I've recently run into a problem with my 90 gallon mixed tank. It's been up for a couple of years and things really seemed to be going well until a few weeks ago. I first noticed my red planet frag was starting to lose tissue at the base. I kept watching it to see if if was moving up and eventually figured out it was. I tried to frag off the bad part, but it's pretty much gone now with a slight hope of a hold out area recovering. During that time I've had several montipora frags start to lose tissue. They are mostly the fancy encrusting type (superman, aquaman, ect) All of my lps and zoas seem fine. I also have some acro frags that appear to be doing well. These montipora frags had been doing well and some were growing fairly rapidly. I use an algae turf scrubber since I have a heavily stocked tank and it keeps my nitrate and phosphate really low. Use the red sea kit and Nitrate has been around .25 every time I've test it for a few months. Almost no water changes the past few months. I use doers to keep the Cal and Alk stable. Nothing has been changed on my tank and nothing new introduced lately so I'm thinking I might be looking at a trace element issue. I used the salifert kit to test K and it was one drop off of the scale which stopped at 250. I've started dosing that to get it back up to 400. I also did a 10 gallon water change and plan to do a couple of more. I also turned off the algae scrubber for a couple of days and fed heavily to get my nitrates up to around 5. I've been thinking about trying to keep them close to that rather than the .25 mark.
I think the raised nitrates and increase in K has started to turn things around, but I can't be sure. The tissue loss seems to have stopped and I think some of the montis are starting to look a little better. Does it sound possible that really low trace elements such as potassium or super low nitrates could have been the problem? One other strange tidbit is that a jfox sunset stylo and pink stylo I had were doing awesome and showing great polyp extension the whole time when some of the others started having issues. Now that I have raised the nitrates and started raising potassium, they are keeping their polyps retracted. Hopefully they come back soon.
Looking for any thoughts/experience on whether or not I'm on the right path. Trying to salvage most of the affected frags without messing with things too much.
90 Gallon
Salinity 1.026
Nitrate: Currently around 5 (previously .25)
Alk: 8.5
Calcium:440
Mag: 1400
Temp: 78
Lights: 2 Radion xr15w G4 pro on SPS AB+ profile 55% intensity
I think the raised nitrates and increase in K has started to turn things around, but I can't be sure. The tissue loss seems to have stopped and I think some of the montis are starting to look a little better. Does it sound possible that really low trace elements such as potassium or super low nitrates could have been the problem? One other strange tidbit is that a jfox sunset stylo and pink stylo I had were doing awesome and showing great polyp extension the whole time when some of the others started having issues. Now that I have raised the nitrates and started raising potassium, they are keeping their polyps retracted. Hopefully they come back soon.
Looking for any thoughts/experience on whether or not I'm on the right path. Trying to salvage most of the affected frags without messing with things too much.
90 Gallon
Salinity 1.026
Nitrate: Currently around 5 (previously .25)
Alk: 8.5
Calcium:440
Mag: 1400
Temp: 78
Lights: 2 Radion xr15w G4 pro on SPS AB+ profile 55% intensity
