SPS problem!

[dr.big]

Hi

I have been having a huge problem with my SPS lately and i really need help! This hobby is so frustrating sometime. I hope you ca solve my problem because i have been following multiple threads without answers.

Lets try to resumed this: 3 months ago i started having some tips burn on some acros over those months i lost some to rtn. LPS softy are fine (scolys, frogspawn, acans, zoa, leather). Some corals like in the pics look irritated. at the same time i started to have hair algae and cyano!

Here are the parameter:

400 G tank, 60 G sump, 30 G frag tank
1 year old
10 radions 60% (18K)
skimmer JNS shark 7
GAC and GFO stopped 2 weeks ago
salinity 1.025 (refractometer calibrated)
ph:8.05-8.20
Kh: 7.9 Dosing ... Very stable
ca: 430
mg: 1600
po4: 0.00 ( hanna and red sea)
no3: 0.75 ppm (red sea)
dosing amino 16 cc per day
population: 7 tangs, 9 anthias, cooperband, 2 ocelaris, 2 wrasses, 2 blenny, emrald crab, hermits, snails,

these are the options i see
1.pests: i have some afew i blast 2-3 times a week but i am very good at finding bites marks so i am pretty sure it is not that. I have never seen red bugs. I think i have seen black bugs but i am not sure. I doubt it is pests.

2.Lights: i recently lower the lights from 90 % to 60% but i still see progression in tips recession.

3. Low p04. I think it might be the problem so i tried to overfeed but i can't get some P04 it is always 0 on my 2 tests! nitrates fluctuate between 0.75 to 1.5 ppm depending on how much i feed. am i overskimming?? should i try to skim 12hrs/day??

4.heavy metal: It is another option. i don't have tests but i tried polyfilter 2 days ago, i will see what it does. But if the problem is low p04 it is not gonna helps.

So i am having 3 problems, My sps, the hair algae and the cyano wich seems to get better. what is your ideas!?? couple of pics...

 

[dr.big]

a crapy picture of my tank.

 

[dr.big]

i forgot to say that i have an elegance and a clam and both are doing great.

 

[toothman]

red bugs, possibly.

 

[dr.big]

thanks toothman for the reply. I have dip in revive, check with flash light, my wife even caught me with my scuba mask but i have never seen some.

 

[CHSUB]

i had the same list of possible problems w/sps' about 6-8 months ago, after exhausting all other options i changed my leds to MH/t5s 2 months ago and problem solved....sps' growing and coloring up!!!!

 

[dr.big]

My sps were fine 5 months ago. I didn't change my lighting. The only thing i see it is to low nutrient and the leds being harsh on those conditions. CHSUB What were your sps looked like? did you have burnt tips and irritation??

 

[DarkStalker]

is your kh test kit calibrated?
ever tested with a different kit?

 

[dr.big]

is your kh test kit calibrated?
ever tested with a different kit?

I use a hanna checker and i validated it with other tests.

 

[DarkStalker]

weird... the only parameter out is mg, but burning tips is tipycal of high kh...
the po4 can be zero in test because of the cyano consuming it fast, I don't believe in real 0 po4 specially with 7 tangs.

i would try stop dosing kh and keep it in 7, if you think your corals are starving, i wouldn't turn of the skimmer, just take the collector cup out for some time, that way wont take the skimmate and keep a good orp

 

[dr.big]

weird... the only parameter out is mg, but burning tips is tipycal of high kh...
the po4 can be zero in test because of the cyano consuming it fast, I don't believe in real 0 po4 specially with 7 tangs.

i would try stop dosing kh and keep it in 7, if you think your corals are starving, i wouldn't turn of the skimmer, just take the collector cup out for some time, that way wont take the skimmate and keep a good orp

i stoped kh dosing and i turned off 12/24 one of the 2 pumps of the skimmer so the orp won't be affected to much. Will see what happens.

 

[luis bruno]

Look than stars asterisnas, small white stars, no more than 4 mm, I had this problem with them.
, regards

 

[dr.big]

Look than stars asterisnas, small white stars, no more than 4 mm, I had this problem with them.
, regards

I surely have have lot of asterina and when i blow my coral i see some come off but i am not sure if they eat live coral or dead stuff. What have you done to kill them?

