Slow / Fast Tissue Necrosis help

[subnet88]

Hi,

Have a SPS that ive had in my tank for 2.5 weeks. It stopped extending its polyps 2 days ago, then started dying Any thoughts why?

This seems to be recurring with any SPS I put in the tank ( Lives for 3-5 weeks then tissue sloughs off). the LFS recommended more light, so I increased 3 weeks ago ( before purchasing this coral), and increase par from 150 to 280 at this location.

Salinity: 1.025
PH 8.05 - 8.19
DKH 7.85 - 8.0 depending on time of day ( monitored with KHG)
Nitrate - 1 - 2
Phospahte 0.03 - 0.05
Par at mid point of coral - 280 measured with Seneye
Ligthing - Hydra 52 non HD

 

[Ty Hamatake]

Is it possible that you have something in your tank irritating them? Possibly a pest? Your picture seems to show rather random tissue damage, and I'm not sure what else would cause that! Let's get some help on this one.

EDIT: tried to tag reef squad, but it's not working...

 

[subnet88]

There are some Vermetid snails in the tank that ive been fighting to get rid of using wrasses, but I cant think of anything else that could be irritating them. Here is the same coral this morning.




Also an ICP from last month. I should be getting results from last week soon.

 

[Ty Hamatake]

I never had success with Vermetid snail and wrasses. The only thing that has worked for me is manual removal. I've also never seen them cause that much damage to a coral before. I had a massive one attach itself to the plug of one of my frags which kept its polyps from extending, but no necrosis. It was a big guy too...

@saltyfilmfolks, @mdbannister, @Sabellafella do you guys have any input?

 

[subnet88]

I never had success with Vermetid snail and wrasses. The only thing that has worked for me is manual removal.

@saltyfilmfolks, @mdbannister, @Sabellafella do you guys have any input?

Could vermetids cause this though? I see the same pattern with acros, Milles, and Montis ( 2-3 weeks of great PE, then no PE and death). as I said, lights were repositioned and intensity increased just before buying this piece, which came from a tank with LED lighting.


I have also tried sourcing from different stores, with no change in luck

 

[subnet88]

Could vermetids cause this though? I see the same pattern with acros, Milles, and Montis ( 2-3 weeks of great PE, then no PE and death). as I said, lights were repositioned and intensity increased just before buying this piece, which came from a tank with LED lighting.


I have also tried sourcing from different stores, with no change in luck

for more tank info, Im vinegar dosing to control nitrates, and GFO passively to control phosphate. I have 2 cups of carbon in the tank, which I changed this this past Friday, after the PE stopped on this piece. CA / Alk are maintained with a calcium reactor / masterflex

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I never had success with Vermetid snail and wrasses. The only thing that has worked for me is manual removal. I've also never seen them cause that much damage to a coral before. I had a massive one attach itself to the plug of one of my frags which kept its polyps from extending, but no necrosis. It was a big guy too...

@saltyfilmfolks, @mdbannister, @Sabellafella do you guys have any input?

That pic is vermatid sting there. Not all corals get it.

The OP, not sure. I'd look for bugs first.

If nothing pops up in the icp test
You could try an anti biotic. True rtn stn is a disease.

 

[subnet88]

That pic is vermatid sting there. Not all corals get it.

The OP, not sure. I'd look for bugs first.

If nothing pops up in the icp test
You could try an anti biotic. True rtn stn is a disease.

What antibiotic would one use?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

What antibiotic would one use?

I'd have to do some digging. But chemiclen and cyano killers are antibiotics.

Once you rule out flow , pests , ammonia , coral warfare , it may be simting to look at.

 

[HB AL]

Since you say it's a recurring problem with all sps you put in the tank, I would lean towards the problem being something in the water that causes your issues either some kind of contamination from possibly a rusting metal object or maybe some kind of animal feeding on the sps or some kind of virus or bacteria if that's possible. I don't think the light is the problem. I would frag the good stuff and coral dip them immediately, and maybe see if your lfs would keep them for you till you find out what the problem is, because the fragged pieces will most likely suffer the same fate if left in the current environment. Good luck hope you find the issue soon.

 

[subnet88]

Since you say it's a recurring problem with all sps you put in the tank, I would lean towards the problem being something in the water that causes your issues either some kind of contamination from possibly a rusting metal object or maybe some kind of animal feeding on the sps. I don't think the light is the problem. I would frag the good stuff and coral dip them immediately, and maybe see if your lfs would keep them for you till you find out what the problem is, because the fragged pieces will most likely suffer the same fate if left in the current environment. Good luck hope you find the issue soon.

to rule out pests or fish, Would animal feeding leave tissue that can be blown off with a turkey baster? Ive dipped and no AEFW or red bugs come off.

The tank has a large population of bristle worms, asterina stars, and mini serpent starfish. as well as the vermetids and some aptasia

for fish, I have:
a marine betta,
a cherub angel,
a bristletail filefish,
7 lyretail anthias,
a yellow wrasse,
a green wrasse,
a melanaraus wrasse,
a unicorn tang,
a hippo tang.
a royal gramma
a starry blenny,
a bicolor blenny


Could any of those cause this?

 

[subnet88]

I just got the new ICP results. Any thoughts?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Vermatid possibley if the web hits them.

Is the brown algae an algae or Dino

 

[subnet88]

Vermatid possibley if the web hits them.

Is the brown algae an algae or Dino

the vermetids are tiny ones, so I doubt any nearby one could cause that much damage

the brown is algae, the tangs are constantly picking at it.

This is the worst of my vermetids

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Well, you may want to go hunting at night. Also if you can get a pic of the damage we may be able to I'd it as a bite. But if it's just a constant sloughing off of skin I'd go with contaminate or infection. Infection being the hardest to diagnose.

I'm assuming rodi etc. normal parameters enough light and not too much and good acclimation to it.

 

[HB AL]

Unless you physically see one of the fish pecking at them I would rule out the fish. If a fish is the culprit he's gonna be relentlessly messing with it not just once in a while.

 

[subnet88]

Unless you physically see one of the fish pecking at them I would rule out the fish. If a fish is the culprit he's gonna be relentlessly messing with it not just once in a while.

Definitely not that then

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I am not an expert chemist by any means. But I do not see anything in the test.


#reefsquad. @Diesel

 

[subnet88]

Well, you may want to go hunting at night. Also if you can get a pic of the damage we may be able to I'd it as a bite. But if it's just a constant sloughing off of skin I'd go with contaminate or infection. Infection being the hardest to diagnose.

I'm assuming rodi etc. normal parameters enough light and not too much and good acclimation to it.

Ive gone hunting at night, the only things near the corals are bristle worms. I had a mithrax crab that I pulled 3 months ago.

the skin always sloughs off and can be accelerated with a turkey baster.

The skeleton has never had any bite marks, just turns white.

RODI is 0 on output.

Looking at the ICP results, Tin is .08 ppm, could this do anything? If so, what could be causing the tin? Ive checked all devices in the tank for rusty magnets.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ive gone hunting at night, the only things near the corals are bristle worms. I had a mithrax crab that I pulled 3 months ago.

the skin always sloughs off and can be accelerated with a turkey baster.

The skeleton has never had any bite marks, just turns white.

RODI is 0 on output.

Looking at the ICP results, Tin is .08 ppm, could this do anything? If so, what could be causing the tin? Ive checked all devices in the tank for rusty magnets.

I'm unsure of the tin. Sorry I did mis that.

Do a search , Randy Farley tin. And see if you get an article.