Why is my SPS peeling and turning white??

[Mattrg02]

Seems your nutrients are reasonable, so shouldn't be a starvation issue.

I'd try running only carbon in case you have something nasty in your tank.

Stop dosing stuff, just food. I'd focus on keeping things alive at this point. Something must be in the tank.

 

[justaDutchguy]

Haha! I hope you are joking becouse i am the last to think in such a generalising way about stuff i never personally experienced. I am just talking about reefkeeping, and in that particular part there's huge differences between all continents.

I do love my cheeseburgers too, i guess ours are a bit smaller tho, as is the average reef tank, such a shame!

 

[justaDutchguy]

How about a good lab test like Triton? As the former replier stated, there must be something in the tank and as far as i know, triton tests for 97% of all things possibly in your tank.
I had a friend slowly crashing a tank, he sent in a sample to triton and it turned out to be some corroded metals and he then found some rusted metal parts on a pump holder and a care magnet. Overtime the plastics and rubber protecting the metals from being in contact with the water had gotten cracks.
Just an example of how something small we at home can't test for, can turn to serious problems that make us wonder why.

Btw, triton might even test for dissolved cheeseburger contents;-)

 

[Amoo]

Well this thread devolved into a

At least it appears to be getting back on track so folks can worry less about NA vs EU and more about the OPs tank. I'm sure if somebody wants to talk about the differences between EUs and NAs we can have a thread for that somewhere, but it's not fair to this guy for it to be here.

 

[Mattrg02]

How about a good lab test like Triton? As the former replier stated, there must be something in the tank and as far as i know, triton tests for 97% of all things possibly in your tank.
I had a friend slowly crashing a tank, he sent in a sample to triton and it turned out to be some corroded metals and he then found some rusted metal parts on a pump holder and a care magnet. Overtime the plastics and rubber protecting the metals from being in contact with the water had gotten cracks.
Just an example of how something small we at home can't test for, can turn to serious problems that make us wonder why.

Btw, triton might even test for dissolved cheeseburger contents;-)

Triton might be the way to go at this point. $$$ but may be your only hope.

 

[ZoaCollector]

RTN or rapid tissue necrosis, sometimes clears up on its own but in most cases it will destroy what ever it started on. Best bet is to chop above the healthy tissue to save it. Kind of like gang green, if you leave a little behind it still keeps necrotising.
It's possible the Ph balance wasn't even when you added the new water, but once RTN starts its hard to stop it.

 

[Mattrg02]

Well this thread devolved into a

At least it appears to be getting back on track so folks can worry less about NA vs EU and more about the OPs tank. I'm sure if somebody wants to talk about the differences between EUs and NAs we can have a thread for that somewhere, but it's not fair to this guy for it to be here.

Just as off topic.

 

[Mattrg02]

RTN or rapid tissue necrosis, sometimes clears up on its own but in most cases it will destroy what ever it started on. Best bet is to chop above the healthy tissue to save it. Kind of like gang green, if you leave a little behind it still keeps necrotising.
It's possible the Ph balance wasn't even when you added the new water, but once RTN starts its hard to stop it.

Forgot about that possibility. I read somewhere that chemicals given off by rtn can cause others to rtn.

 

[Amoo]

Just as off topic.

If you feel finding a polite and mood-lightening way to say "Come on guys get back on topic" is "just as off-topic", then I'm sorry, but sometimes people need a small reminder. If you want to talk about it further, feel free to PM me or whoever about it, but this isn't the place as I already stated.

 

[Mattrg02]

If you feel finding a polite and mood-lightening way to say "Come on guys get back on topic" is "just as off-topic", then I'm sorry, but sometimes people need a small reminder. If you want to talk about it further, feel free to PM me or whoever about it, but this isn't the place as I already stated.

I know your type. I see it on every forum there is. What your type do is very played out, so please stop. The thread has provided quite a bit of relevant advice and thought on the matter. Your addition has only detailed it more rather than offer advice.

No one here needs a nanny.

 

[justaDutchguy]

I appologised to the original poster allready and i do realise i took this way off topic. Still serious suggestions were made and whenever different people start getting in conversation about something they truly are passionate about, differences will occur and discussions will start. All if wich we can learn from as long as it does not go into the unreasonable or hatefull stuff.

