Something eating skeleton of coral

[Nicksal]

Hi everyone,
I had noticed that it looks like my skeleton on my hammer, candycane, and frogspawn coral is disintegrating or something is eating it? The coral flesh is happy and growing heads but the skeleton is falling apart somehow. I only have one green blue chromis, one sea urchin, and one starfish.
The tank has been up for a year now

Water condition are
Ammonia 0
Nitrate. 10
Salinity 1.026
Nitrite 0
Temp 79
Phosphate is .05
Ph 7.9
Dkh 9

 

[Nicksal]

And one cleaner shrimp

 

[damsels are not mean]

I think coral flesh is receding from that skeleton (not bad it's just outgrowing that part of the skeleton) and that makes it look like the skeleton is less smooth than you thought.

 

[Wasabiroot]

What kind of urchin? Lol

Tuxedo? Great!

Pencil? Sure I'll eat your leptoseris and favia

I'd agree it's likely above post is correct. Good polyp extension, it's likely not disease


How big is the tank? Starfish a year in is challenge mode. I don't doubt your husbandry but I know I'd avoid most hobby Starfish except in large sandbeds or established biomes.

 

[ZoWhat]

Looking pretty bright (par) in there with low light lps

 

[Steve and his Animals]

Your pH is edging towards the low end for a reef. Try not to let it drop below 8.0 if you can. Would help to know what kind of sea star and urchin they are.

 

[ZoWhat]

Your pH is edging towards the low end for a reef. Try not to let it drop below 8.0 if you can. Would help to know what kind of sea star and urchin they are.

Curious where <8ph is coming from.. source?

 

[Wasabiroot]

Your corals aren't dissolving from high par or pH. They don't just dissolve until a very low pH (I think mid six per a RHF article?) I think it's either livestock or they're fine.

 

[Sean Clark]

I think coral flesh is receding from that skeleton (not bad it's just outgrowing that part of the skeleton) and that makes it look like the skeleton is less smooth than you thought.

This was my first thought too.

 

[Steve and his Animals]

Curious where <8ph is coming from.. source?

The original post says his pH is at 7.9... wasn't bringing it up as the cause, just something to keep his eye on.

 

[ZoWhat]

The original post says his pH is at 7.9... wasn't bringing it up as the cause, just something to keep his eye on.

My beautiful zoa 6ft 180 never get up to 7.9 or over

 

[Steve and his Animals]

My beautiful zoa 6ft 180 never get up to 7.9 or over

I think you're misunderstanding. Are you talking about pH or dKH?

 

[homer1475]

I love all this new PH talk.

Ever since BRS put out that one video about PH having to be in the 8.0 to 8.3 range, everyone quotes it as the word of god. "OMG your tank will crash if you don't maintain at least 8.0PH!".

7.9PH is absolutely fine for a reef tank in an enclosed house.

I would also agree with @damsels are not mean

 

[ZoWhat]

I love all this new PH talk.

Ever since BRS put out that one video about PH having to be in the 8.0 to 8.3 range, everyone quotes it as the word of god. "OMG your tank will crash if you don't maintain at least 8.0PH!".

7.9PH is absolutely fine for a reef tank in an enclosed house.

I would also agree with @damsels are not mean

My tank is growing like crazy with pH bouncing btwn 7.7 to 7.8. Hydrogen is only detrimental if below 7.5 or higher than 8.3 imo

 

[homer1475]

My tank is growing like crazy with pH bouncing btwn 7.7 to 7.8. Hydrogen is only detrimental if below 7.5 or higher than 8.3 imo

I know right.....

In the summer with my AC on constantly, my PH never gets above 7.8, and everything is colorful, and growing just fine.

 

[Duncan62]

Hi everyone,
I had noticed that it looks like my skeleton on my hammer, candycane, and frogspawn coral is disintegrating or something is eating it? The coral flesh is happy and growing heads but the skeleton is falling apart somehow. I only have one green blue chromis, one sea urchin, and one starfish.
The tank has been up for a year now

Water condition are
Ammonia 0
Nitrate. 10
Salinity 1.026
Nitrite 0
Temp 79
Phosphate is .05
Ph 7.9
Dkh 9

I had this issue over the years and always found a crab digging for food was the culprit. I have a hammer that a crab fragged off for me. Lol.

 

[Steve and his Animals]

For the record, I'm not saying your pH dipping below 8 will cause the seams of your tank to blow out and the world will end. It's just generally a good idea to keep your pH closer to ocean levels (average globally is 8.1). Never said you can't have success if it gets lower, but it can contribute to problems if there are multiple parameters out of wack.

 

[Nicksal]

Will do. Thank you all for your help. I appreciate everyone's feedback

 

[MERKEY]

Hi everyone,
I had noticed that it looks like my skeleton on my hammer, candycane, and frogspawn coral is disintegrating or something is eating it? The coral flesh is happy and growing heads but the skeleton is falling apart somehow. I only have one green blue chromis, one sea urchin, and one starfish.
The tank has been up for a year now

Water condition are
Ammonia 0
Nitrate. 10
Salinity 1.026
Nitrite 0
Temp 79
Phosphate is .05
Ph 7.9
Dkh 9

The 1st and second pic are where the frag was originally cut from the mother colony....there is nothing wrong in those areas. The bottom pic looks like the vendor tried to cover the cut with super glue, which is normal practice for vendors now a days.

Your 2nd pic shows where the skeleton used to have the flesh down to at one point. Over time the flesh receded and the skeleton is now thinner in that area.

If those marks are new then you have something strong enough to break the skeleton which would definitely concern me.

You never posted your mag and cal which are really important to keep steady and in balance with alk for skeleton growth.