I am at a loss with SPS corals. Please help.

Couple things to look at.
the 8.5 seems high, I would recalibrate the probe to make sure.

When I lived up north (Michigan) I had problems in the winter with O2 content. I wouldn't open the doors and windows for 5 to 6 months producing an elevated CO2 content which the skimmer injected into the water. This also went hand in hand with lower PH (This is why you might want to recalibrate).

To solve the problem I was having, I ran one of the skimmer air tubes outside. PH raised almost instantly. I could watch the probe go from 7.8 to 8.2 over the course of an hour.
I've been in NC over the past 2 winters and havnt had the same issues. I have the extra long tube ready to go, just in case.

Might be something to look at.
 
I am having the same issue with SPS. I was going to post a new thread in regards to it and found yours. Also, my system is much newer than yours.

Anyways some of my SPS are doing great while others are dying or doing bad. I would consider my system "high end" as well. My parameters are listed below and are stable. I test my Salinity (Digital Hanna Refractometer, calibrated) and Alkalinity (digital Hanna Checker) daily. My salinity is rock solid at 35ppt and Alkalinity fluctuates between 168-171ppm. The rest of my parameters are tested weekly. Everything is as stable as stable can be.

For nutrient export I use macro algae. I have several (15+) types of macro in my display and also have various macros in my fuge. The fuge is on a opposite light cycle from my display to help with PH swings. I did use GFO for a while but didnt really find it too effective.

My reef is mixed with zoa's, paly's, a couple lps, a couple softies and mostly SPS. To help combat warfare I use TLF Hydrocarbon and change it out monthly. The carbon is in a BRS reactor.

Some SPS have great PE, some none. Since starting the tank I have lost a birdsnest (very slowly started to fade in color until it had nothing left) and a loripes (RTN, pretty much happened overnight). I dip all my corals and have never seen any sign of pests.

From what I have read most people say to wait 6 months before doing SPS because the system is not stable yet. Well my parameters have been stable for months now and I am very diligent with my husbandry. So what is this stability or maturity that is being referred to? I guess our systems are just too new but only time will tell.
 
I had a similar problem and it was greyish bugs. Similar to red bugs, but nearly impossible to see on many corals. I finally saw a few on a paled out acro. It (they) appeared as just a faint dot and did not noticeably move - unlike the redbugs. When I dipped this coral I was both amazed and disgusted what happened. I dipped for four hours in Interceptor with revive for the last half hour. The acro looked trashed, (even worse) after the dip when I rinsed it and returned it to the tank. Here's the scary, disgusting part, after the dip I kept seeing more and more darker grey black dots/bugs just above every polyp like they were coming out of every polyp. I think, that this pest lives mainly (colonizes the) inside of the polyps and utilizes food the coral captures, in turn it slowly starves the coral and it causes it to pale and decline. The other scary part, is purple haze monti, and neon green birds nest also were paled and had this pest when dipped, although not as pale/bad as the acros, but defineitley impacted. I am still dealing with this nightmare, but you may try an interceptor or an ivermectin dip on a few pale corals and watch real close for grey/black bugs during and after the dip.

If and when you do see one externally, you can blast and blast with a turkey baster, they don't really budge easily, but once off there is a tiny white spot in the coral flesh - perfectly round and smaller than an AEFW bite mark.
 
The ones not looking good you might want to relocate one of them to see if it helps.

Sometimes the critter just might not be happy with the way the flow is getting to him.

Joe
 
Did anything change shortly before this started?

Are the corals that are dying typically in one area of the tank e.g. middle, sides, etc.

Close up pics would be good, or take one out and use magnifying glass to inspect for pests.

Any new fish? Angels, Clown Goby.

PH seems a little on the high side.

Redbugs would not eat monti caps, but Monti nudibranches love them.

Could be multiple pests, but probably not.
 
Dave71 said:
Did anything change shortly before this started?

Are the corals that are dying typically in one area of the tank e.g. middle, sides, etc.

Close up pics would be good, or take one out and use magnifying glass to inspect for pests.

Any new fish? Angels, Clown Goby.

PH seems a little on the high side.

Redbugs would not eat monti caps, but Monti nudibranches love them.

Could be multiple pests, but probably not.
Click to expand...


Only new fish is a large Naso Tang. No major changes that I am aware of besides starting the Special Blend when the Cyano hit. Corals all over the tank are dying. I have to get some Interceptor and will dip and inspect with a magnifying glass.

Joe-dejesus: I have moved corals everywhere.

chuckreef: Thanks for scaring the poop out of me. I have only added stuff from 3 different people and their reefs are insanely healthy and well established.

Reefsnob, I will recalibrate probes tonight.
 
Bigsink,

Read about page 20. Same orange Monti? Same symptoms?
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/3/corals

---> I am experiencing now after thinking I was pest free.
Well, what I was was free of was the three pests I know a lot about (AEFW, RedBugs, and monti Nudi's).
Fortunately, but sometimes unfortunately, there is always more to learn in this hobby. In a closed system, a single parasite may take ten years (seven in my case) to reach plague levels and manifest as a noticeable problem. One may think all is fine, I'm pest free, for many of those years.

Of course, I can't say this is your problem for certain. But I have experience, and that experience gives me a hunch, here

You might dip and look and see if a few dipped corals recover after a dip.


http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/3/corals
 
You running a GFI? Ground Probe? I ran into the same problem a few years back on my 500g system. I had a heater that went bad and was dumping electricity into the tank.
 
I do not run a grounding probe. However, I am not running any heaters. I will get a grounding probe if needed. Did you feel current when you put your hand in the tank?
 
You can test for stray current with a voltage detector. I can loan you one if you don't have one.
 
Yes I would feel it if I had cuts on my fingers, and once I accidentally grounded myself to my pendant with my elbow while pulling my arm out of the tank and well..that wasn't pretty.. haha.
 
I used to have some stray current from a powerhead....I would also feel it when I put my hand in the tank if I had any cuts on my hands. I never noticed any effect on the corals in my situation. It may depend on the coral or how bad the voltage leak is. I have a feeling this is not yor problem if you haven't felt it, but it can't hurt to check. I can give you the voltage detector tomorrow when you pickup your other goodies.
 
LFS did not have the fluids. I will try some more tomorrow. However, I did dip two dieing pieces in Revive and Tropic Marin Cure dip and found nothing out of the ordinary. I also basted a few pieces and found no sign of pests coming flying off.
 
cdamiano said:
I used to have some stray current from a powerhead....I would also feel it when I put my hand in the tank if I had any cuts on my hands. I never noticed any effect on the corals in my situation. It may depend on the coral or how bad the voltage leak is. I have a feeling this is not yor problem if you haven't felt it, but it can't hurt to check.
Click to expand...
x2

I've seen stray current affect fishes but never corals.................
 
Well, I finally recalibrated my pH probe. It was way off. My max pH is really 8.2. I will have to wait until tomorrow AM to see it at its lowest. Probably be around 8.0. I still do not believe that this is the root of my problems. I have dipped a few more corals that are doing poorly in TMPCC and really have not found anything out of the ordinary. Maybe on thing that may have been an AEFW, but I need to get my hands on a baster and a magnifying glass.
 
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