Something strange going on with three monti caps - trace elements?

[kattz]

Had good color for about a month, but color is fading to be replaced with white faded look.  Thought too much light, so moved them down in the tank several inches.  Problem is getting worse.  Corals are about 10-12" away from the lights, were about 6-8" orig

General tanks parameters:

Lighting:
2 each 92w PC's - 12.5 hrs
2 ea 150w MH - 14000K Ushio's - 9 hrs

Average tank conditions:

Temp - 80
Alk - 10.2
Calcium - 450
pH - 8.2
Sp Gr 1.026
Phos - 0
Amm - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate 5-10 ppm
Mag - 1400

Running reverse pH lighting cycles - main on during day, fuge on at night

So,  whassup?

Kev

[lazylivin]

Are they bleaching? Tissue still there but turning white or tissue gone exposing white skeleton

[kattz]

The tissue is there but seems to have a powdery coating.  I originally thought that they were bleaching out due to light. 

[lazylivin]

Sounds like could be Montipora eating Nudibranchs. Look underneath the monti for them. They are really really small

[HUNGER]

i hope u dont have them

[CoralBeauties]

I am having the same issues and I am also seeing some stn on my acros and millis on the bottem of them.  it is driving me nuts trying to figure it out.
Jeff

[lazylivin]

I feel for you Jeff. I have seen great water quality and hard corals STN from the base up over a couple years. Some small events here and there, a bit of grow back and then tissue necrosis, like a cycle. It is horrible. There is something out there that we can't see whether it is a protein, bacteria, chemical trigger or some other non testable parameter, who knows but frustrating nonetheless.

Did you find anything Kattz? consider a 15 second dip, shake, swish in a triple dose of coral rx to see if anything comes off. Do it in a clear container and set the container on a white paper towel (or a white container), let the water settle for awhile and look closely. If nothing then something else may be going on.

[Wall_Tank]

Pretty much what happened to me this summer, I was using RSCP at the time.  Not all corals were affected, but monti's were affected almost across the board.     What kind of salt are you guys using?

[kattz]

I'm using Tropic Marin Reef Pro salt.  I pulled the montis and did the dip, using revive and not coral rx.  We'll see.

Here's the other things I'm doing.

Water tested good across the board, so going to do a 30 gal water change this week.
I've been running my Koralia's in a wavemaker a/b config and turning them off from 10pm to 9am.  Set them to just be pumps and going to run constantly for a week or three.
Set up my return flow for more turbulence in the water, especially bouncing off of the front glass down low and pushing the flow back thru the rocks to the rear of the tank
Suspected that my RO was toast, so borrowed a TDS meter from Mike (thanks, Mike!)  224 ppm in, 002 ppm going out, so RO unit is OK.

Not sure what to do next.  not dosing anything other than Randy Holmes-Farley Recipe #1 calcium and alk, and only as required.  dKh at 10.4, calcium at 450, mag at 1350.  pH at 8.16 according to my probe and test kit indicating about 8.2 or so.  Nitrates are above 10 ppm, but not higher than 15 ppm.  Noticed that my acros are browning.

Kev

[kattz]

Both montis and pavona now completely dead.  Removed from the tank.  Bummed out.

[slandis3]

How long has your tank been up and running?

[larrynews]

i have some frags you can have if you need them

[kattz]

How long has your tank been up and running?

5-6 months.  Tank looks good.  Refugium running strong, water quality looks great, coralline algae growing without additives.

[kattz]

i have some frags you can have if you need them

Thanks, Larry, but let's hold off until I can solve this issue. I greatly appreciate the offer.

[CoralBeauties]

man that sucks about the corals.  I can feel for your frustration.  Are you using gfo alot?  I at one point thought that might have been my issue.  Also how are you checking your salinity?  I have been using seachem salt.
Jeff

[larrynews]

Thanks, Larry, but let's hold off until I can solve this issue. I greatly appreciate the offer.

i will always have some and not always on purpose...just let me know

[TechGuy]

Mine does the same thing. Dies a bit, and comes back. Only my orange cap does this though. Get on ReefCentral. I read a thread saying it was a disease. No nudis here either. Mine comes and goes. I was thinking it may be temp related. Does your temp swing at all?

