burnt alk tips, what to do

[codydemmel4]

So I have never had burnt alk tips before, till this weekend when I was gone and my alk jumped from 7.5-9.5. my brother accidentally dosed the wrong thing, I thought it would be no problem but I was wrong.

anyways to the main question, I lowered the alk back to 7.5 just by stopping the dosing pump till this morning.

However, the one tenuis colony has pretty good burnt tips and now it is growing a bit of algae on it. It is almost on every tip so I feel like if I do try to "frag" that tip off it will cause a great deal of stress to the coral.

Is that the only option or can I just let it go and hope it grows back over that algae and recovers the tip?

Thanks!

 

[Piper27]

Let it recover from the stress of the all swing then clip the algae off once the base is growing again or you see signs of it being healthy.

 

[codydemmel4]

Let it recover from the stress of the all swing then clip the algae off once the base is growing again or you see signs of it being healthy.

Thank you. Will the algae affect the other healthy parts of the corals at all or just the tips that were burnt? I had bleaching tips before when I had LED (awhile ago) and that was a simple fix just not sure how these burnt tips compare to that.

Thanks!

 

[WLachnit]

IME, it just affects the area where the algae is growing.

 

[ClownNut]

cut the tips off, it's easier for the coral to recover from the cut then fighting off the algea.

 

[jml1149]

Agree. I had the same thing happen, my alk spiked and tips burnt. I did exactly the same, stopped dosing for a couple of days until alk came back down, then resumed dosing to keep my alk at 8.0. I let things chill before cutting a couple tips off, but the tips I didn't snip are regrowing nicely as well. Albeit slower.

 

[codydemmel4]

IME, it just affects the area where the algae is growing.

cut the tips off, it's easier for the coral to recover from the cut then fighting off the algea.

Agree. I had the same thing happen, my alk spiked and tips burnt. I did exactly the same, stopped dosing for a couple of days until alk came back down, then resumed dosing to keep my alk at 8.0. I let things chill before cutting a couple tips off, but the tips I didn't snip are regrowing nicely as well. Albeit slower.

I appreciate the responses, I just looked at the tank in the dark with a magnify glass and where the tips are burnt and have algae growing on them (i am talking a very small amount) I saw some polyps coming out of the majority of them so as of now I am just going to keep everything stable and let it go for 2-3 weeks. if nothing changes then I will cut them off.

This is a maricultured colony so it is not as easy as just a straight couple tips, it is on its side and almost every tip on the one side is burnt so I am not sure how I would even go about fragging it

 

[codydemmel4]

<a href="http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/codydemmel4/media/new%20180/F4E7E786-8DF9-4D2A-AFE4-85F5D52EF415_zpscfnlvqf9.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah230/codydemmel4/new%20180/F4E7E786-8DF9-4D2A-AFE4-85F5D52EF415_zpscfnlvqf9.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo F4E7E786-8DF9-4D2A-AFE4-85F5D52EF415_zpscfnlvqf9.jpg"/></a>




As always only taking the pictures with the iphone and a filter but this can give you an idea of what I am talking about. Do you guys still think it is alk burn or possible something else?

Should post my levels.

Alk is now 7.5
Calc 420
Mag is 1350
Phosphates is 0.00-0.05
Nitrates is 2-4 I try to keep it there

Lights is Sunpower 8x80w
Flow is 2 gyre 150s and 2 PP15s. Just adjusted my flow to its final spot last night.

 

[WLachnit]

I see what you mean about it being on the side. You're right, can't really cut it off. IME, with something similar on my Acros, I have had mixed success. Perhaps someone else may chime in.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[codydemmel4]

I see what you mean about it being on the side. You're right, can't really cut it off. IME, with something similar on my Acros, I have had mixed success. Perhaps someone else may chime in.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

yeah i am stuck on what to do. If I do just leave it the same, do you guys suggest blowing off the algae multiple times a day or just leave it with the flow it gets from the tank?

 

[Mr.Fishtank]

I wouldn't blow it off. I have tried that in the past and it made it a lot worse. I was trying to do it as gently as possible and the surrounding tissue started blowing off with the algae.

 

[codydemmel4]

I wouldn't blow it off. I have tried that in the past and it made it a lot worse. I was trying to do it as gently as possible and the surrounding tissue started blowing off with the algae.

I havent noticed that when i did it, it was just the algae blowing off but i wont blow it off for a couple days and see how it goes

 

[slavetonet]

Don't worry about it.
I had a swing upwards from 6.7 to 10.2 in like 4 days.
Over corrected it and it went downwards from 10.2 to 5.5 in 3 days.
Then back up to 8.2 and stable now.
All in the space of 2 weeks.
Did my corals die? Nope.. Did they like it? NO they didn't.
Did they brown out a little? Yes indeed.
Story of my sps tank while treating bryosis.

 

[Pife]

It looks to me like you have it placed in different flow then how it was growing previously to you owning it.

 

[Piper27]

Was it on a maricultured base when you got it? Looks like a wild cut to me. IME the best thing to do when your remounting wild or maricultured acros that are fresh or not aclimated to a tank well is mount it exactly how light was hitting it when it was previously growing.. Mounting things sideways sometimes causes them to shut down for a bit before growing again. I really hate it when the people culturing acros in the ocean remount stuff like soli, efflo, or deepwater pieces that table on their sides. It really makes the corals struggle when they go into a tank IME. Sometimes they do OK but other times they are shades in areas where new growth should be happening and they have to struggle to make new branches or growth in odd areas.