 

[ssscuz]

They eat sps, if u have alot then that's your definite problem.
Removed as many as you can. I know someone that has had them for years and is still finding them. If you find a colony doing poorly in particular check for the stars.

Other than that I can only think chemical warfare with the softs and the sps. I would put the carbon back on asap.

 

[dr.big]

They eat sps, if u have alot then that's your definite problem.
Removed as many as you can. I know someone that has had them for years and is still finding them. If you find a colony doing poorly in particular check for the stars.

Other than that I can only think chemical warfare with the softs and the sps. I would put the carbon back on asap.

would asterina eating acros result in burnt tips?? because i have never seen asterina at an acros tip.

The burning always start facing current. is it possible that something in the water column is hurting them?

 

[tdb320reef]

.

.

I have been thinking about this for a few hours. When I get spots like that in the middle of the coral it is usually from another coral. For example a frogspawn lets go babies and they land into a colony and I start to see recession. When I do see that I super glue or cut off the dead branches.

I think I was reading the zeovit guide (not a zeo user just interested) that provides some troubleshooting for its product and it does describe burned tips as an indication of high potassium of K which I believe is same.

"Dosing K-Balance Strong:
Max. 1 ml per 25 gallons every 2 hours. We recommend to start with 0.5 ml per 25
gallons every 2 hours. Pay close attention to your K – level concentrations during that
time. You should stop dosing as soon as 380 mg can be measured. If you notice after
two weeks that the level has dropped again, start dosing again in lower amounts until
desired value is reached. Please DO NOT dose more than 1 ml per 25 gallons every two
hours.
WARNING: Only dose as recommended. This supplement is highly concentrated and
excessive dosing can lead to death (burning) of the growth tips. "

Maybe lay off of the AA for a little while and see if things improve. I had some STN on my millies when I put Fuel on dosing pumps and using the recommend amount. I stopped and so did the STN

 

[dr.big]

I have been thinking about this for a few hours. When I get spots like that in the middle of the coral it is usually from another coral. For example a frogspawn lets go babies and they land into a colony and I start to see recession. When I do see that I super glue or cut off the dead branches.

I think I was reading the zeovit guide (not a zeo user just interested) that provides some troubleshooting for its product and it does describe burned tips as an indication of high potassium of K which I believe is same.

"Dosing K-Balance Strong:
Max. 1 ml per 25 gallons every 2 hours. We recommend to start with 0.5 ml per 25
gallons every 2 hours. Pay close attention to your K "“ level concentrations during that
time. You should stop dosing as soon as 380 mg can be measured. If you notice after
two weeks that the level has dropped again, start dosing again in lower amounts until
desired value is reached. Please DO NOT dose more than 1 ml per 25 gallons every two
hours.
WARNING: Only dose as recommended. This supplement is highly concentrated and
excessive dosing can lead to death (burning) of the growth tips. "

Maybe lay off of the AA for a little while and see if things improve. I had some STN on my millies when I put Fuel on dosing pumps and using the recommend amount. I stopped and so did the STN

I have been dosing k balance occasionnaly and recently i dose red sea AA. Does it have K in it? It says AA and vitamines. Maybe i should look into this... I will try to find a test kit for K.

 

[luis bruno]

I surely have have lot of asterina and when i blow my coral i see some come off but i am not sure if they eat live coral or dead stuff. What have you done to kill them?

Hello
They start eating the foot of the acropora, and eat where they want.
I have a yonquei, granulosa etc.
I realized this last week, I have the window of the room where the aquarium as I have about 50 units of them, waiting to get the shrimp Arlequin,
I leave a picture of the best predator for Asterisnas

http://www.google.es/imgres?q=gamba...bnh=194&tbnw=259&start=0&ndsp=15&tx=166&ty=82

Regards

 

[luis bruno]

Hello
Again I,
I do not understand the parameters in your aquarium, two things
1600 mg--???
Salinity 1025--???
If you can, lowering the No3

Regards

 

[dr.big]

i recently dose tech m for bryopsis so mg got high. it is going down slowly. no3 is 0.75 ppm. I think it is not to much. and like i said, i can't get p04 (hanna and red sea) i think the bryopsis is consuming it to fast.

Hello
Again I,
I do not understand the parameters in your aquarium, two things
1600 mg--???
Salinity 1025--???
If you can, lowering the No3

Regards