Burnt Tenui tips???

[Palting]

This started about a month ago, several weeks after I started 2 part dosing. Before dosing, alk was running about 7dKH. Went up to 8-8.4 after 2 weeks, then I noticed the burnt tips. I assumed it was from the alk swing burning it, so I slowed the dosing down, and now have just stopped it. Alk is back down to a low of 7, and a high of 7.6 after water change, but the tips continue to whiten. Got some crud on the tips now, I assume is oppurtunistic algae. Maybe a disease? Fungus?

I'm pretty proud of this tenui. It's one of the first and also the most robust growing SPS I have. Here's what it look like newly bought:

Here's what it looked like maybe a month or 2 ago:

I'd be loathed to do it,ut if you all think I should get rid of it to avoid contaminating tthe other SPS, I'll do it. Thanks for any help!

 

[preef]

Anything else change? What salt are you using?

How often are you dosing? Are you using dosing pumps and a controller to dose throughout the day? Dumping into the DT can cause alk swings.

I've seen this before. When my tank crashed my tenuis was the first to go and it looked just like that. I never figured out exactly why. I have a few tenuis frags with a few burnt tips but my big colony's are fine. I'm at a loss for why.

 

[Palting]

Thanks for the reply. The only thing that changed before this started happening was the dosing. I have been using Reef Crystals for the last 10 months.

I was manually dosing 15 cc's each into the sump daily. Alk went from about 7dKH to 8.4 dKH after about a month. Then I noticed the white tips. With nothig else changed, I assumed it was the alk rise that caused it. So, I cut back to about 7 cc's a day. Whitening continued, so I stopped dosing altogether just this week. Still getting the white tips slowly progressing over the last 6 weeks or so.

 

[preef]

Well you're doing exactly what I would do. If it keeps progressing you can try cutting off the dead tips. I hate to STN. I hope you get it figured out.

 

[Niven]

Where are you dosing? If you're dosing in your sump, is your return aimed at that sps?

 

[Niven]

Also, you may want to frag a good piece.

 

[preef]

Did you happen to start running GFO or GAC for the first time just before this happened?

 

[noobtothereef]

how old r your lights? After by par went down a few of my sps looked just like that, changed out the 14 month old bulbs and rasied them up and par was back on track and the tips healed. Im not sure if old bulbs lose the "good" light spectrum and overdrive the "bad" light spectrum causing burnt tips, this is just a shot in the dark and an uneducated guess though...

 

[Palting]

Well you're doing exactly what I would do. If it keeps progressing you can try cutting off the dead tips. I hate to STN. I hope you get it figured out.

I plan to do some pruning. I've only recently learned of STN. This may be it.

Where are you dosing? If you're dosing in your sump, is your return aimed at that sps?

The return is split into 4 outlets. Two are in the vicinity but not aimed at any coral.

Also, you may want to frag a good piece.

I will likely do that when I prune the white tips. I just learned about STN. Bummer

Did you happen to start running GFO or GAC for the first time just before this happened?

Been running GFO in a reactor for several months, usually replacing media once a month.

how old r your lights? After by par went down a few of my sps looked just like that, changed out the 14 month old bulbs and rasied them up and par was back on track and the tips healed. Im not sure if old bulbs lose the "good" light spectrum and overdrive the "bad" light spectrum causing burnt tips, this is just a shot in the dark and an uneducated guess though...

I did just change the T5's and the MH with the same types, and that was after this started. Replacing them hasn't stopped it, though.


Thanks for all the replies and help. I think this is slow tissue necrosis, an issue I just now learned of. I always thought there was only RTN. Like RTN, it can eventually spread to other SPS. I am fighting the urge to just junk the whole piece. I'll try pruning, and see about saving a clean frag.