Acro dieing from below

[TherealplexiG]

My gut says that it should be AEFW.

 

[jda]

If your fuge algae is growing, then get past the building block comments. They will not likely help.

Treat to see if you can arrest this fall. Once you do, then look for the root cause. Healthy corals will not even start to STN to where a bacterial infection can take hold. I am firmly still in the camp of point-source light shadowing death, but there is no way to be sure since you never posted exactly what lights you are using.

 

[Da8]

If your fuge algae is growing, then get past the building block comments. They will not likely help.

Treat to see if you can arrest this fall. Once you do, then look for the root cause. Healthy corals will not even start to STN to where a bacterial infection can take hold. I am firmly still in the camp of point-source light shadowing death, but there is no way to be sure since you never posted exactly what lights you are using.

But if it was dying the algae in the sump could it be low phosphate levels or insufficient feeding?

 

[Ben Pedersen]

I dont know what stressors are causing your corals to experience this since I'm not familiar with the ins and outs of your system, however I agree 100% it is bacterial. Here is something you can try to stop the spread while you figure out what is stressing the corals and allowing them to succumb to the infection.

Mix kanamycin (seachem kanaplex is an option) with cyanoacrylate gel aka super glue gel. It has to be the gel or youll have a hard time mixing. The amount is not important, just use a little bit and make sure its mixed well. Spread that with your finger or any other instrument necessary just above and on the border of the infection and the healthy tissue.

This is much easier out of water but it can be done in the tank. I know someone who is the top aquatic vet in NC and has used this technique to stop rtn on many different species of corals (including acros) with a decent success rate. I have never tried and am simply passing on the info. If you have any questions I can give you her contact info just pm me. Btw neomycin can be used in a pinch but kanamycin works better, supposedly.

I was told increasing flow will help as well. Good luck.

Did treat a few of my favorit corals with super glue gel based on the treatment of white band disease in the wild. I cleaned the infected area then glued over the infected area. Some of the super/fast growing acros (Red Planet, Blue Milli) are growing over the infected area, not on it.

Most of the corals are attached to large rocks or have grown together making it too difficult to remove them from the tank. I’m treating them in place.

I have lots of water flow.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

If your fuge algae is growing, then get past the building block comments. They will not likely help.

Treat to see if you can arrest this fall. Once you do, then look for the root cause. Healthy corals will not even start to STN to where a bacterial infection can take hold. I am firmly still in the camp of point-source light shadowing death, but there is no way to be sure since you never posted exactly what lights you are using.

I’m using cheap programmable LEDs (DSunY) and have been for about 5 or 6 months. The lights are about 5”off the water. The issue is occuring in low, medium and high light areas. The photos I posted really do a bad job of showing lighting. The light is pretty evenly spread and the areas under the corals recieve enough indirect light to keep them alive.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Got my water results today:

Calcium: 450
Alkalinity: 13
PH: 8.1
Phosphate: .25
Nitrate: 0

I have never had Alkalinity this high that I am aware of. Usually it is in the 8.5 - 10 range. I use kalk water and vinegar as top off water (1/3 cup kalk powder, 1/3 cup vinegar & 5 gal RO). My LFS thinks I got a bad batch of salt that caused my Alk to spike. I’m thinking the Alk change has made the acros susceptible to a bacteria that was on my had from working outside (I have a small farm). I always wash my hands but maybe didnt scrub enough.

I bought some new salt and did a 25% water change. I also diluted my topoff water. I will watch the alkalinity and hope the acros recover. All the other corals are still doing great including a large very happy red and green bubble tip anemone. I thought high alkalinity was suppssed to be band for them.

 

[rstrann]

Just saw this thread. Had I seen it earlier, I would've voted alk swing. What you're seeing in your established colonies happens to me whenever I have a swing. Whether it's a bad batch of salt, kalk, or (as in my case this spring) a doser timer malfunctioning, if I see big colonies TN-ing at the base, I know I've had a swing. Sounds like you've got your chemistry culprit. Ditch that salt!

