SPS tissue issue

[speedstar]

Looking for any ideas or suggestions. SPS tank started from mature tank rock and TBS rock 14 months ago, have had corals growing great for last 10 months, no issues. Nothing new has been added. Water parameters are steady Salinity 1.027, Alk 8.5, Ca 420. No detectable nitrite, Nitrate at 5ppm, Po4 just detectable.

Caps started to show stress about a month ago, I choose to not knee jerk react and did a small 15% water change, it continured to get worse, Today I noticed a encrusting monti with the same issue and in inspecting my SPS the skin looks thinner on them and some appear to have tip damage or sheding.

Any thought besides another water change? Thanks for any ideas on what to check for. I'll add fresh carbon later today as well.

 

[drawman]

Are you using GFO? What are you using to test PO4?

I'm assuming no changes to lighting, flow, dosing? Any monti nudis?

 

[SeaDweller]

Hows your source water?

 

[speedstar]

Sailferts tests, no nudi's this looks more like a bleeching event. Water source is RO/DI made at home.

The only thing I can think of is if it could be caused by haze fluid from my laser shows that is water based but contains propylene glycol or glycerol. It isn;t done on the same floor but does creep up on occasion.

 

[speedstar]

Also was running GFO but have been all along changing it monthly

 

[SeaDweller]

how much GFO are you using, and are you positive your source water/home RODI is producing clean 0 TDS water? When were filters change? Nothing you stated so far seems to jump out

 

[speedstar]

how much GFO are you using, and are you positive your source water/home RODI is producing clean 0 TDS water? When were filters change? Nothing you stated so far seems to jump out

That is what was driving me crazy, I just ran 5g and it tested at 0 on the cheap meter that came with my unit. I have kept SPS in the past this was my return, had 10 years exoerience prior. Really confused on this one, just not sure if it will be worse or better with 80% water change but leaning that way.

 

[speedstar]

Small amount of GFO just as flow thru not in a reactor. 3/4 cup in my 40g tank.

 

[drawman]

When you say PO4 just detectable any chance you think you may be starting to bottom out?

 

[SeaDweller]

Small amount of GFO just as flow thru not in a reactor. 3/4 cup in my 40g tank.

when was the last time you changed the filters?

I think 3/4 cup might be much for your tank, but that's running passively...hmm. How much are you supposed to use? I think my buddy runs 1 cup on his 120 and I run 20 tbsp on my 240.

Just like stated above, are you starting to bottom out?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

when was the last time you changed the filters?

I think 3/4 cup might be much for your tank, but that's running passively...hmm. How much are you supposed to use? I think my buddy runs 1 cup on his 120 and I run 20 tbsp on my 240.

Just like stated above, are you starting to bottom out?

Hmmmmmmmm

 

[speedstar]

Hmmmmmmmm

directions say 1 TBSP per 4 gallons to start so i was running 12 all along which is 3/4 cup. About due for a change. wasn;t recent and have been running since setup as had huge po4 reading to start.

Just completed a small water change 5 gallons and looking closer it seems to only be effecting the monti's and the tort type sps.

 

[speedstar]

Also filters get changed monthly, it is just floss in an intank basket. this is on an IM-40 tank.

 

[SeaDweller]

directions say 1 TBSP per 4 gallons to start so i was running 12 all along which is 3/4 cup. About due for a change. wasn;t recent and have been running since setup as had huge po4 reading to start.

Just completed a small water change 5 gallons and looking closer it seems to only be effecting the monti's and the tort type sps.

Try cutting the gfo in half if you wish to run it, or just remove it altogether for now. I guess it’s really not running passively if you’re using an AIO tank. I think that may be a bit much for 40 gallons. Until recently I was running 12 tbsp on my 240, and that kept my po4 at 0.10. I recently upped it to 20 tbsp which is keeping my po4 at 0.10 because I feed slightly more than I was.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

directions say 1 TBSP per 4 gallons to start so i was running 12 all along which is 3/4 cup. About due for a change. wasn;t recent and have been running since setup as had huge po4 reading to start.

Just completed a small water change 5 gallons and looking closer it seems to only be effecting the monti's and the tort type sps.

That was directed to @SeaDweller bc this is another sps stress thread, among many, from reefers worrying about and chasing “recommended” po4. I have no idea if your protocol is appropriate or not bc I’ll never use that sps poison again.

 

[drawman]

I don't run GFO for this reason. If I were to use it or need it I would probably run it for a day or two and pull it, test, and repeat in a week/month as needed. I think where some people get burned is they run too much 24/7 so the PO4 can't rebound and corals starve. Larger tanks can likely get away with it.

I will say zero PO4 can be one of the worst things for SPS so I would start there and see how things respond.

 

[SeaDweller]

I don't run GFO for this reason. If I were to use it or need it I would probably run it for a day or two and pull it, test, and repeat in a week/month as needed. I think where some people get burned is they run too much 24/7 so the PO4 can't rebound and corals starve. Larger tanks can likely get away with it.

I will say zero PO4 can be one of the worst things for SPS so I would start there and see how things respond.

A cool fact that was brought up in a talk recently is how corals can survive in NO3 deprived waters (assuming they assimilate N thru NH3) but they can't survive in PO4 deprived waters. Water volume helps with stability, but the tanks that run PO4 binders successfully (I feel) are usually the ones that feed very heavily: I feed 4-5x/day; I have a buddy that feeds 1-2 heavy feedings and runs Rowa but his colors can be pastel-y at times, which he likes.

I bet if OP cut his gfo to 1/4-1/2 the amount and fed more, things would turn around.

 

[speedstar]

A cool fact that was brought up in a talk recently is how corals can survive in NO3 deprived waters (assuming they assimilate N thru NH3) but they can't survive in PO4 deprived waters. Water volume helps with stability, but the tanks that run PO4 binders successfully (I feel) are usually the ones that feed very heavily: I feed 4-5x/day; I have a buddy that feeds 1-2 heavy feedings and runs Rowa but his colors can be pastel-y at times, which he likes.

I bet if OP cut his gfo to 1/4-1/2 the amount and fed more, things would turn around.

I pulled the gfo yesterday, I am a very light feeder as well. I'll see how it goes with no gfo.

 

[speedstar]

Try cutting the gfo in half if you wish to run it, or just remove it altogether for now. I guess it’s really not running passively if you’re using an AIO tank. I think that may be a bit much for 40 gallons. Until recently I was running 12 tbsp on my 240, and that kept my po4 at 0.10. I recently upped it to 20 tbsp which is keeping my po4 at 0.10 because I feed slightly more than I was.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[BusyB]

I had a similar issue a few months back with my monti's not doing so great and some of my sticks loosing color. To make a long story short. I sent in a water sample to Triton and learned that i had high Aluminum levels in my tank. After some research I ended removing the biological ceramic spheres that i put in my sump a few months back. It's been about 2 months now and my tank has been doing great again.