Anyway, i am curious what will happen to the OP's tank and look forward to hear some good news about it;-)

 

[Mattrg02]

I appologised to the original poster allready and i do realise i took this way off topic. Still serious suggestions were made and whenever different people start getting in conversation about something they truly are passionate about, differences will occur and discussions will start. All if wich we can learn from as long as it does not go into the unreasonable or hatefull stuff.

Anyway, i am curious what will happen to the OP's tank and look forward to hear some good news about it;-)

Well said.

As for the OP, please keep us updated as this is bound to happen to others.

 

[chefjpaul]

Triton might be the way to go at this point. $$$ but may be your only hope.

I second this. We have the technology now, might as well utilize it.
Beside you will probably learn something of you water parameters you may not have know even if no resolution, but may help to avoid future for your tank.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

It might be STN, but they are just frags. If it is that, how do I stop it? What causes it? LPS seems fine.

 

[Mattrg02]

Unfortunately, this is part of why sps are hard to keep. They are very fragile and seem to give up the ghost for many reasons. Lps and soft corals aren't nearly as sensitive.

At this point, the best you could do is to do a triton test to see if something like heavy metals have made their way in.

 

[robert]

Here is an alternate thought...

We only talk of two basic nutrients - Nitrate and phosphate. We ignore and do not test for dissolved organic carbon.

Our tanks and corals are loaded with bacteria - held in check by the lack of organic carbon sources.

Corals themselves harbor the bacteria which causes this condition, kept in check by the slime coat which renders DOC unavailable to residing bacteria.

If the coral resident bacteria gains access to DOC, either through excess dosing, excess suspended particulate carbon or damage - the bacteria already present kills the coral -

It does not have to be an introduced pathogen. A bactriostatic which could penetrate the slime coat coud stop its progression but other wise once out of hand the bacteria has access to all the C,N,P it needs from the coral tissue itself. Fragging is the only defense.

Carbon dosing - in one form or another - either deliberate or inadvertant or a system shift which destabilizes the slime coat is in my opinion the the most probable cause.

Do not carbon dose in any form. Actively strip carbon from the water column by all means at your disposal. Run agressive filteration and active carbon. Hign N or P or ammonia alone or in combination does not cause this - DOC does.

 

[Mattrg02]

Here is an alternate thought...

We only talk of two basic nutrients - Nitrate and phosphate. We ignore and do not test for dissolved organic carbon.

Our tanks and corals are loaded with bacteria - held in check by the lack of organic carbon sources.

Corals themselves harbor the bacteria which causes this condition, kept in check by the slime coat which renders DOC unavailable to residing bacteria.

If the coral resident bacteria gains access to DOC, either through excess dosing, excess suspended particulate carbon or damage - the bacteria already present kills the coral -

It does not have to be an introduced pathogen. A bactriostatic which could penetrate the slime coat coud stop its progression but other wise once out of hand the bacteria has access to all the C,N,P it needs from the coral tissue itself. Fragging is the only defense.

Carbon dosing - in one form or another - either deliberate or inadvertant or a system shift which destabilizes the slime coat is in my opinion the the most probable cause.

Do not carbon dose in any form. Actively strip carbon from the water column by all means at your disposal. Run agressive filteration and active carbon. Hign N or P or ammonia alone or in combination does not cause this - DOC does.

I don't dose any carbon aside from food.

 

[robert]

But you don't know the DOC of your water either. You may have experiences a spike in POC during the rescape.
You do supplement? -
but it is IMHO bacterial - It could be anything which disrupts the slime coat -

 

[Mattrg02]

But you don't know the DOC of your water or may have experiences a spike in POC during the rescape.
You do supplement - but it could be anything which disrupts the slime coat.

Would skimming, alone, remove doc? Or would skimming plus activated carbon be required?

Maybe a dip for corals that seem ill? If so, what kind?

 

[robert]

Water changes, skimming - maybe run wet for a while - and activated carbon, possibly purigen...higher ORP...

The only dip I know of which "might" work at the pH of reef water is chloramphenicol...which is hard to come by...
Its sold as a water additive for pidgeons - used to treat cats and dogs - but has been suspected of triggering aplastic-anemia in sensitive prople - so its not something to take lightly.

Frag..