bet one it. I see you are in mississippi. Did you move? For some reason I thought you were in Kentucky. __________________ Greg Carroll I will be at REEF-A-PALOOZA! SPS = Stability Promotes Success Be wary of advice coming from those who will not show you the fruits of their success! Current Tank Info: building: 250g AGE Euro tank, Abyzz A200, Vertex Supra-G filtration, Ecotech Radion Pro LEDs, ...

04/04/2010, 02:16 PM	#2
RRaider Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 703	Post water params. How old and what brand is your alk test? Are you dosing a carbon source?

04/04/2010, 02:36 PM	#3
lukinrats Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, Mississippi Posts: 1,256	I will do some exact testing later this evening, but my alk was 7.5 last night. My calcium is always up around 480-500 because I use Coralife. Mag was 1700 about 2 weeks ago when I started seeing this. Salinity is 35 I used to use Zeostart and a few supplements, but I stopped all of it about 6 or 8 months ago. I run Gfo and Carbon, but I stopped the Gfo when I saw this starting. What are some of the things that normally cause this, and should I just go ahead and write these corals off? I feel like it has to be flow, but I just am not sure

04/04/2010, 05:07 PM	#4
lukinrats Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, Mississippi Posts: 1,256	^^^

04/04/2010, 08:04 PM	#5
lukinrats Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, Mississippi Posts: 1,256	Ok. My magnesium is testing to 1400-1450. I am going to raise a bit

04/04/2010, 08:30 PM	#6
lukinrats Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, Mississippi Posts: 1,256	PO4 measures .02 on my Hanna meter, bug it's hard to tell if it should be .02 or .00.?? My RO/Double DI water tested .03 last night

04/04/2010, 08:31 PM	#7
lukinrats Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, Mississippi Posts: 1,256	Alk is 7.5-8. Measurement is via API/Salifert/Sera/Tropic Marin API=4-5 months old Salifert/Sera/Tropic Marin=New (just purchased)

04/04/2010, 11:12 PM	#8
lukinrats Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, Mississippi Posts: 1,256	Did a 20 gallon water change before bed Any suggestions on how to proceed? Should I frag the parts that are growing algae? Should I leave them alone and hope the tissue grows back? Should I move them in case it is too much direct flow?

04/04/2010, 11:21 PM	#9
asl4me76 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Southeast Oklahoma Posts: 575	You said your salinity is 35???? Are you using a refractometer? Your salinity should be 1.025-1.026

04/04/2010, 11:48 PM	#13
Pcrain Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: chico ca Posts: 414	if they seem to start declining in health i would frag them up .. they all look pretty bad

04/05/2010, 09:47 AM	#17
lukinrats Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, Mississippi Posts: 1,256	Alk was increased to 9 last night

04/05/2010, 11:56 AM	#19
lukinrats Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, Mississippi Posts: 1,256	Thanks Greg! It very much sounds like the corals are reacting to my low alk. I always kept it around 8 and I think that would be good, but my tank all of a sudden started using alk faster and my limewater couldn't keep up. It got down to around 6 before I caught it Has to be the issue, I think

04/06/2010, 10:18 PM	#21
lukinrats Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, Mississippi Posts: 1,256	I hope! I have it up between 9-10 dKH, so we will see. Should I frag the blueish acro and the porites, or just leave them alone. Always have been in Mississippi. Hopefully I can get off work for Macna ;-)