All my lords are acting up, yet no other LPS or Acans. I'm stumped.

[MammothReefer]

So I've been trying to figure this out for about 3-4 weeks now, and I'm just stumped. All of my Acanthastrea Lordhownseis, and my ishigakiensis. Decided they only want to partially inflate during the day. They aren't receding or dying so I have been just slowly testing and changing things trying to figure out what is wrong.

At night they open up, I can feed them if I choose. In the morning they semi puff up, but during the course of the day they just never Inflate all the way.

I've tried the following (over a 3-4 week time frame so slow changes)

Dipping a couple in revive (nothing came off of notoriety. (bristle worm, pods, ect )
I've tried feeding them, not feeding them.
I've tried water changes. (my standard amount and even a slightly larger one)
I've tried a new fresh bag of salt for the last water change. (I use IO)
I've tried splitting them up into different groups and moving them into different places in the tank some a bit more shaded some with less flow then others
I've replaced the carbon
Replaced the Rowa
Tried a polyfilter

I tested everything I could. (as of last nite)
3/31/2011 23:00:00
Salnity 1.026
Calcium 420
Alk 9
Mag 1410
PH 7.9
Phophates 0.04
Nitrates 1-.5
TDS of RO/DI 001

(spread sheet of tank stats - https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AiJkwwBTLCi7dG12ZFhsTXBGTUFZellSWTZ3QkhiLVE&hl=en)

What makes it really weird is it is just the Lords and the 1 ishigakiensis. I have 3 different types of Lobos in my tank. All doing amazing. As far as other acans I have 3 bowerbanki, 1 Enchinata, 1 rotundoflora all doing great. My scolymia, my wellisos are all doing fine, and all my enchnos are all growing as are my favias are doing fine, and my SPS. It's just the Lords >_<

Here is what the tank looked like at the start of the month shortly before this happened

Any thoughts I'm just stumped. I've been keeping acans since like 03 I've never seen this behavior before.

Thanks.

edit: I'll take some photos tonight. I haven't wanted to take any photos since they happened kinda bummed on the tank atm ha.

 

[seapug]

very nice looking tank.

Are all the Lords doing this or just some of them?

Please do post some photos. Don't be ashamed, anyone who's been in this hobby any length of time has gone through problem phases. I just lost two of my best Acro colonies last month for some reason I can't explain. Sucks, but the bright side is it opened up some space for something new.

 

[MammothReefer]

very nice looking tank.

Are all the Lords doing this or just some of them?

Please do post some photos. Don't be ashamed, anyone who's been in this hobby any length of time has gone through problem phases. I just lost two of my best Acro colonies last month for some reason I can't explain. Sucks, but the bright side is it opened up some space for something new.

Some appear to be inflating a little more then others but not a single lord is @ 100% or even better then say 60%

Ya, it's not that I'm ashamed per-say, just rather disappointed, so I haven't felt like snapping pictures. I figured I was just one water change away from fixing the problem, as they weren't receding I haven't felt a sense of urgency. They appear as if somebody has poked moved them, or just placed them in the tank. Guess I need to take some pics although from what I can tell there is nothing obvious standing out they just look like partially inflated droopy acans.

 

[seapug]

I ask because you do have a couple different genera & species in close proximity there. The lords are pretty submissive compared to those lobos and echinatas so if you haven't, it might be a good idea to check the tank late at night and see if there's some warfare going on.

That said, if they aren't receding or melting away, personally I'd leave em alone and ride it out for a couple weeks to see if they start looking normal again before taking any drastic measures.

 

[MammothReefer]

Thanks again for the response. Ya no warfare, no damage, no recession. However it's been about 3-4 weeks now. Which is getting me worried. They are placed a bit differently now as the anenome moved so I have them spread out between both coves. I also was hoping that I might get an idea if it's a lighting/flow related issue by moving some around.

 

[MammothReefer]

Ok here are the pics just taken a few moments ago.

These 2 are the large polyp one in the back of the other photos

This is the ishi it's puffed up "ok" today but I've seen it go twice as big as this

This one actually is about normal.

 

[MammothReefer]

not to bad.. but not great

this one i dipped, the damage is unrelated (it got stung)

 

[sbabs]

Do you have another tank you can move a few to? It's weird. Your tank looks amazing in the first photos, but they all look so flat in the latter.

