Help please: Corals not looking so hot

[lauremf2002]

I dont know whats going on. At first I thought the bleaching was just from shade because it was on bottom/underside of birdsnest and pocillipora but now the bleaching is spreading up my pocillipora and it looks like some of the flesh is hanging off :uhoh2:. I have been replacing my lights over the last month or two and have had a cyano breakout. I tried to siphon off as much algae as I could when I did a 20% water change a couple of days ago and changed all the filters. My toadstool is not looking hot either. I thought he was having a rest/growth cycle but he is starting to look more and more puddle ish. My params are as follows:

Mag 1230
Calc 360
Alk 9
ph 8.3 ish test not that great
phos 0 ish test also not great
nitrate 5-10

I know these arent great, Im pregnant and things have not been done like they should but this cant be bad enough to kill the coral can it? And where is the cyano coming from? I have cut back feeding, should I cut back the lights as well?

PS my tank is still overrun with aiptasia but I have filefish now and am patiently awaiting the day he eats it all.

 

[Lytehouse]

Ok, before someone goes overboard, your params could be better
nitrates are high, mag and calc a little low

As for the corals, I would be most interested in the bulbs you changed-- if all else is the same, no temp or alk swings.

If your old bulf(s) were really old and had lost par, then the new ones would be like standing outside and having the sun come out from behind the cloud. Toadies shrink, lps recede, sps rtn/stn loose their flesh. Once it starts, it thats what it is, you have to start fragging of the death quickly away from the live parts. Then either shade your tank or cut back on lighting cycle.

Any close up pics of corals would help

best of luck

 

[bobkill]

I am with lytehouse- you prob will have to frag it to save what u can and get those nitrats lower- good luck

 

[lauremf2002]

thanks, I added the lights one bulb at a time every 2 weeks (four total) and the old ones were really old. Im going to do another 20% water change and cut back on lighting for a while. Every other coral is looking fine except the birdsnests, poci and toadstool. the pocillipora is looking the worst. One whole finger is bleached/shedding. Should I cut that part off? Ill try and take some pics but I have to locate my camera =)

 

[lauremf2002]

I should have my mag and calc back in line by the end of the week

 

[bobkill]

The calc/nag is prob not the problem - I would cut off the dead part of the sps - I have only be doing sps for 4 months but I am way more willing to frag the dead off then risk loosing the whole colony the softy will prob bouncy back way eraser than the sps - u should through this into the sps Foroum as well- what kind of lighting and how long cycle ? goodluck - stay destressed ! We have all been there

 

[Lytehouse]

thanks, I added the lights one bulb at a time every 2 weeks (four total) and the old ones were really old. Im going to do another 20% water change and cut back on lighting for a while. Every other coral is looking fine except the birdsnests, poci and toadstool. the pocillipora is looking the worst. One whole finger is bleached/shedding. Should I cut that part off? Ill try and take some pics but I have to locate my camera =)

Well, that was certainly more than cautious with the bulb change. I probably wouldn't have had that kind of patience.


The next thing I would look at is the mag. I've noticed when that is low I have trouble.

good luck

 

[KatieandWill]

The same thing happened to us. We later found that there was an electric current going through the tank. I'm not sure if that's what it was, but we got it all fixed and got a grounding probe and everything is doing much better now. It might be worth checking it out.

 

[Lytehouse]

One whole finger is bleached/shedding. Should I cut that part off? Ill try and take some pics but I have to locate my camera =)

L,

have you fragged off yet.

How are things looking today.

I can't help but feel we are missing something

 

[lauremf2002]

just got home and will be fragging and adding mag. with the storms yesterday, I got nothing done =(

 

[lauremf2002]

pictures

pictures

Here are some shots of the die off.

<a href="http://s972.photobucket.com/albums/ae208/lauremf2002/?action=view&current=fishypictures074.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/ae208/lauremf2002/fishypictures074.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
I dont really know where to frag it since its on the bottom. They arent big to begin with

 

[lauremf2002]

o yeah I just retested my mag and I think we have the culprit. I must have done it wrong the other day because after two tests I had 1100. And that was after adding 100g of epsom salt. I have been adding 100grams of epsom with a 1/2 gallon of rodi water every few hours and things are already starting to look better. The toadstool is trying to polyp out and as you can see in the pic of the pocillipora above, Ive got some extension from that as well. Hopefully things will continue to improve as I bring up that magnesium. Do I still need to cut of the dead part? will it not just encrust over that as it gets better?

 

[Lytehouse]

L,

You have to watch it closely.
Find a point on each coral you can eyeball and tell where the death and life are different. If it continues to die off, you have to cut away the death.

If, instead, it stops you can watch it re grow

Glad you found the problem

 

[lauremf2002]

Thanks lynn!

 

[lauremf2002]

Got my mag up. Now Im working on the calc. Things are already doing much better though. Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[Lytehouse]

Has the sps stopped shedding flesh?

 

[lauremf2002]

Yes, I now have my calc up too, I think Im in the clear. Two monti's I thought were dead are even coming back! I cant believe I let my mag get that low... Im going to get on top of the water changes too. Now I just need to get this cotton candy algae under control. I have sort of let the tank get away from me. I killed alot of aiptasia with Aiptasia X. Its looking much better.

 

[lauremf2002]

Toadstool is completely recovered now, no more receding on the poci or birdsnest, and 2 of the 3 Monti's that I thought I killed long ago are starting to re-encrust! I added a 1050 gph Koralia and another 400gph pump in my sump (I had plumbing for 2 but was only using 1), 2 emerald crabs and 3 more peppermint shrimp (total of 6 peppermint now) and my file fish has started pecking at the aiptasia. Im hoping to be algae/aiptasia free in a few months. Yay!