Rapidly spreading stn , HELP!!

[lucas-grimm]

I’ve lost quite a few corals recently to what appears as a bacterial infection or some sort of cyano. I did 2 treatments or chemiclean in hopes it clearing it up but it had little effect. Below are some photos of corals that were previously doing well until they stopped to and began to decline in health. Even while corals were dying, polyps would be fully extended and some acros were even growing which confuses me even more. All suggestions or bits of information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

what are your water parameters?

 

[lucas-grimm]

what are your water parameters?

ph 8.1-8.4
nitrate 5-15
po4 0.05-0.09
alk 8.3-9
cal 470
mag 1400
k 420

 

[Bucs20fan]

Im going to be real here, I would love to try and help but I cant see a thing in those pictures.

 

[Crustaceon]

What happened recently that caused your cyano and what were your steps taken to treat it?

 

[lucas-grimm]

Im going to be real here, I would love to try and help but I cant see a thing in those pictures.

yeah… i was in a rush to get out the door but i will take some clear photos when i get back

 

[Dburr1014]

Need white light pics
Par
Flow
Anything change in the past 2 months, even if you think it's unrelated

 

[lucas-grimm]

What happened recently that caused your cyano and what were your steps taken to treat it?

no3 was bottoming out for months even while dosing it. It only showed up on the sand so better sand maintenance + more fish cleared it up quickly.

 

[lucas-grimm]

Need white light pics
Par
Flow
Anything change in the past 2 months, even if you think it's unrelated

haven’t tested for par, and run 2 jebao scp 120 gyres on opposite sides at 20% each (alternating which is on every 30 seconds or so) + the returns from the fx6 canisters i run. Within the past 2 months i’ve added a fair amount of new fish, started dosing acropower, and increased my feedings as well. otherwise no major changes have been made.

 

[Lavey29]

How old is your tank?

 

[lucas-grimm]

How old is your tank?

a year running in november

 

[Lavey29]

a year running in november

Your previously mentioned unstable parameters are one of the primary sources of your issues. The effects of this can often take months to show up because corals stress on the inside first and then show the affects on the outside. Adding acros to an unstable tank is a recipe for failure unfortunately.

What size tank? Flow seems low at 20%. What lighting?

 

[lucas-grimm]

Your previously mentioned unstable parameters are one of the primary sources of your issues. The effects of this can often take months to show up because corals stress on the inside first and then show the affects on the outside. Adding acros to an unstable tank is a recipe for failure unfortunately.

What size tank? Flow seems low at 20%. What lighting?

Tank is 240 (72x26x30). the flow is enough to blow sand around and get lots of movement in polyps of corals in each part of the tank. Above 40% and everything just looks like it’s thrashing around. most of the acros i lost were doing well even during the no3 issues, which makes it even more frustrating that corals are reacting now.

 

[Crustaceon]

no3 was bottoming out for months even while dosing it. It only showed up on the sand so better sand maintenance + more fish cleared it up quickly.

I'd suspect that was also pegging p04 which would explain the base recession (or base-up stn). Sometimes you'll get a .04 ppm phosphate reading and as nitrates bottom out and take phosphates along for the ride, they'll also bottom out but will be released the same day as microfauna begins to starve, which means when you come back to the tank to check nutrients, you'll see cyano, which takes advantage of the lack of biological competition and still get a phosphate reading but have zero nitrates. The best move is to just feed the tank, don't do maintenance aside from wiping panels and ride this out until nitrates and phosphates get back into balance on their own. Anything else and you'll likely stress your sps even worse. Try to direct more water flow towards the bottom as it'll inhibit critters like cyano and dinos, which will allow the beneficial bacteria to bounce back quicker and stabilize the tank, which will in turn help whatever coral that makes it through this eventually grow back.

 

[Lavey29]

Tank is 240 (72x26x30). the flow is enough to blow sand around and get lots of movement in polyps of corals in each part of the tank. Above 40% and everything just looks like it’s thrashing around. most of the acros i lost were doing well even during the no3 issues, which makes it even more frustrating that corals are reacting now.

But I just told you thats typically how corals decline. They go through stressful events and the results manifest themselves weeks or months later sometimes. It's like they decline from the inside out. I found after the one year my tank became much more stable and predictable.