 

[seapug]

yeah they definitely look like they are contracted quite a bit but don't show any real damage. Have you replaced bulbs or changed flow in the tank recently? They just kinda look like they are "hiding" from something. It's hard to tell from looking at the photos, but the ones that look like they are in more shaded, protected areas don't seem quite as contracted.

 

[reeferlover]

some are micros which they look normal. the others are down but mine do that too some times. but not all at once just some I keep about 50 diff acans and some just do it for a few days and then come back. none are dying just give them a little time. they may get better.

 

[Project Reef]

Keep an eye on those tangs. If you remove them for a couple of weeks, I can almost bet your acans will puff up again. I've had SEVERAL bristletooth style tangs, zebrasoma, acanthurus sp. tangs nip at acans. As soon as the fish is removed the acans will fully fluff up in a few days. Try it out.

Sit on a chair about 15 feet back from the tank for 30-40 min and secretly observe the fish. Your pics look exactly the way acans look while they are being nipped at by tangs. The tangs usually will ignore almost all other LPS and slowly nip at the acan mucus thus not allowing them to fully 'fluff' open.

 

[slojmn]

I was thinking the same exact thing. I wondered if one of the fish was doing a little pecking at the colonies. Just enough to keep them a bit irritated and not willing to puff up but not doing any damage. I swear my fish know when I am in the room, I would get a vantage point and keep really still. Its amazing what fish do when they "think" you are not there. Good luck with this...you have an amazing collection and an amazing looking tank .

Keep an eye on those tangs. If you remove them for a couple of weeks, I can almost bet your acans will puff up again. I've had SEVERAL bristletooth style tangs, zebrasoma, acanthurus sp. tangs nip at acans. As soon as the fish is removed the acans will fully fluff up in a few days. Try it out.

Sit on a chair about 15 feet back from the tank for 30-40 min and secretly observe the fish. Your pics look exactly the way acans look while they are being nipped at by tangs. The tangs usually will ignore almost all other LPS and slowly nip at the acan mucus thus not allowing them to fully 'fluff' open.

 

[seapug]

Keep an eye on those tangs. If you remove them for a couple of weeks, I can almost bet your acans will puff up again. I've had SEVERAL bristletooth style tangs, zebrasoma, acanthurus sp. tangs nip at acans. As soon as the fish is removed the acans will fully fluff up in a few days. Try it out.

Sit on a chair about 15 feet back from the tank for 30-40 min and secretly observe the fish. Your pics look exactly the way acans look while they are being nipped at by tangs. The tangs usually will ignore almost all other LPS and slowly nip at the acan mucus thus not allowing them to fully 'fluff' open.

Good call. I vote for this explanation as well.

 

[MammothReefer]

Great call it was the tangs. I haven't caught them in the act but I started adding large amounts of algea to the tank via a clip every morning before work and poof the acans start coming back around. If I run out of algea..the acans start to look bothered a gain. I have a frag tank I'm going to move them into but i need to re-seal it.

 

[Meisen]

I'll posit another posibility: its not the tangs but you have black bugs. Or your temp is running too high (didn't see you temp posted). IME Lords tend to do best (not saying they can't tolerate higher temps) at 74-76 vs many folks keeping their tanks 80-84. Interceptor apparently works for them like it does red bugs.

Search black bugs on here and see if you can get a look with a microscope at the affected coral's margin of the tissue and skeleton. Assuming you tried the sneaky looking trick with the tang to no avail.

 

[coralreefdoc]

Also, just as a side note, nothing was said about a feeding regime. Feeding acans will undoubtedly benefit their health and help them in the recovery process

 

[MammothReefer]

Thanks for the responses. It was the tangs. I do keep my tank @ 77 degrees as I have alot of aussie acros which don't like the higher temps as well. It's not black bugs nothing is receeding. I have them all moved to a frag tank that I plumbed into my system and they are all back to being puffed up and happy again.

 

[Meisen]

Good deal, glad it was the easiest fix for ya.

 

[freetareef]

cool i learned something!!

 

[dixiedog]

Beautiful acan collection MammothReefer! What kinda lighting do you use?

I've never been very successful with acans. Your tank makes me want to try again.