Only chalices died

[GOSKN5]

So I have 4 chalice frags in my tank. In the last 2 days all 4 have receded to the skeleton and basically died... nothing else in the tank appears any different...

I recently added a chalice and other frags from and online vendor, is there something that only eats/attacks chalices?

I don't have any acros, but have two montipora and they appear fine...

I also added a blenny, i have watched this guy a bunch and never seen him peck at anything other than the rocks... but I guess this is another possibility...

Any ideas? Thanks for the help..

 

[Tahoe61]

I have heard of Blennys eating LPS.

Just going to assume water chemistry is in order.

What else is in the tank fish wise, any shrimp?

 

[ExpensiveHobby]

how close together are they? At night some chalices have abnormally large sweeper tentacles that will inflict damage on surrounded chalices. Also chalices are pretty sensitive to alk swings.

 

[Sabellafella]

Have you had a slight drop in alk recently?

 

[GOSKN5]

how close together are they? At night some chalices have abnormally large sweeper tentacles that will inflict damage on surrounded chalices. Also chalices are pretty sensitive to alk swings.

Have you had a slight drop in alk recently?

Alk was a thought.. honestly my alk kit ran out and I didn't replace it yet.. calcium is at 430.. regular weekly water changes.. I'm ordering a new one now.. nothing else looks off... gorgs, acans and other LPS, euphyllias, leathers, montipora etc...

 

[GOSKN5]

I have heard of Blennys eating LPS.

Just going to assume water chemistry is in order.

What else is in the tank fish wise, any shrimp?

Fish have all been with chalices from the start aside from blenny and a bristletooth tang... pair of clowns, firefish, bangaii, chalk bass, orchid dottyback...

One skunk cleaner.. been there since before chalices

how close together are they? At night some chalices have abnormally large sweeper tentacles that will inflict damage on surrounded chalices. Also chalices are pretty sensitive to alk swings.

They weren't close at all...

 

[zoomonster]

I was a little lax checking alk and took it for granted until I had my first alk crash. For SPS tanks I think its one of the greatest threats waiting to happen with just a little complacency. I may still not test daily but I took heed when I was reading something Adam from Battlecorals wrote about how he tests alk daily. I didn't have any chalices at the time but monti digi and cap were the first to go followed by a lot of acro's. Painful lesson learned. And BTW when it occurred nothing LPS, z&p, mushroom, ricordia, softie, invert or fish etc. was affected so don't let that give a false sense of security.

 

[Sabellafella]

Chalices react extremely poor to a drop in alk, me and a couple buddys eventually lost all our chalices for that reason. From the new addition you got or a somewhat an explosion of calcification couldve triggerd the problem

 

[GOSKN5]

Hopefully only chalices are affected....what would be the best course of action if I can't test alk? Water change to balance things?

 

[Sabellafella]

Hopefully only chalices are affected....what would be the best course of action if I can't test alk? Water change to balance things?

Yea everything else is forgiving for issues like that especially when after things correct itself. I would just continue water changes, or maybe its time to start dosing if you dont already

 

[GOSKN5]

In the short term I'm not gonna dose until I have a test kit for alk... gonna do a decent water change this weekend and wait on the test kit

 

[GOSKN5]

I have been slack since transfering tanks.. I have done regular water changes..

Got a red sea test kit tonight
Alk 9.8
Cal 410
Mag 1400

So numbers check out... I'm leaning toward the blenny as I haven't seen it eat, but have seen it poop.. also everything was totally fine until he was added...

 

[that Reef Guy]

Chalices react extremely poor to a drop in alk, me and a couple buddys eventually lost all our chalices for that reason. From the new addition you got or a somewhat an explosion of calcification couldve triggerd the problem

Just Curious how much of an Alkalinity Drop do you think would cause that?

 

[Sabellafella]

Just Curious how much of an Alkalinity Drop do you think would cause that?

Around the neighborhood from 1 to 1.5 dkh drop in less then a day depending on if the chalice is delicate. Usually theyll recede, and im sure you know how that turns out lol

 

[Sabellafella]

I litterally missed 1 day of dosing and drove all my chalices downhill, i cant even tell you the nightmare that started to become. I LOVED collecting chalices and still do, but i lost to much money to go back to that route lol

 

[that Reef Guy]

I litterally missed 1 day of dosing and drove all my chalices downhill, i cant even tell you the nightmare that started to become. I LOVED collecting chalices and still do, but i lost to much money to go back to that route lol

Sorry to hear that

I have lost many Chalices myself over the years.

How much did the Alkalinity Drop the Day you didn't Dose?

 

[Sabellafella]

Sorry to hear that

I have lost many Chalices myself over the years.

How much did the Alkalinity Drop the Day you didn't Dose?

I was at about 2.0 dkh every 24 hours, my dosing pump clogged up for alk(im guessing that day) but when i tested the next day it was around 7.8 instead of the usual 9.

 

[Sabellafella]

This was around last year in march, took about 2 months for me to just give it all up. I worryd to much so i fragged what i had, sold off majority of the stuff and gave my buddys some pieces they didnt have(eventually lost) then bought my new tank lol

 

[that Reef Guy]

This was around last year in march, took about 2 months for me to just give it all up. I worryd to much so i fragged what i had, sold off majority of the stuff and gave my buddys some pieces they didnt have(eventually lost) then bought my new tank lol

So sorry to hear that.

That sucks.