Base rescssion

[toothman]

Really having a tough time figuring this one out. Recently there seems to be some base recession around the more delicate corals and ones that just do not look as vital as others. The water parameters are good, the only difference is there is more nitate than usual, 5 ppm. I got interested in acans and do more spot feeding.

Any general thoughts what the major cause of base recession is. The tops of the acros have good pe and look fine. I really looked hard and could not see any bite marks on the acros or red bugs etc.

A couple of pictures clearly showing white death at base of acro.

http://sz0044.wc.mail.comcast.net/service/home/~/?auth=co&id=217280&part=2


http://sz0044.wc.mail.comcast.net/service/home/~/photo.JPG?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=217281&part=2

 

[toothman]

 

[sahin]

Toothman, your links are still not working.

Photos would probably help a bit more.

In any event;

Going to ask you the obvious:

1. Have you checked Ca, Alk, Mg and Salinity and have you compared the results with another test kit or reefkeepers/LFS etc?

2. Did you recently start any form of carbon dosing?

3. Did you recently start using a new batch of GFO or GAC? - Eg. Kents GAC some years ago caused people to lose whole SPS collections.

4. Did you recently change salt or start using a new bucket? Defective salt preparations or batches have been known to cause issue with SPS in the past.

5. Other than inspecting by eye, have you taken out one or two of the affected specimens and checked for pests by basting/dipping?

6. Have you inspected your sump/frag tank/even the display to see if someone had dropped a penny or a small battery into the system?

7. Could coral growth have caused water flow to be sub optimal?

I think the answers to the above will help others in assisting you. Hope we get to the bottom of this issue. I bothers me when others start to lose or lose SPS - having kept them I know just how much time, effort and money we out into it.

Good luck. :worried:

 

[toothman]

Thanks for the detailed response Sahin.

The links are the same as the photos in the second post.
I did add some carbon, bulk reef Roc, last month. I did dip one other coral and not really much came off, looked like a pod or two. Same salt tm.

I think it is related to extra feedings of the tank with pellets but water tests pretty good.
phos .04, nitrate 5, kh 7-8, ca 420, mg 1250, k 400,

I do dose zeofood twice a week to keep nitrate down, as well as bac, amino, coral vitalizer.
I also think carbon dosing can cause recession, but I really can not figure any other way to keep nitrate down and it helps phos also.

I try to change 10 gals/day.

I do test kh and ca in new salt water and buffer usually up.

 

[sahin]

Take out the BRS Rox carbon. That stuff is extremely efficient. It could be the cause. See how things do for a week or two. If it continues stop the Zeofood and the bac and the others too because that is a form of carbon dosing. If after stopping both of those things don't turn around, then I honestly am not sure what is wrong.

Hopefully someone else can think of something?

 

[fishguy597]

I remember about a year ago people having problems with the rox. They took it out and had good results. I have never used it because of the problems I read about.

Theirs something you don't know about me. I smoke rox...

 

[toothman]

I also really thought it might be the roc carbon. But I know a lot of reefers use carbon. It really does polish the water in a day. I am also sure the carbon dosing is not great either but i really do not know another way to keep nitrates down. Other than massive water changes and minimal feeding. My past experience is that many reefers under feed their tanks, in my tank it seems the more I feed the more the coral grows. With out getting carried away.

 

[sahin]

How much Rox did you use, and what is your total water volume?

Is it active use (ie reactor) or passive use?

Its 4.30am here in the UK. I got Flu really bad, got a headache etc and cant sleep... :uzi:

 

[sahin]

Are you using TM Bio Actif Salt by any chance?

 

[avangeline]

Take out the BRS Rox carbon. That stuff is extremely efficient.

 

[avangeline]

Take out the BRS Rox carbon. That stuff is extremely efficient.