[kattz]

man that sucks about the corals.  I can feel for your frustration.  Are you using gfo alot?  I at one point thought that might have been my issue.  Also how are you checking your salinity?  I have been using seachem salt.
Jeff

I'm using gfo in a phosban 150 unit, Jeff.  Just enough flow to see the top surface shimmer in the reactor.  The gfo is about 2 months old.  Not sure how long it's good for.  Salifert phosphate test is indicating zero to slightly above zero (very very slightly bluish, but not anywhere near the .003 ppm color.  Almost clear)

Chris, my temps swing 78-82 daily.  These are max numbers. 

Here's something else wierd.  My green slimer acro has polyps extended and is growing.  The other two or three acros in the tank have little to no polyp extension, but not turning white or fading either.

Mike, thanks for putting my green monti cap vase in your tank; hopefully we save this one. 

[TechGuy]

I'm using gfo in a phosban 150 unit, Jeff.  Just enough flow to see the top surface shimmer in the reactor.  The gfo is about 2 months old.  Not sure how long it's good for.  Salifert phosphate test is indicating zero to slightly above zero (very very slightly bluish, but not anywhere near the .003 ppm color.  Almost clear)

Chris, my temps swing 78-82 daily.  These are max numbers. 

Here's something else wierd.  My green slimer acro has polyps extended and is growing.  The other two or three acros in the tank have little to no polyp extension, but not turning white or fading either.

Mike, thanks for putting my green monti cap vase in your tank; hopefully we save this one. 

I have a few Acros with little to no polyp extension. Each species is different. I wouldn't worry too much about the acros unless they are bleaching or losing tissue. Acropora in general is a very hardy species (note, in general ;P ).

My temp swings from 78-80ish daily. Depending on the weather, and season. I have seen it get as high as 83, and the last time it did, I lost part of this cap.

[kattz]

I have some encrusting gorgonians, GSP's, anthelia, and xenia in the tank.  In reading a book that I just got thanks to Rich's recommendations, as well as speaking with an LFS, found that all of these items can give off a toxin, or sting and give off a toxin.  The GSP's are right under (like 2") one of my wavemakers, and all of these items are close to the SPS's.  Additionally, that wavemaker blows directly over all of my SPS's and montis.  Can all of my SPS issues be related to toxins in the tank; corals duking it out chem warfare style?

Gonna do major water change tonight and run some carbon in one of my four filter socks.  This (carbon) was advised as it would help clear the toxins out of the water.  The smoking gun is that all of these problems really started after I moved those GSP's to right under the wavemaker...

Kev

[Kenn]

I have some encrusting gorgonians, GSP's, anthelia, and xenia in the tank.  In reading a book that I just got thanks to Rich's recommendations, as well as speaking with an LFS, found that all of these items can give off a toxin, or sting and give off a toxin.  The GSP's are right under (like 2") one of my wavemakers, and all of these items are close to the SPS's.  Additionally, that wavemaker blows directly over all of my SPS's and montis.  Can all of my SPS issues be related to toxins in the tank; corals duking it out chem warfare style?

Gonna do major water change tonight and run some carbon in one of my four filter socks.  This (carbon) was advised as it would help clear the toxins out of the water.  The smoking gun is that all of these problems really started after I moved those GSP's to right under the wavemaker...

Kev

WOW ..I thought I had tossed in my 2 cents on this..but after reading the whole post I guess not.

Are you running carbon at all ?

My small systems are full of Softies and LPS and can be a chemical warfare nightmare.

This would be my guess (and a guess only) at what is going on.

Then again corals,like people, no 2 pieces react the same. Even in the same conditions

Just IMO

[kattz]

I was running a bag of carbon for like a week or so to clear up some yellowish water issues.

Here's another tidbit:

Two weeks ago right before I got the GCA (green carpet anenome), I trimmed back a huge bunch of anthelia.  Huge, like the size of my daughter's head.  It was rank, stinking up the house.  After rinsing off the rock, I put it back in the tank right next to the monti caps.  I'm sure that it probably released something horrid besides the stench. 

Don (harleyrider), Dave, Mike, etc., your thoughts?

[Kenn]

anthelia are not know to release any toxins but anything is possible

[kattz]

All gone now. Xenia, GSP, gorgonians, anthela.  Hasta la vista, baby.

[Kenn]

 

Truly sorry to hear it ...

It really sounds like a chemical contamination \ warfare (IMO)

When you are ready I have frags of Xenia and GSP  I could help you out with if needed.

I wonder ... Maybe your system is TOO clean. Everything you named that has gone south on ya are filter feeders for the most part