Why does this happen ? help please

[Moonlightreef]

Hello reefers
So this happened to my acros before and they recovered back after some time and its happening again and i like to see if you guys can help me to fix the problem .The problem is a few of my acros will release long string from the tips and then eventually it will lose the that part of the tishu and will get cover with algea . I feed my fishes 3 times a day , i also use coral vitlizer and coral frenzy for the coral 3-4 times a week and been doing it for over 6 months .

Tank is 55g 4ft
bubble magus NAC7 skimmer
2 OR T247 LED light < love them
carbon and rowaphos media with reactors

ALK 8.4 -8.6
CA 420
MAG 1370
Salinity 1.025.5
No3. 2.5 ppm
No4. 0.00 ppm

i also does 2ml. seacham trace ever day .
Tank is been running for year now .

first picture is the whole coral frag with some tips cover with algea and you can see some other tips getting damaged just like that . If you guys can help me that will be amazing .

in the last picture you can see the newly damaged tip that only show the skeleton .

i had this frag for couple of months

here is the day one picture and the same spot with the sale light

 

[Moonlightreef]

i also run Apex Jr.
tep 79-79.5
ph 7.9-8.1

 

[Moonlightreef]

anyone ?

 

[jt17]

With three feedings a day you are adding a lot of nutrients to the tank. What are your phosphates at? I've had the same thing happen in my tank when the phosphates get too high. I hate that algae.

 

[Moonlightreef]

With three feedings a day you are adding a lot of nutrients to the tank. What are your phosphates at? I've had the same thing happen in my tank when the phosphates get too high. I hate that algae.

My nitrates are 2.5 ppm. and Phosphate i get 0.00 with hanna past 7 months . My friend feeds 6times a day with NO3 at 15ppm and PO4 0.12 and everything is doing fine and growing 95g full SPS tank

 

[mic209]

What kind of fish do you have? Could be a fish nipping at the tips.

 

[ChristopherKriens]

I have observed this exact issue and am still trying to solve it. It seems to be limited to the tips, and especially tips that are exposed to light. Searches for burnt tips always just reference alkalinity issues, but there's another cause that seems to be unknown.

 

[Mr. Microscope]

Clip those tips. They should heal in a few days. If you don't, they'll likely remain that way indefinitely.

 

[Ike]

If your PO4 really is super low or ND then that could be the problem. I'd stop the the GFO and GAC use for now, do a water change, and see if things improve over the next few weeks.

 

[Moonlightreef]

What kind of fish do you have? Could be a fish nipping at the tips.

ohh no defiantly not a fish nipping on it . All i have is 3 tang 3 wrasses and 4 other small fishes

 

[mic209]

ohh no defiantly not a fish nipping on it . All i have is 3 tang 3 wrasses and 4 other small fishes

Tangs can be coral nippers, I had to get rid of a blue tang that was picking on my Acros polyps. You might not see them nipping, but it's definitely a possibility.

 

[Moonlightreef]

If your PO4 really is super low or ND then that could be the problem. I'd stop the the GFO and GAC use for now, do a water change, and see if things improve over the next few weeks.

last time i took my GFO out got hair algea problem all over so im really scared to take the GFO out , i cut down the flow of the GFO reactor to 1/3 hope that will keep the water a bit of PO4

 

[Moonlightreef]

Tangs can be coral nippers, I had to get rid of a blue tang that was picking on my Acros polyps. You might not see them nipping, but it's definitely a possibility.

i agree i had a yellow tang that was nipping on my brain coral before . but the way the tip lose tishu is deferent . The tishu of the tips will get long and eventually tear of .

 

[Fishphi784]

I have one coral, an ORA borealis frag, with the same affliction. I have had it in my tank for about a week. All my other SPS are doing great. I don't have much to offer but can tell you that my stats are good and the frag was dipped in CoralRx.

 

[nova65ss]

Looks like burnt tips from an alk swing to me.

 

[Fishguy597]

I have had this happen as well and haven't figured it out. I do not have alk swings or red bugs( the only causes I know of). I wonder if it's something like a bacteria or virus that attacks weak corals(it's a guess) I usually cut the tips and they heal themselves.

I'm not sure if your aware of this but some measurable PO4 is needed for calcification in order for corals to grow. I would run half of what's recommended . Gfo is very powerful at stripping the water column.

I know your a Green Bay fan and I'm not surprised but tishu is spelled tissue lol. If you knew me you'd know I'm a terrible speller but I know how to use spell check.:xd:

 

[Moonlightreef]

I have had this happen as well and haven't figured it out. I do not have alk swings or red bugs( the only causes I know of). I wonder if it's something like a bacteria or virus that attacks weak corals(it's a guess) I usually cut the tips and they heal themselves.

I'm not sure if your aware of this but some measurable PO4 is needed for calcification in order for corals to grow. I would run half of what's recommended . Gfo is very powerful at stripping the water column.

I know your a Green Bay fan and I'm not surprised but tishu is spelled tissue lol. If you knew me you'd know I'm a terrible speller but I know how to use spell check.:xd:

hahah thanks for the correction.
well i have no ALK swings or red bugs . The only conclusion it comes to is my GFO keeping PO4 at ZERO , i have to skip some water changes and run way less GFO .
Thanks everyone for the help

 

[Nitr8]

What is your photo period? I had this same issue and concluded that the white LEDs were not on long enough. I had them ramp up for 4 hours, max intensity for 1 hour and ramp down for 4 hours. I increased the max intensity duration to 2 hours about a month ago and have not had the problem since. I plan to increase the max intensity duration to 4 hours over the next couple months.

 

[Robert_ellis]

hahah thanks for the correction.
well i have no ALK swings or red bugs . The only conclusion it comes to is my GFO keeping PO4 at ZERO , i have to skip some water changes and run way less GFO .
Thanks everyone for the help

Ye don't change both. Just one at a time. I would say just cut back the gfo. Keep up with water changes to replace the other elements that get depleted. Remember only 1 change at a time so you can narrow results down to one process you do.

 

[wangspeed]

Try lowering your Alk to near NSW. Closer to 7. Lower nutrients requires either less light or less alk.