Advice needed - 911

[Backinthegame]

I hope someone can lend me some advice as to what could be the issue with my tank. Over the past 2-3 weeks my acans and a few chalices seem to be withering away. The acans are losing one polyp at a time while the chalices seem to be receeding. Not all the acans and chalices are affected, but it's still a problem.

My parameters:

Calcium - 450
Mag - 1500
Nitrates - 10
Phosphates - 0.1
Salinity - 1.025
AlK - 10

I've slacked on adding strontium and iodine lately and wonder if that is an issue. I'm stumped! Any help will be appreciated. Recently I did purchase some Zoas and wonder if I've introduced a sea spider. I do know my Mummy Eye chalice is declining and that's causing an alarm.

 

[bwade209]

Hard to say. I'd do a few smaller water changes over the next week and see if that helps. If nothing else, it would help cut back your nitrates and phosphates a bit.

 

[Paulca916]

Kevin first of all I'm real sorry to hear this.
I did have some issue's with a couple chalice's and a Rainbow oxypora here last year the only thing i changed was I started changing out my carbon more frequently.
I don't suspect the Nitrate number's you posted or your PO4 as I have found mine to do well even if my PO4 got as high as 0.25 on my Hanna meter.
I also know people with awesome chalice colonies that are at 0.41 PO4 and thier's are doing great.
As for Nitrates those are fairly low number's and shouldn't affect your coral's that are mentioned as in the past I have housed them in tank's as high as 30ppm with out issue's.
As far as Strontium and Iodine goe's unless we are testing for them none of us know if we have enough or not enough (this is why some expert's recomend not dosing them).
And if your doing bi weekly water change's those level's should be fine IMHO.

Now as far as pest go I would recomend getting a magnafying glass and pull out each coral or a couple and swirl them in a container of water from your tank see if there are any in the water.
Maybe try dipping just the base of the coral's and not the coral it's self so you don't stress them then look to see if anything fall's off pest seem to hang out under the coral during daylight hour's.
Now I don't by any mean's say any of the above is a expert's opinion just my experience.
As mentioned above I would do the small water change's over the next few week's and see if that help's it can't hurt to try that.

By the way I stopped dosing Strontium and Iodine 6 month's ago untill I find test kit's for both of them as I feel I might be just pouring money into my reef that I don't need to.

How are your SPS coral's looking ?

 

[Backinthegame]

Kevin first of all I'm real sorry to hear this.
I did have some issue's with a couple chalice's and a Rainbow oxypora here last year the only thing i changed was I started changing out my carbon more frequently.
I don't suspect the Nitrate number's you posted or your PO4 as I have found mine to do well even if my PO4 got as high as 0.25 on my Hanna meter.
I also know people with awesome chalice colonies that are at 0.41 PO4 and thier's are doing great.
As for Nitrates those are fairly low number's and shouldn't affect your coral's that are mentioned as in the past I have housed them in tank's as high as 30ppm with out issue's.
As far as Strontium and Iodine goe's unless we are testing for them none of us know if we have enough or not enough (this is why some expert's recomend not dosing them).
And if your doing bi weekly water change's those level's should be fine IMHO.

Now I don't by any mean's say any of the above is a expert's opinion just my experience.
As mentioned I would do the small water change's over the next few week's and see if that help's. How are your SPS coral's looking ?

Paul, Thanks! I've got the nitrates down from 30ppm to 10ppm over the last month. As far as WC, I've been changing 35gallons per week for the last three months. SPS are doing excellent, coloring and growing. The Zoas I mentioned went from 15 polyps to 0 in about two weeks. So are some of my other Zoas disappearing. That's why I suspect a pest, but who knows! As far as Strontium and Iodine, Ive been dosing it since the 80's with no ill effects. I know were not suppose to dose if we don't test for it, but I'm old school and both seem to be beneficial. I may have used too much carbon this last fill.

Hard to say. I'd do a few smaller water changes over the next week and see if that helps. If nothing else, it would help cut back your nitrates and phosphates a bit.

Hey Brian, Yeah its very hard to say what it is. I will give the smaller changes a try. I'm nervous about dipping stressed corals, but I may have to give it a try or at least frag the corals in hopes of saving them. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks Guys!

 

[Paulca916]

Kevin same here I've also been using Kent Iodine and Strontium & Molydbenum along with alot of thier other product's for year's since the early 90's.
So brother old school here also lol.
But now that I'm housing more SPS than LPS I'm getting a little more cautious as they may be affected by over dosing to where LPS might not be ?
Just my theory.
Hope you get it figured out with out alot of stress.
Don't think your PO4 or NO3 is an issue if your SPS are doing fine so I would look for pest not sure which one's would eat zoa's then attack other LPS coral I'm lost in that department.

 

[cichlid9]

Asterina starfish??? Seem to be more active in the dark. They have munched some of my zoas before.

 

[Borchers]

Same here with the Stars but all of a sudden. Theses guys would have been munching a long time ago. I don't know of pests thY go after all three of the corals you are having problems with. Where are these Corals at in your tank. My acans are on the sand.

