Frogspawn rapidly dying

[aleok]

Hello,

My huge 40+ head, 8-9 year old frogspawn is suddenly not happy. It started with 1 head turning bright kinda neon white (like bleaching), then all the tissue receded within 3 days. About 10-12 days ago.
It seems to be spreading to other nearby but not next to heads. Some are changing color and some have lost tissue. I don't see any parasites, nor brown algae. Water is good and everything else in the tank is fine. I turned down my lights a little but it doesn't seem to matter.

Any ideas?

 

[Sk8r]

Not near another euphyllia? Not near bubble? --- I'd frag off the bad heads and pay close attention to calcium-mg. Have you adjusted lights before this started? And have you accidentally, say, dropped some salt creep in on this specimen?

My experience with frog is that if you can collect a popped head (which may happen, given its distress) and can dispose it safely in the tank in a shallow glass sauce-dish, with good lighting, it can regrow skeleton, as old skeleton can break forth in new heads. It can get quarrelsome with euphyllias and suffer for it. WHat you describe is something I never had happen, but a ninja enemy coral can be one cause, and the other is something falling in on it or, worst case, start of a disease. You might try a preparation like Brightwell (I think) coral amino preparation, but I can't swear it would be effective here.

 

[aleok]

Thanks for the reply,

I took more pictures last night. Seems like the problem is spreading quickly to a lot of the heads. If I go start cutting off heads, I think at this points it'd be a significant amount, right in the middle. It might be more effective to cut off the good areas and get them away. But I wouldn't want to do that if it can be save all together.

I'll try that amino acid supplement, but I'm afraid the whole thing will be dead before I get it in.

It's shares a large rock with 2 large hammers. They've always gotten along and I never see any fighting.

I haven't adjusted the lights in over a year.

 

[Uncle99]

Reminds me of a chemical warfare, is that possible,,what’s that coral in front of it in the last pic, seems the damage started from there..is that a favia......it would sting the crap out of the E......also....the green coral.........what’s that.

I would separate these guys if I think attack.

8-9 year old corals are super resistant, and if you kept it that long, you know what your doing.

Running carbon, if not, do this.
Parameters on point? Can you share these numbers?

 

[Timfish]

Looks to me like something has altered their photobiology and suddenly made them sensitive to light with the polyps closest to the lights being the most affected. This could be caused by stripping out all the phosphate, or dosing nitrates (or amino acids) that create an unhealthy N/P ratio or carbon dosing (sugars can cause bleaching) Posting your parameters would help.

 

[blowmecius]

X2 on the Favia stinging it. Look for sweeper tenticles at night.

 

[xtremeyolks]

I'd cut the bad part off to try and save the rest

 

[RioReefr]

I had something similar to my 35+ head Euphyllia Hammer Coral. Some of the heads started retreating, then losing tissue. It happened suddenly with no good reason. Nothing changed in the tank with parameters.

This is my advice, act quickly. Cut off the good ones and relocate to another part of the tank. I had started dosing with Seachem/Aquavitro Amino Fuel. After this, I have never had an issue.

Its a shame, I went from 35 down to about 8-9 very quickly (like 1 week). But, then they have rebounded and probably back up to 15 heads.

(I am a big believer in feeding corals now -- Reef Roids, Phytoplankton, Amino Acids NOW).

I had spoken to many "experts" on the subject and no one has a good explanation. Lots of theories -- parasites, too strong flow, water parameters, bla, bla,....but anectdotally experience I think it was missing nutrition.