Acropora eating Bacteria?

blacktippr · May 12, 2016

Did you end up finding the culprit, I'm having the same issues.

blacktippr · May 12, 2016

P3FE said:
Im trying to figure out what is killing my SPS. I don't have any pest, Parameters are in check, lighting is in check, and I've ruled out everything I can think off. It doesn't matter where in the tank I place them they start by browning out followed by fading out loosing their flesh in random spots until they are dead. Its similar to RTN but it doesn't start at the base or tips, it affects the entire coral at once and it takes about two weeks to kill anything I put in there. It happens to the montiporas also, but the montis don't loose their color, they just begin to fade their tissue away. Have you ever heard of some kind of bacteria or protozoan in the water that can cause this? I have attached my Triton test that came in yesterday, do you see anything in there that can be the cause of this? I have also included a picture of how it looks like in the process of killing my corals. I don't know what else to do, hopefully someone can share something Im missing. My other parameters are as follow:
ALK 8.5
Tem 80
PH 7.9
NO3 2

Did you end up finding the culprit, I'm having the same issues.

P3FE · May 12, 2016

blacktippr said:
Did you end up finding the culprit, I'm having the same issues.

Never did. Its a mystery no-one i have talked to seem to know why is happening. I stopped adding Acros to the tank a while back, and the ones in the tank have not die completely but are not thriving or recovering at all. I have tried everything without success. I can add anything but Acros to that tank and it will thrive and be happy. Maybe one day I'll find the answer, but as of right now I have none.

Kungpaoshizi · May 13, 2016

I guess it's been awhile, but what salt are you using?

I find it interesting that zinc, manganese, and iodine are all zero? Can't say I've ever seen zero for iodine on anyone's test results... iirc.

Did you ever try not dipping them, and then spot feed them for a week or two after introduction?

P3FE · May 13, 2016

Kungpaoshizi said:
I guess it's been awhile, but what salt are you using?

I find it interesting that zinc, manganese, and iodine are all zero? Can't say I've ever seen zero for iodine on anyone's test results... iirc.

Did you ever try not dipping them, and then spot feed them for a week or two after introduction?

I was using Tropic Marin Bioactiv, I changed to Red Sea a few months back, but there was no change at all. I try the dip and spot feeding with no luck, actually some of the frags didn't last more than two days after the dip, and never found any signs of bugs at all. It has been a long frustrating journey, but Im still fighting and Im sure I will get to the bottom of it.

ksed · May 13, 2016

I got my Triton results back and got zero on Iodine. I was surprised also.

I got my Triton results back and got zero on Iodine.

Kungpaoshizi said:
I guess it's been awhile, but what salt are you using?

I find it interesting that zinc, manganese, and iodine are all zero? Can't say I've ever seen zero for iodine on anyone's test results... iirc.

Did you ever try not dipping them, and then spot feed them for a week or two after introduction?

saltyfilmfolks · May 13, 2016

biom said:
Your tank is too young for Acros, when you start with dry rocks and without any additives it could take several months, even a year before tank is ready for sensitive corals.

yup.

Kungpaoshizi · May 14, 2016

ksed said:
I got my Triton results back and got zero on Iodine. I was surprised also.

May I ask which salt you use? Do you have sps/etc?

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 14, 2016

ksed said:
I got my Triton results back and got zero on Iodine. I was surprised also.

I got my Triton results back and got zero on Iodine.

Iodine is primarily consumed by algae. Do you have a lot of micro or macroalgae?

ksed · May 14, 2016

Kungpaoshizi said:
May I ask which salt you use? Do you have sps/etc?

90%. SPS with about a hand full of Xenia on the sand bed. Green star polyps on the over flow box. The rest is all SPS.

ksed · May 14, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Iodine is primarily consumed by algae. Do you have a lot of micro or macroalgae?

No algae except a bit of hair algae here and there on the rocks.
I can't figure out how to post my Triton results.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 14, 2016

Iodine will be a balance between what is being added (foods and supplements and water changes) and what is being consumed. I guess you just have more consumption than additions

Do you feed seaweeds? Those can be a big source.

ksed · May 14, 2016

Yes . One sheet every other day. But I do run fresh carbon every 2 weeks

Sorry I don't want to derail this thread.

blacktippr · May 14, 2016

P3FE said:
Im trying to figure out what is killing my SPS. I don't have any pest, Parameters are in check, lighting is in check, and I've ruled out everything I can think off. It doesn't matter where in the tank I place them they start by browning out followed by fading out loosing their flesh in random spots until they are dead. Its similar to RTN but it doesn't start at the base or tips, it affects the entire coral at once and it takes about two weeks to kill anything I put in there. It happens to the montiporas also, but the montis don't loose their color, they just begin to fade their tissue away. Have you ever heard of some kind of bacteria or protozoan in the water that can cause this? I have attached my Triton test that came in yesterday, do you see anything in there that can be the cause of this? I have also included a picture of how it looks like in the process of killing my corals. I don't know what else to do, hopefully someone can share something Im missing. My other parameters are as follow:
ALK 8.5
Tem 80
PH 7.9
NO3 2

Have you ever added Bulk Reef supply calcium Chloride or 2 part?, I'm trying to find a relation to this and corals dying , like what happened to you. Today I was talking to a fellow reefer and he told me LFS started dosing Calcium Chloride from BRS and same symptoms as your tank and mine happened to his coral islands and they where awesome before.