 

[codydemmel4]

Was it on a maricultured base when you got it? Looks like a wild cut to me. IME the best thing to do when your remounting wild or maricultured acros that are fresh or not aclimated to a tank well is mount it exactly how light was hitting it when it was previously growing.. Mounting things sideways sometimes causes them to shut down for a bit before growing again. I really hate it when the people culturing acros in the ocean remount stuff like soli, efflo, or deepwater pieces that table on their sides. It really makes the corals struggle when they go into a tank IME. Sometimes they do OK but other times they are shades in areas where new growth should be happening and they have to struggle to make new branches or growth in odd areas.

yes this was a maricultured and I took it off the base and glued it how it was when i got it. It was doing good for a month till I had the alk swing so I am not sure if that had anything to do with it but it definitely is a thought to think about. Would you suggest gluing it straight up next time, or what?

 

[codydemmel4]

It looks to me like you have it placed in different flow then how it was growing previously to you owning it.

it is a maricultured piece so I have no idea how the flow was before, it is getting flow from all directions now as I can see the polyps sway on the mille right next to it that has great PE

 

[Piper27]

It really depends on how it looks when it comes in. If it's encrusted a lot like it's been growing on the farm for a few months it should be fine, especially with the tenuis. But if there isn't much encrusting or new growth and it still looks like it did when they cut it off the reef (kinda rare) I will reposition it.
For what it's worth, I haven't seen the mariculture farms mount any tenuis like that before. Normally they put the base right on the plug and won't pay them down. It could be that it was wild (it looks like an Aussie blue tenuis) and the vendor or wholesaler put it on a plug themselves to make sure it wasn't rolling around the tank while they had it.
If it was on a disk not a cement handmade base it was probably wild. Aqua SD mounts things on disks like that a lot.

 

[codydemmel4]

pictures that show the messed up tips

pictures that show the messed up tips

<a href="http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/codydemmel4/media/new%20180/DBAD083A-302D-475D-BA24-FA65DACAAD0D_zpsmsu0kbj8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah230/codydemmel4/new%20180/DBAD083A-302D-475D-BA24-FA65DACAAD0D_zpsmsu0kbj8.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DBAD083A-302D-475D-BA24-FA65DACAAD0D_zpsmsu0kbj8.jpg"/></a>


<a href="http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/codydemmel4/media/new%20180/AD59DA60-77CA-4EBB-817D-968A4538B529_zpskrgbqani.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah230/codydemmel4/new%20180/AD59DA60-77CA-4EBB-817D-968A4538B529_zpskrgbqani.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo AD59DA60-77CA-4EBB-817D-968A4538B529_zpskrgbqani.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/codydemmel4/media/new%20180/A73C8E4A-0C8B-4DC1-ACD6-9B16CC990573_zpswqqialbe.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah230/codydemmel4/new%20180/A73C8E4A-0C8B-4DC1-ACD6-9B16CC990573_zpswqqialbe.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo A73C8E4A-0C8B-4DC1-ACD6-9B16CC990573_zpswqqialbe.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/codydemmel4/media/new%20180/BA35A9C4-BA3E-467B-829D-685866473A3F_zps53l1wqrf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah230/codydemmel4/new%20180/BA35A9C4-BA3E-467B-829D-685866473A3F_zps53l1wqrf.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo BA35A9C4-BA3E-467B-829D-685866473A3F_zps53l1wqrf.jpg"/></a>
Just look at the tips of this green slimer, completely shows that something is off but I have no idea what it is.

<a href="http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/codydemmel4/media/new%20180/32C7E6CD-DF92-466A-BC99-65FCE4617221_zps63o5uqms.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah230/codydemmel4/new%20180/32C7E6CD-DF92-466A-BC99-65FCE4617221_zps63o5uqms.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 32C7E6CD-DF92-466A-BC99-65FCE4617221_zps63o5uqms.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/codydemmel4/media/new%20180/F2AF9573-C498-462A-B9A3-03FCBA64F919_zps3i96j783.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah230/codydemmel4/new%20180/F2AF9573-C498-462A-B9A3-03FCBA64F919_zps3i96j783.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo F2AF9573-C498-462A-B9A3-03FCBA64F919_zps3i96j783.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/codydemmel4/media/new%20180/7608949B-DF45-41E4-809A-2357FA84F387_zpsnda8s5qx.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah230/codydemmel4/new%20180/7608949B-DF45-41E4-809A-2357FA84F387_zpsnda8s5qx.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 7608949B-DF45-41E4-809A-2357FA84F387_zpsnda8s5qx.jpg"/></a>



What do you guys suggest I do?

I just tested the levels again here is what I got

Alk is 8
Calc is 420
Mag is 1350
Phosphate is 0.00 with hanna
Nitrate is 2

The one thing I really do not get and hopefully this will make things more clear for the experts. It is really only the tips of the affected frags/colonies. The insides branches look perfect and have great PE. I have no fish that will nip at them since I got rid of the angelfish.

Is it possible this is just a really bad alk burn that will take weeks on weeks and I am still seeing the worse of it even though it has been corrected for a couple days now.

 

[abhishek@1985]

To be honest , I would just let it be. Its already stressed with the swings and clipping it now even if you could , would only make matters worse .
Just provide enough flow so as not to let algae settle in and keep it under observation.
Sometimes, doing nothing and keeping the oils and what not from our hands away from the tank helps a lot .

Regards,
Abhishek