Acros are dying from the base up

[wopadobop]

Sponge power is a zeovit product . Thus we have no clue what’s in it. It’s for filter feeders like sponges tunicates and clams. Helps heal damaged corals as well. It’s does work.

Yes if you are having a nitrate spike it could be that phos was limited and vice versa. Some dose nitrates to remove p04 and keep the tank with some nutrients . Some dose p04 , although just feeding more is a better option in my opinion as dosing p04 is very easy to over do due to the very limited ratio of it in normal sea water. We are seeing this more and more with modern filtration methods being very efficient. Every tank runs different but just knowing that they are related to each other is a big step in the right direction. One will not reduce without the other etc. i have not seen any science backing this up, keep that in mind, and is anecdotal evidence at best. But repeatable instances across many many tanks is at least something to go off of.

 

[wopadobop]

F

I feed fairly heavy. My fish are porkers.
Though I have cut back on feedings over the last month. My fish don't look any thinner. Maybe I'll try feeding heavier again. I try not to dose anything unless I have to.

Your system was probably adapted to handle the heavy feedings and when you cut back had become limited in some way. I think inputs to the system are very important to keep consistent and is often overlooked by many hobbysists.

 

[22bfan]

My acros are never happy with low nitrate and phosphates. Your other parameters look good.
I run a deep sand bed which soaks up all of my nitrates down to 0. I dose Stump Remover (potassium nitrate) with great success. My SPS (especially acros) are consistently in a range between 5 and 15ppm and naturally around .05 with no dosing.
Acro color and perceived health greatly improved after raising nitrates.
3 months ago i started dosing the Red Sea Coral Colors program and the results are amazing.

 

[Animal Chin]

Are you carbon dosing? My last major sps rtn even was due to carbon dosing.

 

[Nathan33]

I really think your temperature is too high. I had this same problem about 6 months ago. I lost most of my blue color acros and other SPS lost color fast. I was keeping my temp at 81. I lowered it down to 78/79 and all my SPS recovered excluding one blue acro that was way past saving. Even if you have kept a reef at 80-82 this temp could swing higher during the day (while you are away) if you don't have a chiller.

 

[imustbenuts]

I have some frags in a quarantine tank and started to see STN on the bases. Started dosing Red Sea reef energy and the STN stopped. The coral tissue has regrown over the bare base.

 

[Mike220]

I have almost the same problem.

 

[CanadianReefer]

I had that happen once. Each day a new colony was pretty much dead. Took out a flashlight at night and saw 2 piercing blue eyes. Turned out I had a hairy gorilla crab. He was small but he did a devastating amount of damage in a fairly short time frame.

 

[Nghoai]

Because you raise and reduction ALK too fast. Po4 or NO3 is sps brown

 

[mcarroll]

Though I have cut back on feedings over the last month.

We always have to look back and ask what changed.

99 times out of 100 that is the root cause. Undo!

I did not see phosphate test results posted, but my guess is that PO4 bottomed out when NO3 spiked.

With the stage initially set by the feeding reduction, PO4 bottoming out is probably what finally tilted things against your acros.

In the short term I would consider reducing your lighting, as well as dosing phosphates. Perhaps nitrates too.

Keep both away from zero until you have a sign of recovery. (May only be a cessation of tissue loss.)

 

[GrandeAzul]

Stray voltage?

 

[GrandeAzul]

Stray voltage?

 

[wopadobop]

Stray voltage?

Highly unlikely . More just nutrient limiting . 0 p and 0 n are bad !

 

[oldpaddy]

Are you carbon dosing? My last major sps rtn even was due to carbon dosing.

Nope. Never have.

 

[oldpaddy]

I really think your temperature is too high. I had this same problem about 6 months ago. I lost most of my blue color acros and other SPS lost color fast. I was keeping my temp at 81. I lowered it down to 78/79 and all my SPS recovered excluding one blue acro that was way past saving. Even if you have kept a reef at 80-82 this temp could swing higher during the day (while you are away) if you don't have a chiller.

I don't know. I've always kept it at 82f and I've never had a problem. I have an open top and the led fixtures are 2' above the tank. It's winter and if I was to have a heat problem it would be during the summer.

 

[oldpaddy]

Stray voltage?

I thought of that, but I don't feel anything. Plus that usually affects more than one coral family.

 

[oldpaddy]

Highly unlikely . More just nutrient limiting . 0 p and 0 n are bad !

Just because I'm testing zero doesn't mean I'm actually at zero. It's possible that's the problem, but I was testing zero for over a year prior. N03 shooting up and down might have something to do with it. The alk swing very well could be the problem, a pest is likely, or possibly a combination of all of the above.

 

[rkpetersen]

Suggestion: Send a water sample to Triton or ATI for professional testing. Make sure there isn't a toxic build-up (or toxic deficiency) of some element that you aren't testing for at home.

Also I would suggest checking your magnesium at home (Salifert test is best); it can have a major influence on calcium/alkalinity stability.

And although your temp is ok, I agree with those who suggest lowering it a bit. 1. Oxygen carrying capacity of the water decreases with increasing temp. A couple of degrees F won't make a huge difference, but it is measurable. 2. Metabolic processes proceed faster with increasing temp. Not only positive processes like coral growth, but also detrimental ones like coral waste production and parasite reproduction.

 

[wopadobop]

Suggestion: Send a water sample to Triton or ATI for professional testing. Make sure there isn't a toxic build-up (or toxic deficiency) of some element that you aren't testing for at home.

Also I would suggest checking your magnesium at home (Salifert test is best); it can have a major influence on calcium/alkalinity stability.

And although your temp is ok, I agree with those who suggest lowering it a bit. 1. Oxygen carrying capacity of the water decreases with increasing temp. A couple of degrees F won't make a huge difference, but it is measurable. 2. Metabolic processes proceed faster with increasing temp. Not only positive processes like coral growth, but also detrimental ones like coral waste production and parasite reproduction.

That is also a very good observation.

 

[adtravels]

Agree with the above, ATI test also allow you to send a sample of ro water. I had basal necrosis although minor my ATI water test came back low for iodine,. Potassium and strontium. I brought them back to NSW levels and no more basal recession

 

[Mattrg02]

Agree with the above, ATI test also allow you to send a sample of ro water. I had basal necrosis although minor my ATI water test came back low for iodine,. Potassium and strontium. I brought them back to NSW levels and no more basal recession

Which salt are you using? There shouldn’t be any reason for trace elements to be lacking.