Trachy in trouble

[slicermd]

Hey, got a new trachy about 2 weeks ago, what a beauty! Unfortunately about a week ago I noticed a little peripheral strip, maybe from 10:30-11:00, that looked a little dark. Didn’t think much of it then but now that strip has greatly expanded and looks like polyp loss in that area. Any ideas what’s going on? I do have a valentini and a flame angel in the tank but haven’t observed them messing with it….

 

[PeterC99]

What are your NO3 & PO4 levels?

 

[slicermd]

What are your NO3 & PO4 levels?

excessive. Did a 15%water change 2 days ago due to nitrate 40 phos 0.3, will have another water change incoming this afternoon to continue working on that. Gfo and carbon are running. I have been dosing vibrant to work on some algae which is improving a lot. My euphyllia, discoma, birds nest, leather, elegance are all doing great, which is why I was wondering if it was specific injury to the trachy. Certainly could be the water tho, it’s not pristine!

Alk 7.2
Ca 430
pH 8.2
S.G. 1.026

 

[PeterC99]

Have you thought about a chaeto Refugium to manage the nutrients?

 

[slicermd]

Have you thought about a chaeto Refugium to manage the nutrients?

Yes, I had one but had to shut it off when I had the big algae bloom and started dosing vibrant, the fuge was growing more GHA than chaeto and vibrant was killing the chaeto, so I took it out and turned off the light. Fuge stays clean now! It’s only about a 3 month old tank so still working through uglies. I’ve been considering starting the fuge back up but just haven’t gotten there yet.

 

[PeterC99]

My Trachy is unhappy with zero or high PO4 & NO3. Right now PO4.is 08 and NO3 is 5.

 

[Brymac1]

It could be bleaching. Is it up on the rockwork? If so I would move it to the sand.

 

[slicermd]

It could be bleaching. Is it up on the rockwork? If so I would move it to the sand.

I thought about that and I can do that, but the skeleton does look bared in those areas

 

[vetteguy53081]

I suspect water chemistry due to fact that this may be a newer tank. meaty corals and anemones must be in a STABLE environment. Newer tanks are subject to spikes and chemistry changes making them NOT a good choice.
40ppm is obiously way too high and high Phosphate can be of even more impact.

What test kits are you using?
Age of tank ?
Are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet?

 

[slicermd]

I suspect water chemistry due to fact that this may be a newer tank. meaty corals and anemones must be in a STABLE environment. Newer tanks are subject to spikes and chemistry changes making them NOT a good choice.
40ppm is obiously way too high and high Phosphate can be of even more impact.

What test kits are you using?
Age of tank ?
Are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet?

API for nitrates. Hanna for phos. 3-4 months old. RODI with Red Sea coral pro salt. I did let water quality get away from me, trying to bring it down in several steps over a week or two to avoid huge shift like you mentioned.

 

[vetteguy53081]

API for nitrates. Hanna for phos. 3-4 months old. RODI with Red Sea coral pro salt. I did let water quality get away from me, trying to bring it down in several steps over a week or two to avoid huge shift like you mentioned.

API notorious for false readings and was a suspicion why I asked,
If you can, take a water sample to a trusted LFS that does NOT use API kits and see what readings they come up with for PO4, NO3 and ammonia

 

[slicermd]

API notorious for false readings and was a suspicion why I asked,
If you can, take a water sample to a trusted LFS that does NOT use API kits and see what readings they come up with for PO4, NO3 and ammonia

Yeah I plan on getting a Hanna nitrate checker next time I buy ‘stuff’.

 

[slicermd]

So update, trachy is dead unfortunately, prematurely due to my incompetence. I got home this afternoon and found significant rapid worsening of the peripheral issues, now extending into the central polyp. I decided to move it to my fuge to give it a light break and get it away from the fish just in case they were hassling it. Unfortunately I had secured it to the brickwork several days ago, and in the process of trying to work him off the skeleton shattered. I’m bummed, but hopefully will learn several lessons from this one. Thanks to everyone for their help.

pics attached of full tank just for the heck of it.