White tips on frag? growth or receding?

[bmkid1997]

Hey everybody, hoping to get some help here. I went to a coral show last weekend and pick up some SPS frags, im new to SPS so still learning to take care of everything and whatnot. Ive either read white tips are growth / receding, and frankly not sure if my frag is looking okay right now or not. My alk keeps between 7.5-7.8 tested daily, and 400 calcium.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey everybody, hoping to get some help here. I went to a coral show last weekend and pick up some SPS frags, im new to SPS so still learning to take care of everything and whatnot. Ive either read white tips are growth / receding, and frankly not sure if my frag is looking okay right now or not. My alk keeps between 7.5-7.8 tested daily, and 400 calcium.

Looks like growth tips
Obviously. Follow up with tests(alk-mag-ca)

 

[mdb_talon]

Always hard to give definitive answer from pictures, but to me that looks more like burnt/dying tips rather than growth..

 

[REEFTIDE]

Can you post a little better pic? Maybe top down or closer

 

[bmkid1997]

Can you post a little better pic? Maybe top down or closer

Ill update later when the lights go on and a blue filter. Was tough to get it to focus on that as in

 

[REEFTIDE]

Ill update later when the lights go on and a blue filter. Was tough to get it to focus on that as in

If you shut off the flow you can probably get a good one from top down

 

[Bribo12]

Looks like burnt tips to me but hard to tell with the pic being with lights out. Does it look like flesh on the coral or just skeleton? A white light pic will help. What’s you nitrate and phosphate levels?

 

[bmkid1997]

Looks like burnt tips to me but hard to tell with the pic being with lights out. Does it look like flesh on the coral or just skeleton? A white light pic will help. What’s you nitrate and phosphate levels?

Just did cleaning and testing (besides nitrates)
Dkh - 7.6
Calcium - 405
Phosphates - .25
All other corals looking good(to me), tried to get some top downs and better quality of other coral overall

 

[Jedi1199]

OK.. My opinion here is this:


Observation is key. If all of your parameters are in check, and your lights and flow are good, then here is what you should see... New growth happens at a steady measured rate. Death happens fast. If you see the white tips elongating, but no new polyp development following along, this is a concern. If you see no new extension of the white tips, and polyps receding from where they are now, this is cause for concern. If you see a steady elongation of white tips and polyps chasing that, you are on the right track.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Most look good- This one questionable below
Assure alk-mag-Ca in range and no elevated Phosphate

Ca- 400-450
Mag 1300-1350
Alk 8-11dkh
Phos <.04

 

[Jedi1199]

OK.. My opinion here is this:


Observation is key. If all of your parameters are in check, and your lights and flow are good, then here is what you should see... New growth happens at a steady measured rate. Death happens fast. If you see the white tips elongating, but no new polyp development following along, this is a concern. If you see no new extension of the white tips, and polyps receding from where they are now, this is cause for concern. If you see a steady elongation of white tips and polyps chasing that, you are on the right track.

I will add that in my own limited experience with SPS, If a piece is failing, it is usually a general thing. The whole piece starts looking bad. It's not like pulling a thread on a crochet blanket where it starts at the top and works back. Make sense?

 

[moz71]

Here is my take. Was there white tip when you got them? That would be some serious growth in 1 week in a new tank!! Usually they would have to adjust to new parameters and light before growth starts. So if there was white tips when you got it then not worry yet but if that much white in one week in new tank then might be problem.

 

[bmkid1997]

Most look good- This one questionable below
Assure alk-mag-Ca in range and no elevated Phosphate

Ca- 400-450
Mag 1300-1350
Alk 8-11dkh
Phos <.04

Yes this one below made me question things, and since I’m new to sps wasn’t sure if it’s a sign of growth/decline. I guess as it always go time will tell!

 

[bmkid1997]

Here is my take. Was there white tip when you got them? That would be some serious growth in 1 week in a new tank!! Usually they would have to adjust to new parameters and light before growth starts. So if there was white tips when you got it then not worry yet but if that much white in one week in new tank then might be problem.

They were lighter colored, not as white as the photo for sure. I still see polyp extension from the rest of it so we’ll see how it fares over time

 

[moz71]

They were lighter colored, not as white as the photo for sure. I still see polyp extension from the rest of it so we’ll see how it fares over time

It just might be adjusting to new light. Polyps extension is good sign. Do you happen to know par of tank where frag came from? I just bought some SPS from a store that had them under extremely low par and I really needed to slowly acclimate. How high is your par if know. You may get some die back until it adjust. This usually happens at tips. I had to cut tips before and grew from there. I would just keep observing for now.

 

[xiaoxiy]

Yes this one below made me question things, and since I’m new to sps wasn’t sure if it’s a sign of growth/decline. I guess as it always go time will tell!

Those are burnt tips on that one. You can see the tissue recession.

 

[mdb_talon]

Agreed. Especially easy to see on big white tip on the right. Tissue gone and is is the polyp.

 

[bmkid1997]

Agreed. Especially easy to see on big white tip on the right. Tissue gone and is is the polyp.

I lowered the rack, only thing I can think of as a solution really