All possible causes of burnt tips in acropora

[BigJohnny]

I recently have had a few burnt tips on some of my acros who had been doing great prior. I have very stable parameters which have not changed. I don't have high phosphate, I don't have high/low alk or alk swings, I don't have high/low calcium or calcium swings, and I don't have low Magnesium (I run at 1400 and always have). I have not changed my photoperiod, nor my flow.

Is it possible to have burnt tips from low nutrients? I know some acros just struggle or die for reasons we can't always identify, but I am trying to determine if there is something else I can do to fix the problem. I am under the impression that high phosphate and high alk or alk burn are the primary causes of burnt or bleached tips in acropora. Is there something I'm missing?

I do have low nutrient levels but in what I consider a desirable range and they have been in that range for quite some time. I also am under the impression that low nutrients simply lead to poor coloration/inhibit growth, not burnt tips.

Params are:

Temp: 78
pH: 8.0-8.2
S.G.: 1.025-1.026
Alk: 8.5 dkH
Calcium: 430 ppm
Magnesium: 1400 ppm
Nitrate: .5-2 ppm
Phosphate: .02-.04 ppm

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[sticky polyps]

Are you feeding anything like "fuel" by Aqua vitro? I have heard from the developer of the triton method that some deminshing trace elements like zinc could do this to SPS. Are you doing water changes? What salt mix? Heavily stocked tank or not really?

 

[hogfanreefer]

How fast are your corals growing? At times I've had pale to white tips on my SPS during times of very rapid growth.

 

[chilli_reef]

I have had white tips a few across during fast growth spurts from time to time as well.

Usually though.... If it wasn't a new bulb swapped in.. It was my dosing to fast in an area where it settled on them.

 

[Mr. Brooks]

Have you tested iodine? Might be iodine deficiency.

 

[BigJohnny]

Are you feeding anything like "fuel" by Aqua vitro? I have heard from the developer of the triton method that some deminshing trace elements like zinc could do this to SPS. Are you doing water changes? What salt mix? Heavily stocked tank or not really?

I started dosing reef energy a and b and although I've started to see increased growth in some corals, I've had others gain burnt tips. I do about 15% water changes every 2-3 weeks, sometimes less. I use Hw-Marinemix Reefer. Heavily stocked in terms of corals but I only have 1 clownfish, 2 cleaner shrimp, and about 10 snails/10 hermits in a 50g.

 

[BigJohnny]

How fast are your corals growing? At times I've had pale to white tips on my SPS during times of very rapid growth.

Unfortunately not that fast and I have growth tips on others which are different. These are burnt

 

[BigJohnny]

I have had white tips a few across during fast growth spurts from time to time as well.

Usually though.... If it wasn't a new bulb swapped in.. It was my dosing to fast in an area where it settled on them.

I drip kalk overnighy night and don't see the settling being an issue since it's very slow/spread out and I have high flow.

 

[BigJohnny]

Have you tested iodine? Might be iodine deficiency.

I have not. I will buy a test kit, thanks.

 

[sticky polyps]

I am not an expert in diagnosing acropora problems but I would say keep up on water changes with a quality salt. I do a 25-30% every 2-3 weeks. How long has the tank been set up? May even want to consider a series of large water changes. That may be the simplest way to hit the "reset" button.

 

[BigJohnny]

I am not an expert in diagnosing acropora problems but I would say keep up on water changes with a quality salt. I do a 25-30% every 2-3 weeks. How long has the tank been set up? May even want to consider a series of large water changes. That may be the simplest way to hit the "reset" button.

Unfortunately I cannot really do that big/frequent of water changes because my nutrients will get too low. I use Hw-Marinemix Reefer which IMO is the highest quality salt available. I do agree that sometimes a series of big ones can fix a problem, I'm just not sure I need them in this scenario.

 

[golferbud101691]

Post some pics of what you are seeing..