It did happened to me right around the dates where I started adding Calcium Chloride from BRS. ( I'm not blaming the BRS PRODUCT) Just trying to find the culprit, maybe a bad batch or pure coincidence.

I did personally talked to the LFS as I'm goof fronds with him and we discussed about it, he told me it was the only thing he did diferently on his tank before all his SPS STARTED PEELING AND BLEACHING.

DaveJ · May 15, 2016

P3FE said:
Im trying to figure out what is killing my SPS. I don't have any pest, Parameters are in check, lighting is in check, and I've ruled out everything I can think off. It doesn't matter where in the tank I place them they start by browning out followed by fading out loosing their flesh in random spots until they are dead. Its similar to RTN but it doesn't start at the base or tips, it affects the entire coral at once and it takes about two weeks to kill anything I put in there. It happens to the montiporas also, but the montis don't loose their color, they just begin to fade their tissue away. Have you ever heard of some kind of bacteria or protozoan in the water that can cause this? I have attached my Triton test that came in yesterday, do you see anything in there that can be the cause of this? I have also included a picture of how it looks like in the process of killing my corals. I don't know what else to do, hopefully someone can share something Im missing. My other parameters are as follow:
ALK 8.5
Tem 80
PH 7.9
NO3 2

First thing I see is your pH is really low. pH should be up near 8.3-8.4. With alk at 8.5 that may be part of the problem, need to remove the CO2 from the system, introduce some plants on a reverse cycle or buff it. Might try running fresh air into the skimmer for a few days too. Maybe run an airline to a window.

The other thing, yes I believe RTN can be water born. I had a recent problem when I had dosing lines clog un-noticed and my cal/alk dropped. One colony started to RTN and with the high flow I have the tissue coming off the colony got into the water column and spread. Right before the colony went into meltdown, I noticed a haze in the water, now I am almost positive it was a bacteria bloom of some sort. It got worse with the colony going up then calmed down once I got parms back in order. Luckily the damage was limited and stopped.

If the haze was a cause or a symptom I don't know.

As far as the BRS Calcium, I have used it for years without any problem. The problems I have experienced have been chemistry failures and the parms getting out of wack for one reason or another.

My advice for any RTN incident now is to shut flow off and pull the colony while siponing around the colony on the way out then turn the flow back on and run carbon.

Bruce Burnett · May 15, 2016

All my sps that had a problem were one of the following, alkalinity swing, temp swing or too much light too fast. Part of the problem is it may take a week even two for the results to show up. Sometimes we catch it soon enough that they survive then it can take a month or two to improve. Stability is everything but I have learned that when I add new frags I reduce the lighting and water flow and take around a month to raise them back up to normal. My tank has been back up only 7 months because I moved, I have not done a water change yet but will be doing so just to remove some detritus. I was using a calcium reactor but went to limewater to keep my alk and ph up everything is doing better. Do you check the water parameters that your SPS come in.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 15, 2016

DaveJ said:
First thing I see is your pH is really low. pH should be up near 8.3-8.4. With alk at 8.5 that may be part of the problem, need to remove the CO2 from the system, introduce some plants on a reverse cycle or buff it. Might try running fresh air into the skimmer for a few days too. Maybe run an airline to a window.

FWIW, I wouldn't say that pH 7.9 is "really low". While I agree higher pH may be better from a coral growth perspective, I think there are probably more home reef tanks at an average ph of 7.9 than 8.3-8.4.

Bruce Burnett · May 15, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
FWIW, I wouldn't say that pH 7.9 is "really low". While I agree higher pH may be better from a coral growth perspective, I think there are probably more home reef tanks at an average ph of 7.9 than 8.3-8.4.

I agree that the ph is not the problem just like I don't think BRS 2 part is a problem but to large a change to fast maybe a problem with frags or corals that are already stressed. I think that is why people have better luck adding frags to a tank that has been up and running for a while.

Tautog · May 15, 2016

I had the same problem 6 months ago, but only the acro coral was affected. I'm now a year old and haven't had that problem yet, new acros 2 months old, and doing ok.

Kungpaoshizi · May 16, 2016

I would probably get an iodide supplement to get that up. I mean, it might not be the answer, but it's a start. After all corals house algae..

Over the years more and more I see people talk about a drop of iodine every week/two and positive results.

I'll post the links later, but I have found multiple statements talking about 'corals DO use iodine/iodide'. Of course it's not been researched to the extent many would like to call it 'concrete', but iodine is a pretty important compound and a requirement for many, many organisms in the world.

Hopefully things turn around for ya