Is something eating my lepto?

[Chortanator]

I've always wanted a jack o lantern so I decided to take the plunge. This is my first SPS coral. I noticed white splotches appearing on it that seem to be pieces missing rather than bleaching.

Here is the photo of when I took it home

And the photo of it today with white splotches circled:

I have it low in my tank, in a 55g under a Radion G4 XR30. I don't know what the PAR is. Low flow, 1ppm nitrates, 1.025 s.g, 9.0 dkh

 

[vetteguy53081]

Too much light and water flow are enemies as is high slk-ca- salinity as well as temperature
Pests would be grey bugs and nudibranch

 

[matthew_coletta]

I've always wanted a jack o lantern so I decided to take the plunge. This is my first SPS coral. I noticed white splotches appearing on it that seem to be pieces missing rather than bleaching.

Here is the photo of when I took it home

And the photo of it today with white splotches circled:

I have it low in my tank, in a 55g under a Radion G4 XR30. I don't know what the PAR is. Low flow, 1ppm nitrates, 1.025 s.g, 9.0 dkh

Don’t think so. parameters most likely

 

[Dburr1014]

I've always wanted a jack o lantern so I decided to take the plunge. This is my first SPS coral. I noticed white splotches appearing on it that seem to be pieces missing rather than bleaching.

Here is the photo of when I took it home

And the photo of it today with white splotches circled:

I have it low in my tank, in a 55g under a Radion G4 XR30. I don't know what the PAR is. Low flow, 1ppm nitrates, 1.025 s.g, 9.0 dkh

Po4?
Up your flow.

 

[Chortanator]

Po4?
Up your flow.

I have one person telling me lower flow, and one saying higher flow.

I have a fluval CP4 pump on the opposite side of the tank, I'm not sure how strong it is compared to Vortech wavemakers.

I don't have a PO4 test kit but I run GFO and only use RO/DI so it's likely close to 0, if not 0.

 

[Chortanator]

Don’t think so. parameters most likely

Cal - 450
Mag - 1300
Alk - 9.0 dkh
Nitrates - 1ppm
Temp - 77.5°

Not sure about the PAR but it's about an inch off the bottom of the tank.

Should I adjust my parameters or just let it acclimate? I've only had it for a week and I don't want to stress it out

 

[Chortanator]

Too much light and water flow are enemies as is high slk-ca- salinity as well as temperature
Pests would be grey bugs and nudibranch

Are my parameters okay based on what I posted above?

 

[Dburr1014]

I have one person telling me lower flow, and one saying higher flow.

I have a fluval CP4 pump on the opposite side of the tank, I'm not sure how strong it is compared to Vortech wavemakers.

I don't have a PO4 test kit but I run GFO and only use RO/DI so it's likely close to 0, if not 0.

SPS like flow, nobody that keeps sps I have herd otherwise. Just sayin.
You would not want zero po4 either. Can you shut off the gfo for now?

 

[Dburr1014]

Cal - 450
Mag - 1300
Alk - 9.0 dkh
Nitrates - 1ppm
Temp - 77.5°

Not sure about the PAR but it's about an inch off the bottom of the tank.

Should I adjust my parameters or just let it acclimate? I've only had it for a week and I don't want to stress it out

They look fine compared to the redfield ratio. Nitrates could use a bump up as with po4.

 

[Chortanator]

SPS like flow, nobody that keeps sps I have herd otherwise. Just sayin.
You would not want zero po4 either. Can you shut off the gfo for now?

I got this info off the Tidal Gardens website before placing it in my tank:

I have the GFO in a media bag, I can remove it no problem

 

[Chortanator]

They look fine compared to the redfield ratio. Nitrates could use a bump up as with po4.

I've been trying to feed more, and feed reef roids every day to get nitrates up. Will that get phosphates up too, or do I have to dose a chemical?

 

[SauceyReef]

When I first got my jacko lantern Lepto I put it mid tank and it started doing this. It was definitely light shock. It started getting bad and I moved it lower near the sand bed. Still was dying and having blotchy tissue damage/release. I than put it in a very shaded area and over the course of 1-2 months it came back full force and now I can put it basically anywhere in the tank. I would put it in a shaded area and let it acclimate to your presets.

- edit - your nitrates are definitely low. If you are feeding a lot and it is not raising you may be over filtering. What filtration are you running?

 

[Dburr1014]

I got this info off the Tidal Gardens website before placing it in my tank:

I have the GFO in a media bag, I can remove it no problem

Yes, you don't want a power head blowing on it but a random flow, that comes from different angles, is what is better.
Your pump is not programmable by the looks.
What size is your tank? And do you have a sump?

 

[Dburr1014]

I've been trying to feed more, and feed reef roids every day to get nitrates up. Will that get phosphates up too, or do I have to dose a chemical?

Roids raise po4 not so much no3

 

[Chortanator]

Roids raise po4 not so much no3

I also feed mysis, spirulina brine and pellets every day, soaked in phyto and vitachem

 

[Dburr1014]

I also feed mysis, spirulina brine and pellets every day, soaked in phyto and vitachem

You must have po4 then.
Try lowering it as saucyreef suggested.
What size is your tank?

 

[Chortanator]

Yes, you don't want a power head blowing on it but a random flow, that comes from different angles, is what is better.
Your pump is not programmable by the looks.
What size is your tank? And do you have a sump?

The tank is 55gallons with a sump, Red Sea Reefer 250. The pump isn't programable but it does have an undulating flow to it, with flow also coming from the return pump

 

[zdrc]

I think Lepto is a deep water coral which would explain why it has lower light and flow requirements. I think the high flow, high light to low flow, low light dichotomy for SPS and LPS really just has to do with where those corals are typically found on the reef.

 

[Chortanator]

When I first got my jacko lantern Lepto I put it mid tank and it started doing this. It was definitely light shock. It started getting bad and I moved it lower near the sand bed. Still was dying and having blotchy tissue damage/release. I than put it in a very shaded area and over the course of 1-2 months it came back full force and now I can put it basically anywhere in the tank. I would put it in a shaded area and let it acclimate to your presets.

- edit - your nitrates are definitely low. If you are feeding a lot and it is not raising you may be over filtering. What filtration are you running?

Thanks for the info, I'll have to put it in the shade because it's practically in the sand bed already. The Radion light is new to me so I'm also trying to figure that out. Filtration is ~175lbs live rock, a small porous brick in the sump, a chaeto fuge and a small bag of old gfo that i'll be removing

 

[vetteguy53081]

Are my parameters okay based on what I posted above?

Yes provided they’re accurate. What test kits are you using?
Phos - .06

there is a thing as too much flow especially when you have a mixed reef not to mention certain toxins