 

[Backinthegame]

Same here with the Stars but all of a sudden. Theses guys would have been munching a long time ago. I don't know of pests thY go after all three of the corals you are having problems with. Where are these Corals at in your tank. My acans are on the sand.

Same here Shawn, my acans are on the sand. a few were attached to rocks. I thought I might have gotten aptaisia X on em, but that was months ago. Oh well, time to pull em and frag em before there are no polyps left. Same with the chalice.

 

[MandM]

Any other changes to the setup? Did you change lights?

 

[miracles38]

Is the skeleton showing a pink/reddish color? If it is, it could be the australian parasite.... check the LPS forum for "help my chalices are melting" if that is the case

 

[RonMidtownStomp]

Scary. Do you have the damn stars? They'll eat the flesh of anything if they're hungry.

 

[Backinthegame]

Any other changes to the setup? Did you change lights?

Sheila, No other changes, but I am overdue for MH replacements.

Is the skeleton showing a pink/reddish color? If it is, it could be the australian parasite.... check the LPS forum for "help my chalices are melting" if that is the case

Kim, no, just receeding flesh with white skeleton. The acans on the other hand show a reddish color on the skeleton then bye-bye polyp. Thanks for the referral to the LPS forum

Scary. Do you have the damn stars? They'll eat the flesh of anything if they're hungry.

Ron, I did have a few stars. I haven't noticed any in a while, but who's to say. I am gonna hold off in coming to see you until I get this situation under control.

 

[bwade209]

Are your corals dying in a certain spot of the tank or are they spread throughout the tank?

 

[Backinthegame]

Are your corals dying in a certain spot of the tank or are they spread throughout the tank?

B, All at the bottom. Acans and Chalices. After following Kim's advice and checking out a thread in the LPS Forum, I think I've found out what the issue is......LPS Black Bugs a pest from Australia. I can't begin to tell you where I contracted it, but I do know that now I need to treat with Interceptor and don't have any. Anybody wanna hook me up?

 

[iriejp1]

Dang bro...its still goin on?? I remember you mentioning that last time we talked. My vote is for pests. I didnt dose any Strontium etc. till recently and my LPS has always been doing good (except for like one or two pieces. My acans and chalices are golden though).

+1 for taking a less loved piece and dipping it to see what falls out. I'd wait till the lights are out for a minute before yaking it out just to ensure you nab something with it. My .02.

If you need a hand for anything give me a jingle. :beer:

 

[bwade209]

Sheila, No other changes, but I am overdue for MH replacements.

B, All at the bottom. Acans and Chalices. After following Kim's advice and checking out a thread in the LPS Forum, I think I've found out what the issue is......LPS Black Bugs a pest from Australia. I can't begin to tell you where I contracted it, but I do know that now I need to treat with Interceptor and don't have any. Anybody wanna hook me up?

Before you jump to the conclusion of pests....maybe the bulbs just need replaced...if it's limited to the coral on the bottom and your bulbs are old, they might not be producing enough juice for 'em :thumbsup:

Hopefully that's all it is...

 

[Backinthegame]

Dang bro...its still goin on?? I remember you mentioning that last time we talked. My vote is for pests. I didnt dose any Strontium etc. till recently and my LPS has always been doing good (except for like one or two pieces. My acans and chalices are golden though).

+1 for taking a less loved piece and dipping it to see what falls out. I'd wait till the lights are out for a minute before yaking it out just to ensure you nab something with it. My .02.

If you need a hand for anything give me a jingle. :beer:

Good Lookin JP! I've secured what I need in bulk (so to speak). Say goodbye to JP's Molten Lava..or Kev's spuining Lava chalice...LOL
She bit the dust today. Grow yours out, I coming for a frag or making the trip south for another piece when this is all done.

 

[Backinthegame]

Before you jump to the conclusion of pests....maybe the bulbs just need replaced...if it's limited to the coral on the bottom and your bulbs are old, they might not be producing enough juice for 'em :thumbsup:

Hopefully that's all it is...

I don't think so B! I've got some SPS frags on the sand that are growing crazy. I wish that was it and appreciate the optimisim, but I'm going with the pest thing because I've watched the polyps disappear on acans that flourished in the shade previously. But Good Lookin out brother!

 

[iriejp1]

Good Lookin JP! I've secured what I need in bulk (so to speak). Say goodbye to JP's Molten Lava..or Kev's spuining Lava chalice...LOL
She bit the dust today. Grow yours out, I coming for a frag or making the trip south for another piece when this is all done.

Dont trip...mine is still growing pretty good. Its still in the "family".

 

[iriejp1]

I don't think so B! I've got some SPS frags on the sand that are growing crazy. I wish that was it and appreciate the optimisim, but I'm going with the pest thing because I've watched the polyps disappear on acans that flourished in the shade previously. But Good Lookin out brother!

If those are my old bulbs you are talking about...unless they took a sudden steep dive I would not think its the bulbs. My tank was doing pretty good under those not too long ago.

But they ARE old as hell...dont get me wrong...lol.