Is my blueberry leptastrea dying?

[MarieKelvdon]

Tank parameters:
Nitrate: 10
Phosphate: .2
Alk: 9
Calcium: 450
Magnesium: 1280
Salinity: 1.025

I’ve had this blueberry leptastrea for about a month, it is still on the sand bed, but I’ve got this weird whiteish spot that seems to be claiming more territory slowly but surely. Any ideas what it could be?

and at night:

 

[Willu]

Not sure, but I would dip it in an iodine based dip since it might be a bacterial infection since it looks like there is some kind of dark colored stuff on the dead area of the coral. When your dipping it, blow that stuff off of the coral.

Also how is the flow?
I find that for leptastrea, sometimes polyps die if things like sand, algae or whatever else gets on the coral and the flow is not strong enough to blow that stuff away.

 

[Lightspeed]

like @Willu said, try an iodine bath, i would also find a new position up off the substrate, was going to suggest temp but see its like minus 3c over there, so maybe double check your water temp, you may be higher than your coral was acclimated to and its simply not enjoying life.
Looking at your parameters you are maybe a bit nutrient rich and you can afford to bring your po4 numbers down, i'd be freaking out if i saw my po4 that high, lol probably feeding reef roids so maybe cut back there a bit and run some gfo as soon as you can along with a 25% WC to reel the params back in imo.

 

[MarieKelvdon]

Not sure, but I would dip it in an iodine based dip since it might be a bacterial infection since it looks like there is some kind of dark colored stuff on the dead area of the coral. When your dipping it, blow that stuff off of the coral.

Also how is the flow?
I find that for leptastrea, sometimes polyps die if things like sand, algae or whatever else gets on the coral and the flow is not strong enough to blow that stuff away.

This makes a lot of sense, about 2 weeks ago some cuc tipped this onto its side and into the sand and I didn’t “right” it very quickly as things got busy at work. At the same time I had a power head die on me (replaced last week with an icecap 4K gyre). I’ll do an iodine dip on it and see how it goes. Do you recommend any dip specifically? I have and normally use CoralRX Pro, but I’m not sure that has iodine.

 

[Willu]

This makes a lot of sense, about 2 weeks ago some cuc tipped this onto its side and into the sand and I didn’t “right” it very quickly as things got busy at work. At the same time I had a power head die on me (replaced last week with an icecap 4K gyre). I’ll do an iodine dip on it and see how it goes. Do you recommend any dip specifically? I have and normally use CoralRX Pro, but I’m not sure that has iodine.

Yes coralrx has iodine and is also what I use.

 

[MarieKelvdon]

like @Willu said, try an iodine bath, i would also find a new position up off the substrate, was going to suggest temp but see its like minus 3c over there, so maybe double check your water temp, you may be higher than your coral was acclimated to and its simply not enjoying life.
Looking at your parameters you are maybe a bit nutrient rich and you can afford to bring your po4 numbers down, i'd be freaking out if i saw my po4 that high, lol probably feeding reef roids so maybe cut back there a bit and run some gfo as soon as you can along with a 25% WC to reel the params back in imo.

Holding steady at 78 degrees. I’ll do a big water change today. I do feed reef roids, but only once a week. I’ll lay off for a week or two and see if I can get po4 down. And run some gfo. Thanks for the help.

 

[MarieKelvdon]

Yes coralrx has iodine and is also what I use.

Maybe they changed their formula?

 

[Willu]

Maybe they changed their formula?

lol I just looked at my own bottle, turns out I was wrong. Good to know. I guess for now you may as well just dip with the coralRX anyways.

 

[MarieKelvdon]

lol I just looked at my own bottle, turns out I was wrong. Good to know. I guess for now you may as well just dip with the coralRX anyways.

Did the coral rx dip for now, I’ll let you know if it improves. I’ll order some iodine dip.

 

[Lightspeed]

You can just use iodine from your pharmacy, i use this, not sure if this is available in the
USA

 

[MarieKelvdon]

You can just use iodine from your pharmacy, i use this, not sure if this is available in the
USA

I’m sure I can buy something like this. What kind of mixing ratio would you suggest?

 

[Lightspeed]

I have used 80 ml of this product to 500ml tankwater with no ill effect on my coral, the water is completely brown, you cant even see into it, it does kill inverts like bristleworms and brittlestars too so be aware its not invert safe but perfectly fine on on all coral i have used it on, to date homophyllia, lobo, trachy, favia, acan lords

 

[Lightspeed]

Here is one i had to treat 3 days ago, the fluffy bacterial stuff has dissipated and the holes are mending, i did find a gorilla crab a few nights ago, just gotta catch him, he is about 2 inches across carapace, not sue if it was him or something else. Sorry bout the blue light pics but you can see the hole in the colony toward top right,about 1 oclock 2nd row of polyps in, its now repairing itself quite well