Need help - Acro tips dying

[Sensei ClamMan]

I had a acropora that had dying tips, it spread downward very slow and killed the coral, now I have 2 others with the same. The tips turn fuzzy brown, you can tell it's dead underneath, it moves very slow and seems only to affect acro's. All my parameters are dead on, I've been reefkeeping for 15 years without any issues, I haven't added any specimens for at least 6 months. My 400w middle light is 1 year old, my 2 250's are 2 months old. My 2 actinic tubes are 4 months. The tanks is 240 total with heavy skimming and a macroalgea cultivation sump. I have search WWM and Reefcentral and haven't found anything similar. Hope someone knows what this is.

 

[somethingphishy]

double check your alk levels...

 

[Sensei ClamMan]

Just did, KH = 11, Cal 430. Use a Korallin 3002 as well as a Kalk drip for make up, my macroalgae tank is on an inverted light schedule. I have no fluctuations in Alk, pH or Calcium. All params are NSW and I do monthly 25% waterchanges. All other specimens are immaculate other than the affected corals, it'd definatley spreading through the Acros though.

 

[evsalty]

11 is on the high side. I have heard of alk burn issues due to high alk coupled with ULNS and or vodka dosing.

 

[somethingphishy]

I would agree that 11 is on the high side..u might want to slowly let it drop to see if that helps things

 

[Alex T.]

11 dKH isn't natural seawater alkalinity as you suggest. If it's always been that high then maybe an intentionally induced decline over a month to get it to 9 would help out a bit.

Have you recently started carbon dosing or adding vinegar to your Kalkwasser dosing? Did you change your photoperiod or maybe now with the weather getting better maybe you opened a window and pulled up a shade to let more sunlight in?

 

[Justdrew]

Do you run any kind of pellets?

 

[Sensei ClamMan]

Yes, it's been 10 or 11 for years. I'll start lowering it. I did start up bio pellets about 6 months ago and discontinued within about 8 weeks. It would be about the time when my first coral died. No carbon dosing or photoperiod change.

 

[Sensei ClamMan]

Hey Justdrew, you got triplets too?

 

[Spun1_2]

Ive had issues with burnt tips then turning fuzzy brown as well. I have been searching for the answer for quite some time. It doesnt happen on all the sps.. It seems like it happens to one colony while others are thriving. Then after a long recovery it will happen on another colony. I also have a high dkh of 10-11 most of the time. I keep up my alk so that my ph stays over 8.1.

Just wondering what your ph is ClamMan ? I dont carbon dose either. I run gfo and lignite carbon in a reactor. Ive thought that I have added to much gfo before which has stripped the water to quickly and caused this.Other than that I have no other ideas.

 

[Makenna]

Yes, it's been 10 or 11 for years. I'll start lowering it. I did start up bio pellets about 6 months ago and discontinued within about 8 weeks. It would be about the time when my first coral died. No carbon dosing or photoperiod change.

I am willing to bet that it is the Alk at 11 in conjunction with the pellets, which is a source of carbon dosing.

All of these carbon dosing methods from Zeo to pellets and all in between require an Alk that is much closer to NSW, around 7.5-9 at the top end. What you are experiencing is not uncommon with thsi combination.

Now, as to why it is still happening after you removed the pellets, my guess is that it took your SPS that month and half or so to start showing the issue and you are still seeing the impact.

IF you have removed the pellets and dont intend to go back, I woudl still let yoru ALK come down to 9 or so over time. It is much more natural and provides you less risk on the upside.

HTH

 

[Ostentum]

Ive had issues with burnt tips then turning fuzzy brown as well. I have been searching for the answer for quite some time. It doesnt happen on all the sps.. It seems like it happens to one colony while others are thriving. Then after a long recovery it will happen on another colony. I also have a high dkh of 10-11 most of the time. I keep up my alk so that my ph stays over 8.1.

Just wondering what your ph is ClamMan ? I dont carbon dose either. I run gfo and lignite carbon in a reactor. Ive thought that I have added to much gfo before which has stripped the water to quickly and caused this.Other than that I have no other ideas.

You shouldnt have to keep your ALk that high to stay above 8.0. Granted that ph is going to fluctuate during the day, but I would say that you have some other parameter out of wack.

 

[Spun1_2]

I dont understand why 11 is considered so high that it would burn tips? I see that Red Sea Coral Pro salt mixes that mix to 12.2 dkh. Is 11 just high for acro's and other sps?

 

[evsalty]

I dont understand why 11 is considered so high that it would burn tips? I see that Red Sea Coral Pro salt mixes that mix to 12.2 dkh. Is 11 just high for acro's and other sps?

It is not just the 11dkh but that in conjunction with carbon dosing. If you are not carbon dosing (for example vodka sugar etc etc) then your issue is something else more then likely.

 

[Spun1_2]

I am not carbon dosing and I use IO boxed salt that mixes to about 12 kh. Is there any other reasons that the tips become burnt?

 

[Sensei ClamMan]

After removing the biopellet reactor and lowering the Alk to 7.5-8.0. The corals that were suffering improved quite well over about 2 months though, really slow. I bought a Nextreef reactor and gave the biopellets another go. It seemed to have very little effect on the overall cleanliness of the glass and tank. My nitrates and phosphates were always low so i never experienced the cloudy bloom that I've heard from others. From reading 100's of posts there was no doubt that it tumbled correctly, as well the output went strait into my Bubbleking's un-used 2n'd pump port. After about 2 months, it seems that most of my sps are looking mediocre again. (alk @ 7.6). I've overfed the fish population as well, I started feeding the corals 3-4 times per week as recommeded to provide N and P for the bacteria. So all in all I'm off the biopellets again and am not impressed at this time. My main objective here was to have cleaner glass and maybe some better color. Should I try GFO, would that help with the brown glass? I'm also thinking of trying an ATS.

 

[Sensei ClamMan]

Ive had issues with burnt tips then turning fuzzy brown as well. I have been searching for the answer for quite some time. It doesnt happen on all the sps.. It seems like it happens to one colony while others are thriving. Then after a long recovery it will happen on another colony. I also have a high dkh of 10-11 most of the time. I keep up my alk so that my ph stays over 8.1.

Just wondering what your ph is ClamMan ? I dont carbon dose either. I run gfo and lignite carbon in a reactor. Ive thought that I have added to much gfo before which has stripped the water to quickly and caused this.Other than that I have no other ideas.

sorry for the delay, pH was at 8.2. Tissue loss was really affecting one coral at a time but stopped when I pulled the biopellets. Have you had an improvement since?