Help! How do I save it?

[New2ReefTanks]

We are new to saltwater tanks and acquired a 75 gallon with quite a few coral. Everything is doing great except this. I believe it’s a Scoly? It looks like half of it is dead and it’s happened over the last 2 days. Any idea what’s wrong or how to save it??

 

[Lavey29]

Scoly require an established tank with stable parameters. Low to moderate flow and lighting. They are moderately difficult to keep. Rapid tissue loss generally indicates something is considerably wrong in the tank or disease set in.

 

[New2ReefTanks]

It was an established tank. We transferred the same rock and water and just set it up at our house.

 

[mtraylor]

Post tank parms

 

[Dburr1014]

It was an established tank. We transferred the same rock and water and just set it up at our house.

Could it have gotten tissue damage in the move. Even a slight bump against something hard can tare tissue.

 

[New2ReefTanks]

Could it have gotten tissue damage in the move. Even a slight bump against something hard can tare tissue.

We we’re extra careful with that one but it’s always a possibility. Would it continue dying if that was the case? The spot has grown from a tiny section to over half of it in a matter of 2-3 days

 

[Dburr1014]

We we’re extra careful with that one but it’s always a possibility. Would it continue dying if that was the case? The spot has grown from a tiny section to over half of it in a matter of 2-3 days

Well, hard to know for sure. I would do a dip in a coral product and replace. Keep the best possible water you can.

 

[New2ReefTanks]

Post tank parms

SG-1.021
pH- 8.15
Ca-410
KH-8.15
Ammonia-0
Nitrates-25
Mg-1170
Phosphate-0

Mg has been at 1200-1250 until this morning

 

[Dburr1014]

SG-1.021
pH- 8.15
Ca-410
KH-8.15
Ammonia-0
Nitrates-25
Mg-1170
Phosphate-0

Mg has been at 1200-1250 until this morning

SG bump up to 1.025/1.026. 1.021 is really low for any reef.
Test again after bumping up. Alk, cal, and mag will change.
Nitrate okay, better is < 15. Tanks are vastly different, mileage may change.
Phosphate 0 is bad. Bump up to something. Mine is 0.08, most people are probably 0.1 or less.
Mag is low, 1350 is the norm.

 

[Lavey29]

It was an established tank. We transferred the same rock and water and just set it up at our house.

There is no way that was accomplished without some parameters being offset and your current parameters show multiple areas that are not nominal for a healthy tank environment so this is most likely why the scoly is currently struggling.

 

[lucyretz]

this is an infection, and one thats going to take this scoly rather quickly. Likely from unstable parameters causing recession and ultimately letting bacteria in. to the left you can see the tissue sloughing off, and to the right you can see white skeleton both indicating its taking over quickly.

in my opinion the only chance this scoly has would be if it were moved to a tank with stable parameters and given dips in ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin to kill the infection, and even then it may be too late.