Help!!!

[treesmoker]

It seems to be one thing after the other. I just had a couple sps frags RTN on me and the larger colonies arent looking to good either. They're losing tissue from the tips. All my parameters are good except ph is a little high 8.6-7. Any ideas?

 

[northbay-reefer]

PH is high? hmmm double check your alk, your test kits might be bad. Corals burning at the tips tend to point to alk swing. Have you add anything else lately like mag? High level of mag also cause burned tips.

 

[treesmoker]

ya....I just raised my mag up to get rid of the bryopsis problem i was having.

 

[Reef Bass]

Alk swing comes to mind, as does low mag. But low mag seems unlikely given what you say. also, to battle bryopsis, go with a mag chloride supplement versus mag sulfate.

I'm wondering what could drive your pH up like that. I know Shane would say Randy recipe 1, but that hasn't been a problem for me.

If I were going to be around tomorrow I'd say stop by with some water and we'll test it, but I'm not. my client has me very busy.

 

[Grant W]

Jake if those were the colonies from that recent purchase they could be stressed from all the recent changes and being moved, etc.

 

[Reef Bass]

Yup.

I'll be around Friday if you want to bring a water sample by.

 

[northbay-reefer]

ya....I just raised my mag up to get rid of the bryopsis problem i was having.

Raising mag is the culprit, you should do a water change to dilute it. Is your mag test kit salifert by any chance?

 

[Reef Bass]

My comment would be how high did it go? I've run my mag at 1800 before with no discernable ill effects (except to bryopsis!).

 

[northbay-reefer]

Raising it too fast is just like having an alk swing though.

 

[AMAYEU]

Jake if those were the colonies from that recent purchase they could be stressed from all the recent changes and being moved, etc.

As Grant stated, how long have you had the sps frags and colonies? Were both newly acquired?

If both were new then it could be the move with both parameter change and lighting difference. If the frags have been in your tank for awhile and the colonies are new, then it could be an issue with your current system.

Any recent changes in lighting? Photoperiod, new bulbs, new reflectors, new ballasts?
Other than increasing mag, any new dosing, ie dosing carbon source?
Agree with Ken on the double checking alk and mag. High alk could be the problem.
On Tom's note with the drastic change upward change in mag, what was it before and what is it now. And over what time period.

Doesn't dosing potassium iodine help with burnt tips? I would ask others about this and solve the problem first before this method.

Mike

 

[elensius]

I had a similar scare recently with the tips of certain acros burning AND virtually all of my montipora "looking like they were about to RTN" (none of the montis died (yet), but I did lose one acro frag).

As best as I could tell, all of my parameters were within acceptable ranges (assuming my test kits are accurate, of course).

However, I can't help but remember that I had added fresh batches of carbon and Phosban just before the scare occurred... and thus I am wondering if they might've been involved with the problem for me? (I soaked the mesh baggies containing the carbon and phosban in water before adding them to the tank, just like I always do, but perhaps I didn't soak them long enough to make them "safe" this time?).

Luckily, after 10-12 days, things seem to have returned to normal in my tank, and most of the sick corals appear to be recovering...

Here's to hoping things recover for you too, Jake!

 

[northbay-reefer]

Wo what was the problem Jake?