Injured LPS help

[lysaer]

Hi everyone,

I've got three frags I got a few weeks ago that have developed some issues. Hopefully these pictures can tell the tale. Two of them have clear tissue loss and I don't know why. There's 20+ other frags in the tank and they're all super healthy. The third frag has some loss but it's harder to see because it's got some algae growing on it I can't get off without stressing it further.

Any advice/thoughts/help? I'd also appreciate some definitive IDs on them if you have any - they were all freebies from AquaSD.

 

[kschweer]

First appears to be a favia, second a chalice and not sure on the third. The third appears to be a goner. For the other 2 I would put them in lower light and possibly try feeding them. Best of luck.

 

[Tahoe61]

When you are trouble shooting coral issues you always have to provide current chemistry.

Ca/Alk/Mag and SG, with Phosphates and Nitrates.

Age of tank and lighting with filtration also please.

First image could be a Favia but not sure, last image an Acan. Too much tissue loss for me to make a definitive ID.

Usually it's a water chemistry issue.

 

[lysaer]

Due to do water testing again tomorrow, but the test the night I pulled these three from the DT and into a QT were:
Alk 3.6meq/L
Calcium 500mg/L
Ph 8.2
Phosphate .25
Nitrates 20

Mag I don't have a test for right now. Tank is a little over 2 months old. Lighting until this weekend was a 4-bulb compact flourescent fixture resting on top of the tank (55g), with 2x65w 10k and 2x65w actinic bulbs. Moved them into the QT tank which has a 800 lumen 57x 10000K, 6x Actinic LED light over it. DT now has 2 wellpar 165w full spectrum LED lights over it.

 

[Tahoe61]

Phos is way too high.

Parameters are a tad wacky.

New tanks experience wild swings in chemistry, a 2 month old tank is pretty young. Did you acclimate to lighting?

I would for now forgo corals, let the systems cycle longer and allow the chemistry to stabilize.

Hope that helps and good luck.

 

[lysaer]

Well, it's a little late to forgo corals since I have quite a number of frags. The water chemistry has been pretty steady. It swung wild for a while but seemed to stabilize scarily quick. But, everything's been stable for several weeks, and like I said ... every other coral frag I've got is doing super well. It's just these 3 particular ones.

As far as lighting, all the frags went into a QT under a low wattage T5 light for a week, then into the DT where I shortened the light cycle to 4 hours per day for 3 days, 5 hours for 4 days, 6 hours for 5 days, 7 hours for 6 days, and then normal cycle of 10 hours actinic/8 hours white (all the CF light) with all the frags on the sand.

 

[Tahoe61]

All I can tell you is what has worked and works for me and my experience with newer systems.

When all is said and done the phos and nitrates have to come down or the algae growth in that newer system will be a nightmare.

 

[lysaer]

I know phosphates are high, I put PhosGuard in the filter to try to get them under control.

So, cause behind us. What can I do to salvage the ones that can be saved? I moved them back into QT, am feeding them every other night (coral frenzy food) and with lower intensity light than they were under. I cleaned as much algae and sand off of them as I could.

 

[kschweer]

I know phosphates are high, I put PhosGuard in the filter to try to get them under control.

So, cause behind us. What can I do to salvage the ones that can be saved? I moved them back into QT, am feeding them every other night (coral frenzy food) and with lower intensity light than they were under. I cleaned as much algae and sand off of them as I could.

I would say you're doing the right things. I would suggest a dip as well. Something like Lugols or revive may help.

 

[Tahoe61]

LPS are one thing and that is resilient, but they have to stable alk and other chemistry with lower phos levels, I can live with the nitrate level. Mod lighting, mod flow and target feed them and hope for the best. To target feed them you're going to have to turn off flow and perhaps cover the corals and feed them a fine slurry of meaty sea foods, and keep trying (each night), all the while monitoring water quality(test daily). They probably will not show a feeding response but the 1st image coral might pull through. Don't forget to turn the pumps back on.

 

[lysaer]

I always turn off the pumps when I feed. Manually turning off the powerhead and filter on the QT tank, and the "feed" option on the wave controller on the DT. You say stable Alk...is there something wrong with my Alk? I thought that was an acceptable number. I have a thread about my calcium elsewhere but the Alk seemed ok.

 

[Tahoe61]

Newer tanks have alk swings is all I am saying. Just watch for swings. A value within the parameters of normal saltwater is only as good as it is consistent, in other words try to keep a narrow swing between values.

 

[lysaer]

Gotcha.