SPS Help - white tips and mesenterial filaments

[ihavecrabs]

Lately I have noticed my corals having a lot of mesenterial filaments showing often. Over the last week I have also seen white tips develop on two of the corals that is having a lot of mesenterial filaments. Any correlation here?

Alk 7.6-7.8
CA 430
MG 1550
No3 2ppm
Po4 .02ppm
Sg 1.026
Temp 77.1 (76.7-77.5 swings cycles about 18 times a day as heaters kick on and off)

Most of my SPS don't seem to care and are growing with amazing PE.

I did have a spout of dinos/cyano/algae a month or so ago and performed a 3 day blackout with Vibrant dosing. I started dosing no3 after I noticed the vibrant stripped the water. Colors came back in 2-3 weeks.


Pictures!

This one below (tabling) is starting to develop small white tips which are very hard to see. May be new growth since this coral is taking off but I'm cautious.

This one starting stn from tips and I moved him to sandbed. Very slow progression but progression nonetheless.

This one has a lot of mesenterial filaments around the edges with white tips developing. (The picture is rotated. The right side is the bottom)

 

[ihavecrabs]

#reefsquad

 

[twilliard]

Have you done a triton ICP test lately?

 

[ihavecrabs]

Have you done a triton ICP test lately?

Never and haven't really planned on it. I figure I ever get in a bind I might but as of now I'm going to tinker slowly [emoji4]

 

[redfishbluefish]

Maybe it's the small tablet that I'm on or my failing eyes, but I don't see a problem. What you've seeing as white tips, I believe is new growth. And mesenterial filaments are commonly called sweeper tentacles. Either the coral is hungry, or it wants to tell its neighbor to back-off. Parameters look good.

 

[Diesel]

With the amount of coral value to me a Triton test is a no brainer.
But on the other hand if there's really something going on you wouldn't have that great amazing PE.
By corals sometimes losing skin as in that one from the top on, we can all relate to that sometimes.
Not sure what light you have but you might reduce the photo period each way.

 

[ihavecrabs]

With the amount of coral value to me a Triton test is a no brainer.
But on the other hand if there's really something going on you wouldn't have that great amazing PE.
By corals sometimes losing skin as in that one from the top on, we can all relate to that sometimes.
Not sure what light you have but you might reduce the photo period each way.

6 bulb ATI fixture with ATI Bulbs. 9 hours for 2 bulbs and 6 hours for all 6.

The corals on the top are in around 350-450 PAR. Replaced bulbs maybe 3-4 months ago so I can't imagine it is that alone. Maybe nitrates dipped too low in addition to high light?

Hmm

 

[Diesel]

IMO your No3 can be a bit higher maybe close to 6 ppm.
Po4 is ok but don't worry if that get's up to 0.08.
What kind of ATI bulbs your running?
Did you checked for pest on the effected corals that are RTNing?

 

[ihavecrabs]

IMO your No3 can be a bit higher maybe close to 6 ppm.
Po4 is ok but don't worry if that get's up to 0.08.
What kind of ATI bulbs your running?
Did you checked for pest on the effected corals that are RTNing?

2 Blue pop (e5), 1 purple plus, 3 blue plus.

 

[Diesel]

2 Blue pop (e5), 1 purple plus, 3 blue plus.

AH, there you go.
The 2 blue E5 are the LED tubes right?

 

[ihavecrabs]

Here is some pics of the PE

 

[ihavecrabs]

AH, there you go.
The 2 blue E5 are the LED tubes right?

Yup, what are your thoughts with the LED tubes?

 

[Diesel]

Yup, what are your thoughts with the LED tubes?

I did tried them on my SPS frag tank and got all white tips and they were pretty soft and brittle as well.
Besides the color was to blue.
When I installed the Azure blue back in and clipped all the white tips of my SPS corals started to recover.
I think the E5's are great for substitute fill in but not as main lighting.

 

[ihavecrabs]

I did tried them on my SPS frag tank and got all white tips and they were pretty soft and brittle as well.
Besides the color was to blue.
When I installed the Azure blue back in and clipped all the white tips of my SPS corals started to recover.
I think the E5's are great for substitute fill in but not as main lighting.

It is very blue! I'll play along and get some other bulbs in there. Let's see what happens.

 

[Diesel]

It is very blue! I'll play along and get some other bulbs in there. Let's see what happens.

Just remove one first and see what kind of results you'll get.

 

[sawdonkey]

I've seen this in my corals. In my case, I think the issue was too low nutrients combined with high alk and bright light. Any time I get close to 8.0 alk, I see some white tips with the filaments. It looks like a sign of distress, not happy corals with growth. Interestingly, my PC Rainbow is the first to show it, and if I'm not mistaken, you show a pic of the same coral showing the same traits. Possibly take your alk down closer to 7.0?

 

[ihavecrabs]

I've seen this in my corals. In my case, I think the issue was too low nutrients combined with high alk and bright light. Any time I get close to 8.0 alk, I see some white tips with the filaments. It looks like a sign of distress, not happy corals with growth. Interestingly, my PC Rainbow is the first to show it, and if I'm not mistaken, you show a pic of the same coral showing the same traits. Possibly take your alk down closer to 7.0?

Hmm interesting. My Alk did jump slightly as I had to increase my dosers to keep up with growth. I overshot slightly which is why it is a little higher than normal. Thanks!

 

[Diesel]

As what my advice was to raise your No3 and Po4, reduce the photo period.

 

[sawdonkey]

Hmm interesting. My Alk did jump slightly as I had to increase my dosers to keep up with growth. I overshot slightly which is why it is a little higher than normal. Thanks!

Word. I only dose Kalk through ATO, but because my house is so dry in the winter, my ATO is working overtime. I've had to really weaken the kalk mixture to keep alk from rising. I too recently overshot my alk and have seen similar issues.

 

[ihavecrabs]

I'm going to adjust the dosers to allow alk to drop slowly to around 7.4-7.5. I removed one of the E5 bulbs. Added a P+ and I'm going to stop by a LFS tomorrow for a coral + to replace one of the purples. Seems a little red.

Also dosed No3.

Do you guys ever face increased nuisance algae with no3 dosing or high no3?

That is about my limit for changes in one go. Should have limited it a bit more but hey, let's see what happens.