Sps dying off

[Kial]

I've had a sps frag in the tank around 4 months now and it was slowly growing. About a month ago it has started dying off from the base.

Is this frag able to be saved?

What could be the cause?

 

[Leadfooted]

Yes, it can be saved for sure. What type of lights do you have and is it near high flow area?

 

[Kial]

Yes, it can be saved for sure. What type of lights do you have and is it near high flow area?

2x hydra 26s for lights. In probably highest flow area of my tank

 

[BestMomEver]

Also, did you dip it? Are there any fish in your tank that might have taken a chunk out?

 

[Kial]

Also, did you dip it? Are there any fish in your tank that might have taken a chunk out?

I dipped when first going into the tank. Should I dip again?

Nah no fish that I've seen nipping at it.

Just strange that it started from the very base now working it's way up

 

[BestMomEver]

Is it just suffering on the underside? Sometimes being in the shade can cause problems on that side. Dipping it again won’t hurt. You may have gotten stuff off the frag but something else might have gotten to it that had already been on your rock.

 

[Kial]

Is it just suffering on the underside? Sometimes being in the shade can cause problems on that side. Dipping it again won’t hurt. You may have gotten stuff off the frag but something else might have gotten to it that had already been on your rock.

No it's all the way around. The underside Just does not have any polyps.

 

[29bonsaireef]

Something is making it unhappy.. what are your params? RTN usually occurs from one or a few parameters fluctuating, really high N03/P04, or low light, IME.

 

[Kial]

Something is making it unhappy.. what are your params? RTN usually occurs from one or a few parameters fluctuating, really high N03/P04, or low light, IME.

Salinity 1.025
Nitrate 10 - 20
Alk 7.3
Mag 1500
Phos 0.1
Calc 430

It has decent light directly under my hydra

The rest of the coral still gets polyp extension throughout the day

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Are you using gfo or carbon dosing

 

[Kial]

Are you using gfo or carbon dosing

I use carbon yes

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Activated carbon?
Or carbon dosing (nopox, vinegar, vodka, etc)?

 

[Kial]

Activated carbon?
Or carbon dosing (nopox, vinegar, vodka, etc)?

Activated carbon. Just have it in a bad in an area of flow in the sump

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

What size is the tank and what are your hydra settings? How high above the surface are they?

 

[Kial]

What size is the tank and what are your hydra settings? How high above the surface are they?

I have the aquareef 400 4ft.
I'm using a custom file for the settings I got off a Facebook group but the intensity is quite high. I did turn it down slightly due to having to clean glass to often but it goes up to 100% at points of the day.

I would say they are 10inch from surface

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

What does your light program look like? How many watts does it generate during your peak hours?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

And what products are you dosing?

 

[Kial]

What does your light program look like? How many watts does it generate during your peak hours?

I'll get a picture of my schedule later.
I dose bio enhance from quantum plus their alk, calc supplements

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I bet it’s your lighting, so the schedule will help. If you have your whites above 30 then you’re probably frying that coral and all future acroporas. I’m a hydra user too and have a lot of experience, unfortunately, with what your going through.

 

[maroun.c]

would still have imagined the upper parts to be affected first if its the lighting and would also see bleached (very light) tissue color which is not the case here. How are other corals doing in the tank? have you had any parameters swing lately? maybe few water changes, running carbon, making sure all is working ok and if you still have issues maybe an ICP test can shed some light on some issues.