I'm at a loss...

Dave3112 · Aug 4, 2012

Hey everyone! I have been having a problem with my chalices as of late. I have noticed that they have started fading in color and slowly receding. Well I know that things go through this stuff from time to time so I haven't been too worried about it. But it has been getting progressively worse over the last month. Now my Miami Hurricane chalice that has been practically bullet proof is starting to decline too.

My tank parameters are
125 Marineland RR display with 55gal sump (total water volume is about 150)
Sg 1.026 (refractometer)
Alk- 9.54 (Hanna meter)
Po4- .03-.05 (Hanna Meter)
Ca- 400 (Elos)
Mg- 1400 (Elos)

I have a 12x39W T5 HO fixture. Bulbs are 6 months or less old. 8 ATI blue+, 2 ATI Purple+ and 2 ATI coral+ bulbs. they run for a total of 10 hours a day. Blues all 10hours and "daylight" for 7hours.

My SPS are all doing excellent and other LPS as well as Zoas/Palys are all great too. I am at a complete loss:cry: so I'm asking you guys for your opinions. What am I doing wrong? What would you do if it were your tank? I have interceptor and not afraid to use it:angel: but I haven't seen any pests. And yes, I do look after the lights go out...

A few pictures of my MH

Those "bleached" spots just showed up in the last few days.

Please help! I value any opinion or advice you have to give me. I am not a Noob by any means but I'm not afraid to ask for help when my knowledge fails me...

Thanks in advance!

Dave

Dave3112 · Aug 4, 2012

Also the MH started getting the green blotches in the eyes about a year ago. Don't know where they came from but it didn't seem to hurt the coral in any way.

_Alex_ · Aug 4, 2012

Hmm our mh has the same green in the eyes. As for bleaching no clue as everything looks good as far as parameters. Maybe try a dip??

miyags · Aug 4, 2012

could a piece of salt creep have fallen on the chalice? it kind of looks like a salt burn in the last pic.

Dave3112 · Aug 4, 2012

I could try a dip for the frags but the MH isn't going to come out of the tank easily. Lol. It has grown into the adjacent rock work. What kind of dip would you recommend? I have revive and lugols.

Dave3112 · Aug 4, 2012

miyags said:
could a piece of salt creep have fallen on the chalice? it kind of looks like a salt burn in the last pic.

I don't think so. There is not any salt creep on the display part of the tank. There is some in the sump. That spot showed up at the same time the streak in the first pic did.

RalphsReef · Aug 5, 2012

Myself and another local had that same issue recently. We racked our brains, and still have not been able to come to a conclusion as to what happened. It wiped out a few of my pieces, and even more of my buddy's. It started with a light, bleached area, then took off almost like RTN.

Dave3112 · Aug 5, 2012

RalphsReef said:
Myself and another local had that same issue recently. We racked our brains, and still have not been able to come to a conclusion as to what happened. It wiped out a few of my pieces, and even more of my buddy's. It started with a light, bleached area, then took off almost like RTN.

Did y'all try to dip any of the pieces to stop it? I wonder if fragging it like SPS might help? Mine started in my pink and red chalices. They just browned out then started the recede. My ME chalices are still doing well and the MH just started the bleaching or whatever it is. But the rest of the colors in it look good. The flesh is still expanded and looks healthy even where the white places are the flesh looks good. Just no pigment there...

Troylee · Aug 5, 2012

Is it possible a neighbor stung it??? Like a favia or something with long sweepers??? Looks awfully healthy to do any thing drastic lol...

_Alex_ · Aug 5, 2012

I've used coral rx and it has saved a few corals. It's basically tea tree oil. Hmm I wonder if it's a fungal infection kinda like zoa pox?? Since its spoty then gets worse from there that's about the same thing zoa pox does. Furan2 dips work on z pox.... But that's just a theory

Dave3112 · Aug 5, 2012

Troylee said:
Is it possible a neighbor stung it??? Like a favia or something with long sweepers??? Looks awfully healthy to do any thing drastic lol...

No neighbors that are close enough to do get to those spots. The MH is about 12"x 14" and one spot is about halfway up it and the streak is at the very top center. the closest coral with sweepers is a favia but it is 12" from the lowest spot of the chalice. All that is going on makes no sense to me...

Dave3112 · Aug 5, 2012

The strange thing about this is I have not added a single coral to my tank in over a year. I have not changed salt mixes or additives. My parameters stay fairly stable. My Ca falls every once in awhile but not too bad. I test every week and do water changes weekly too.

Dave3112 · Aug 5, 2012

Bump for the day crowd and more ideas....

_Alex_ · Aug 5, 2012

Did you we my last post?? Was just few minutes before yours last night. Any thoughts on maybe some kind of fungal infection? Like zoa pox?

RalphsReef · Aug 5, 2012

Dave3112 said:
Did y'all try to dip any of the pieces to stop it? I wonder if fragging it like SPS might help? Mine started in my pink and red chalices. They just browned out then started the recede. My ME chalices are still doing well and the MH just started the bleaching or whatever it is. But the rest of the colors in it look good. The flesh is still expanded and looks healthy even where the white places are the flesh looks good. Just no pigment there...

Yes, we both dipped. I used a light solution of Lugol's. It did not seem to have much effect. I had a humongous chalice (+/- 300 eyes) that showed the first signs of issues. It started with a small bleached spot int he shape of a wedge, like a pie with a piece missing. I figured something may have stung it. However, over the period of a week or so, it kept advancing. So, I made several frags well in advance of the bleached areas. The frags seemed to be doing well at first, however after another week or so, they too fell victim to the unknown issue. The odd thing is that other chalices were right next to the ones that were affected. They were and still are fine. In the tank of mine that was affected, there are other LPS and SPS frags and colonies. Nothing else was affected.

RalphsReef · Aug 5, 2012

I should add that both myself and the other local (he can chime in with his name if he prefers) can only surmise that there was some sort of infection or pest, as Alex did above. The other local added numerous chalice pieces from various vendors, and had issues later after having a show quality tank for years. It is nearly impossible to believe there was a husbandry issue. I took in some of his sick pieces, and a while later experienced similar problems, fortunately on a smaller scale.

Dave3112 · Aug 5, 2012

That sucks to hear! I'm trying to round up my hermits now to do an interceptor dose. I have the water mixing for a water change anyway and have the tablets so why not?

Dave3112 · Aug 5, 2012

Alex, sorry I missed it until now. I don't know how it could be a fungal infection. I mean where would it have come from? I have not added any live stock what so ever to my tank in over a year. Not rock or sand or anything?