Is my SPS dying?

ssick92

ssick92

New member
Hey everyone,

So I have a 30g mixed reef with lots of zoas, LPS, and a couple SPS as well. One of my SPS is starting to have trouble and turning white + showing skeleton. Is this STN, RTN, or bleaching? My LPS and Zoas are showing great color and growth, as is my other SPS, but this one is having trouble...

I added it about 2 weeks ago to the DT without quarantining however I did do a freshwater dip before adding to DT.

For lighting I am using a 5 Bulb T5 about 8" above waters surface. Could it be too much light? Too little light? Bad bulbs (they are about 1 year old)?

My parameters are as follows:
Temp: 78
Salinity: 1.026
Alk: 9.3
Calcium: 455
Magnesium: 1250 (I haven't ever dosed for Mg)
Phosphate: ELOS Test reads 0 but I still got some algae on only 1 rock... (Rock on far right)
Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate: 0
pH: 8.2


SPS+Decay+Close.jpg


SPS+decay+Far.jpg


FTS so you can get an idea on location:
FTS+10-18.jpg
 
SPotter said:
Was there anything leaning up against it or nearby that could be stinging it?
Click to expand...

The only thing nearby is that Hollywood Stunner Chalice but the current is usually blowing the other direction so they are carried away from the SPS. Also, the closest part to the Stunner has no issues, so I doubt it is getting stung... I guess it is slightly leaning up against the LR but I didn't think that would be a real issue...
 
Chalice tentacles extend really far sometimes.
The Birdnest looks like it was eaten alive.

There's no signs of RTN or STN so +1 on it being stung.
 
Is that a black blenny in the upper left corner? If so, he might be the culprit. Mine has started a liking for sps and did the same thing to my birds of paradise. Watch him and see if he is picking at it.
 
doosiec said:
Chalice tentacles extend really far sometimes.
The Birdnest looks like it was eaten alive.

There's no signs of RTN or STN so +1 on it being stung.
Click to expand...

But the branch that has been "stung" or "eaten" is in the back, farthest away from the chalice. If it were being stung, wouldn't all the branches, or at least the closest ones, be stung also?

Also, what are the signs of RTN and STN, for future reference?

chrislPa said:
Is that a black blenny in the upper left corner? If so, he might be the culprit. Mine has started a liking for sps and did the same thing to my birds of paradise. Watch him and see if he is picking at it.
Click to expand...

Ya that is my Starry Blenny. I have never had him pick at any coral and I've had him for about a year. I do have an emerald crab that is really hard to keep tabs on though. Do emeralds like SPS? I was under the impression that they liked softies and zoas better, though I haven't seen him picking on any coral either.

I'm putting money on the Emerald. That area of the coral is just close enough to the rock where he would be able to reach it to eat it, which explains why that is the only area without tissue.
 
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Word to the wise. Just keep an eye on the blenny. If you do a google search for it you will see all of the posts where people have had them for awhile and suddenly they developed a taste for sps. For what its worth that is exactly what my BOP looked like and I have no emeralds.
 
I had a blenny that liked to sit on my sps like a perch. The sps didnt like that so out came the blenny.
 
Ya, I have actually been trying to catch the Blenny for a couple days now. I think he has overgrown my tank and needs to go and switch him for a Tailspot or Lawnmower Blenny. FWIW, I have never seen my Starry Blenny perch in that area, but sounds like he is probably the culprit.

Thanks guys for helping troubleshoot

Any tips on catching him without taking all the rocks out and stressing out all the other fish? I tried the bottle fish trap, and caught basically every fish except the Blenny. Whenever he is out and about and I try my hardest to sneak over with a net he spazzes and retreats under the rocks where I can't get him.
 
ssick92 said:
Ya, I have actually been trying to catch the Blenny for a couple days now. I think he has overgrown my tank and needs to go and switch him for a Tailspot or Lawnmower Blenny. FWIW, I have never seen my Starry Blenny perch in that area, but sounds like he is probably the culprit.

Thanks guys for helping troubleshoot

Any tips on catching him without taking all the rocks out and stressing out all the other fish? I tried the bottle fish trap, and caught basically every fish except the Blenny. Whenever he is out and about and I try my hardest to sneak over with a net he spazzes and retreats under the rocks where I can't get him.
Click to expand...


I wish I new I am unable to get mine out either.
 
ssick92 said:
Also, will the SPS grow back as long as the midnight snack was only a 1-time deal?
Click to expand...

Yes, but if it starts growing algae I would frag that piece off. I would keep a very close eye on it to make sure it isn't getting worse. Also, make sure you keep your parameters stable.
 
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chrislPa said:
Also, make sure you keep your parameters stable.
Click to expand...

The only thing that fluctuates is my temp. I don't have a chiller so at night with a fan on my sump it gets to about 77, then at the end of day/light cycle it is around 80-81.

Is that too much fluctuation? If so, how would I regulate it better without a controller + chiller?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
Well, I found the culprit. Turns out it was the emerald crab. I walk up to my tank in pitch black, turn on a flashlight, and who do in see in the middle of my birdsnest? My only damn emerald crab. He was quick to get under the rocks though so I couldn't grab him...

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
 
I just grabed mine with my hand. He was large and went into defence mode. I just let him pinch my finger and pulled him out. If there are lots of nooks and crannies use a tool to guide him to an open spot and just grab him and sump him
 
Well I successfully removed the midnight marauder. I snuck in with the lights off again and just shined a flashlight on him. He was in the nest again so I just removed the nest from the tank quickly and he had nowhere to go but into the sump and back to the LFS.

Looks like my SPS are safe! For now...
 
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