LPS Corals Receding - NEED HELP PLEASE (pics)

[Patrick Cox]

I tried posting this in the LPS forum but got no response so am trying here. I am finishing a new build and preparing to transfer some corals from my old tank to my new tank and now some of my LPS corals don't look that great. The polyp extension is very minimal and the skeleton seemed to be hardening on my Frogspawn. I tested my alk and it was very low. I then began to drip some reef builder (Seachem) to raise my alk and now alk is in a better range. (Alk was around 4-4.5 dKH maybe 3 days ago and now I am up to around 9.5 dKH.) Calcium was around 400 and Mag around 1600.

I think the reason the alk dropped is because I removed all of my live rock because I had aiptasia and flatworms that I was trying to kill. So all of my corals are just on eggcrate racks. I was handling biological filtration with some bio balls that I put in the sump about one month ago to seed in anticipation of removing the rock.

I can't tell if the corals are improving or simply holding their ground so I would appreciate input/thoughts on how to proceed and what you see in these pictures.

I should also say that I have one acropora that seems to be hardening and one montipora that is turning white so none of my hard corals look good. My zoanthids and my BTA look fine.

Also, should I just go head an move these corals to my new tank? I believe the tank is now cycled and I have been "cooking" my pukani rock for about 2 months.

Thanks for your help!

Frogspawn

Frogspawn

Elegance

Here is what both corals used to look like...

 

[Patrick Cox]

OK, I just took new water readings. Here they are...

Salinity - 1.025
PH - 7.8 (Salifert)
Alk - 8.3 dKH (Salifert)
Calcium - 480 (Salifert)
Magnessium - 1560 (Red Sea)

These all seem to be good to me now except maybe Calcium is now a little high. I assume this is from the Reef Builder dosing but not sure.

I will do a small water change today and keep watching. Any other suggestions? Again, should I transfer to my new, larger tank with rock?

Thanks!

 

[ReeferBatman]

Lighting between old and new tank difference?

Possible light in new tank is too intense...

 

[Patrick Cox]

Lighting between old and new tank difference?

Possible light in new tank is too intense...

Hi, thanks for your reply. I didn't know if anyone was out there! :wave:

To answer your question, yes and no. Yes, my new tank will have an ATI 6-bulb fixture and my current tank has a 4-bulb T5 fixture that does not put out as much light as the ATI. However, my ATI is being repaired so I could move my old light to my new tank for awhile - meaning the lighting would be the same. Both tanks are 36" long. In fact, this is what I was thinking of doing.

Corals seem to be holding stable today. I am just waiting to see some more polyp extension. And I am not sure what to look for in the frogspawn branches to tell what is happening?

Thanks again for your reply! Any other suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[reefgeezer]

Were the bioballs cycled? Have you checked ammonia?

 

[Patrick Cox]

Were the bioballs cycled? Have you checked ammonia?

Hi, thanks. Yes, the bioballs were in the sump for a few weeks before I removed the live rock. I have had an ammonia warning card in the tank and it has been fine. I have also tested for ammonia and nitrite and both are zero. Nitrate is also zero.

I am convinced that this was caused by a very low alk level and now that I have the alk under control, the question is whether or not there was any permanent damage and also, is there anything I can do to bring my corals back to full health?

Thanks!

 

[Patrick Cox]

Just had a thought...Could this be feeding related? I have not been feeding my corals and I wonder if the change from rock to eggcrate racks has reduced the available food for the corals? I never used to feed them (well, occasionally I did), but I thought they got most of their nourishment from the lights, but I wonder if that changes with no rock in the system?

 

[organism]

Low alkalinity is usually a big factor with issues like skin peeling on LPS, also if you're not measuring your salinity with a refractometer calibrated with refractometer fluid then you may have salinity issues that can cause similar problems.

On another note that might be making the issue worse, if you didn't turn off your pumps to take that frogspawn picture then it is getting way too little water movement. It will for sure die if you don't get it more flow asap, that thing needs to be "swaying in the breeze" so to speak.

 

[organism]

Low alkalinity is usually a big factor with issues like skin peeling on LPS, also if you're not measuring your salinity with a refractometer calibrated with refractometer fluid then you may have salinity issues that can cause similar problems.

On another note that might be making the issue worse, if you didn't turn off your pumps to take that frogspawn picture then it is getting way too little water movement. It will for sure die if you don't get it more flow asap, that thing needs to be "swaying in the breeze" so to speak.

 

[Patrick Cox]

Low alkalinity is usually a big factor with issues like skin peeling on LPS, also if you're not measuring your salinity with a refractometer calibrated with refractometer fluid then you may have salinity issues that can cause similar problems.

On another note that might be making the issue worse, if you didn't turn off your pumps to take that frogspawn picture then it is getting way too little water movement. It will for sure die if you don't get it more flow asap, that thing needs to be "swaying in the breeze" so to speak.

Thanks for your reply!! I certainly did have low alkalinity but I have brought it back to a normal range and I am testing daily to maintain this range. Is the damage that can be caused by low alk reversable? My corals still look about the same as they did in the pictures above.

On salinity, I have used a hydrometer in the past to measure salinity but I just bought a refractometer for more accurate readings. I have been in the 1.026 range with they hydrometer. Is this OK?

You also remind me of a good point. I did have two MP10s in is tank but I moved one to my new tank I am starting up and simply turned up the output of my single MP10 in my old tank. I wonder if this is contributing as well? Maybe I need to add a powerhead back to this tank until I am ready to transfer my corals?

Finally, could feeding be an issue?

Thanks again!