 

[gdemos]

Are you still thinking its due to an herbicide or something from the farm? What lighting did you have prior to the led? Do you have another tank tied into this system (frag/growout) with a different lighting setup?

 

[29bonsaireef]

Seems as though things are starting to come together for you now. The alk issue will definitely weaken corals, if not almost directly causing the TN. The Bacteria can also be present at all times in the reef tank IMO, waiting for something to happen where it can take advantage. Much like the way Ich works on fish.

I also wouldn't rule out what JDA is saying about the point-source lighting. What light they were getting at their healthiest may not be sufficient anymore, and probably won't be enough to heal the undersides of the corals. Sounds like you just need some stable parameters now. Keep gluing or puttying areas that continue to have TN, and worse comes to worst start fragging. Hope you can get ahead of this issue.

 

[jda]

If you used a good salt, then you can probably rule out a bad batch. All salt needs to be dry mixed before use (unless you use the whole container) since it settles. You can lower the alk in fresh mixed saltwater with Muratic Acid... not so great in the tank since it drops the pH for a day or two.

Vinegar along with high alk can be bad, but usually at the tips, not on the bottom. With N near zero, I would stop adding the vinegar to your kalk. Do you regularly change water? It is a good idea with Kalk dosing to change water since more impurities can build up than other methods... not a huge deal if you change water regularly.

From now on, let people know in the first post that you dose organic carbon... it can be a big deal, especially when your building blocks are already kinda low.

The photos show some very shaded corals... which is why I asked about the lights. I would focus equally as hard on getting some more light on there - like maybe 4x T5s - as you are working on your water. This is 90% of your problem, IMO.

 

[jda]

I do not know why this just came to my mind, but if you suspect a bacterial infection, you are feeding them by dosing vinegar and giving them more resources to thrive. This could be another reason to stop the Organic Carbon dosing.

 

[shub]

Check if you had a alk swing generally thats the cause of corals RTN'ing from the base

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Are you still thinking its due to an herbicide or something from the farm? What lighting did you have prior to the led? Do you have another tank tied into this system (frag/growout) with a different lighting setup?

No, not a chemical. A bacterium from the soil. It seems to only affect the acros.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Check if you had a alk swing generally thats the cause of corals RTN'ing from the base

There are many other corals in the same tank that are not having any issues. I guess the acros are just more sensitive to alk changes and resulting bacterial imfections.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

I do not know why this just came to my mind, but if you suspect a bacterial infection, you are feeding them by dosing vinegar and giving them more resources to thrive. This could be another reason to stop the Organic Carbon dosing.

Yes, that is very true. I’m going to lay off the vinegar until things get better. I only use it to keep my Calcium up.

 

[shub]

There are many other corals in the same tank that are not having any issues. I guess the acros are just more sensitive to alk changes and resulting bacterial imfections.

Some corals are just more sensitive

 

[BigJohnny]

Did treat a few of my favorit corals with super glue gel based on the treatment of white band disease in the wild. I cleaned the infected area then glued over the infected area. Some of the super/fast growing acros (Red Planet, Blue Milli) are growing over the infected area, not on it.

Most of the corals are attached to large rocks or have grown together making it too difficult to remove them from the tank. I’m treating them in place.

I have lots of water flow.

You mixed it with kanamycin?

 

[Ben Pedersen]

You mixed it with kanamycin?

No.. just cyanoacrylic.

 

[BigJohnny]

No.. just cyanoacrylic.

Oh, the kanamycin is the important part but word, super glue only can help sometimes. Good luck

 

[madweazl]

The increased alkalinity may be related to the poor coral health; the inhabitants are using less (due whatever condition) and your current dose is now too high.

You've mentioned high flow; what size tank? Flow requirements go up substantially as the corals increase in size.