Bleaching Millie. What would you do?

[ReefHunter006]

What would you do? This piece started bleaching 3 days ago. Possible due to aggressive light acclimation... even though I only moved it up 1.5 inches from the sand bed to the frag rack 5 days ago. That part on the bottom right of the bleached photo is super glue, not skeleton.

Phos: .03-.05
Nitrate: 4ppm
Alk: 10.5
Cal 485
Salinity 34.7 ppt

 

[dtruitt]

That looks like recession, not bleaching. I'd bayer dip and chop it down to get rid of the receded parts.

Having bleached a lot of millepora frags, I can tell you that they bounce back easily relative to other acropora species. If it's bleached and not receding (possible, it's a little hard to tell from the photo), then you can leave it where it is and it should be fine.

 

[ReefHunter006]

The photo is difficult, I don’t think it’s tissue recession because I still see all it’s polyps within the bleached area. Unless I am diagnosing it wrong.

Also the bottom right towards the frag plug isn’t coral skeleton, it’s a messy glue job. Just in case that was the reason for the assessment.

 

[C. Eymann]

Alk is awfully high in comparison to your current N/P levels, that could be a contributing factor.

Do you know the alk of the system it came from ? because with acropora, if it was housed in a system with a avg alk of 8dkh and you placed it in a tank at 10.5 that alone can cause issues, usually they dont show the impact of this till a few days later.

 

[dtruitt]

The photo is difficult, I don’t think it’s tissue recession because I still see all it’s polyps within the bleached area. Unless I am diagnosing it wrong.

Theres a couple very clearly defined lines. Usually bleaching presents as some splotchy faded patches that neatly fade into fully colored skin (at least one). The fact that the "bleaching" is on the bottom, away from light also suggests recession.

There's a definite patch of recession with no polyps on the very bottom, but that may or may not be recent.

 

[ReefHunter006]

Theres a couple very clearly defined lines. Usually bleaching presents as some splotchy faded patches that neatly fade into fully colored skin (at least one). The fact that the "bleaching" is on the bottom, away from light also suggests recession.

There's a definite patch of recession with no polyps on the very bottom, but that may or may not be recent.

Which of the two photos are you referring to regarding “no polyps at the bottom”?

 

[Juniorh2r]

Alk is awfully high in comparison to your current N/P levels, that could be a contributing factor.

Do you know the alk of the system it came from ? because with acropora, if it was housed in a system with a avg alk of 8dkh and you placed it in a tank at 10.5 that alone can cause issues, usually they dont show the impact of this till a few days later.

I agree if all parameters are good that might be the issue

 

[ReefHunter006]

Alk is awfully high in comparison to your current N/P levels, that could be a contributing factor.

Do you know the alk of the system it came from ? because with acropora, if it was housed in a system with a avg alk of 8dkh and you placed it in a tank at 10.5 that alone can cause issues, usually they dont show the impact of this till a few days later.

The frag was added with two other frags from the system, which was 8-9 dkh. They were added October 11th.


Bleaching occurred about 24 hours after the first move up.

 

[dtruitt]

Which of the two photos are you referring to regarding “no polyps at the bottom”?

Re reading your post, I may have been looking at super glue.

It looks like there are some bare patches of skeleton zooming in on the bleached section. I would still be worried that bleaching on the bottom often really means recession.

 

[ReefHunter006]

Re reading your post, I may have been looking at super glue.

It looks like there are some bare patches of skeleton zooming in on the bleached section. I would still be worried that bleaching on the bottom often really means recession.

It’s been that way for about 3 days now. I haven’t seen it deteriorate. Do you still think the best course of action is to cut the top of it?

 

[melanotaenia]

If you only received less than two weeks ago I would not start cutting it up because it will just stress it out more, I would leave it alone and keep away from bright light and monitor over the next few days to see if recession (if present) continues or stops.

 

[ReefHunter006]

I agree if all parameters are good that might be the issue

That would mean weaning off the old salt to something new then.

Is there a specific resource regarding this balance anywhere? I was under the impression SPS did well in phosphate levels around .03 and nitrates around 2ppm. I also thought ULNS systems tried to tread that low/lower. My aim was not dedicated to an ULNS. Clearly need to learn a bit more about those systems.

 

[dtruitt]

It’s been that way for about 3 days now. I haven’t seen it deteriorate. Do you still think the best course of action is to cut the top of it?

I'm wary of unhealthy acropora in my tank. I've got a dozen or so nubs encrusting fast right now, if something isn't doing well with the same procedure that I follow for all other acros, I adopt a scorched earth policy in case pests are to blame.

The more conservative approach would be diagnostic bayer dip, leave it alone, and move it down to the sandbed again.

It all comes down to what suits your reefing ideology better.

 

[Ike]

P being too low is the first thing I'd look to... I hate to say it, but I don't think this one is coming back anytime soon.

 

[Ike]

That would mean weaning off the old salt to something new then.

Is there a specific resource regarding this balance anywhere? I was under the impression SPS did well in phosphate levels around .03 and nitrates around 2ppm. I also thought ULNS systems tried to tread that low/lower. My aim was not dedicated to an ULNS. Clearly need to learn a bit more about those systems.

.03 on my checker usually meant all hell was breaking loose and corals were throwing out mesenterial filaments, losing flesh, receding at the base.

The only time I worry about PO4 anymore is if it goes too low and I'll only test generally if things start to pale up or send out mesenterial filaments at feeding time...

 

[ReefHunter006]

The Millie is recovering and has already started to brown back up.

My remedy for anyone that sees this in the future: Moved away from the light (to the sand bed) and spot fed with reef roids. 1/8 teaspoon in about 50mls water. Gave it a light dusting every two days and then broadcasted the remainder.

As I mentioned earlier there was zero necrosis. The Millie had its weakest PE on 10/20 -10/22. Improved drastically on 10/23 and stayed that way as it started to brown up.

Phosphates, nitrates, and wc schedule were largely unchanged. There was a small dip in phosphates on 10/24, but nothing out of testing error range.

Again, no necrosis was present at all during this “treatment” and the frag is starting to show signs of growth. It is currently about 9 grams in weight compared to 7 grams when I added it to my tank initially.