Tip receding

[Mikenroe]

Hi there, my tank has been up and running for a while now, over a year. I have a green either branching monti or some other coral like that. Sorry really bad with the identification. However I know it's not a acro or birdsnest. However since putting in in, it has been doing great and a few weeks in it started to have its it's I recede from the tips. The tissue has recededed about 1/2 inch down. I originally thought it was new growth but I can see that that is not the case now. I dose 1/2 to 1 tsp nightly of brightwell dry alk powder. I also dose brightwell's liquid calcium in the same ratio. I had weekly red seas coral color system according to the testing results and the recommended levels. I usually add reef roids at 1/4 tsp once a week and feed with Larry's reef frenzy 1 inch cube daily. Is this alk burn? If so should I cut of the burn tips down pass into the tissue and let re growth take over? Need help. Is this the best way to dose alk? I don't have an automatic doser where I can dose multiple times per day. I'm looking to get one though. Thank you for your help.

 

[Pife]

What does your alk and calcium measure? Are you at least mixing the powders with Rodi before you dose?

 

[Mikenroe]

Hi pife! I mix about 1 tsp of the powder in a cup ful of tank water for about thirty seconds. Then I added it to my return in my sump. The water I do use for my tank is ro/di water though that I make myself. I never let my di readings hit 1, except for the first stage and when they get to about 4 I change that one. I use chempure elite in my sump where my display water drains into my first stage of my sump and I have skimmer and my uv in there as well. I change it every other month, even though directions say it will last 3 months. I use Red Sea coral pro salt and do wc every other week to every three weeks of 35 gal.

 

[Pife]

What does your alk and calcium measure?

 

[Mikenroe]

Pife! Your message didn't come through. Just a message with your signature.

 

[Pife]

I quoted what you didn't answer. Do you have treat kids for alkalinity and calcium. If so what are your readings?

 

[Mikenroe]

My alk is between 8 and 9 dkh and calcium is between 420 and 450, magn is about 1350, and sg is 1.025. Temp is 79-80, and it's under but close to a mp 40.

 

[Pife]

Are those numbers stable? How are you measuring them? Just an FYI list all of your parameters when trying to solve problems. Let's hear the rest of your parameters. How new is your tank? How long have you been reef keeping. Post a picture of your system.

 

[Zukari]

This is a real mystery I have been dealing with for the last several months.

It started out as a quick burn - I mean over night I would lose half an inch on a frag and it would stay stable for about a month before withering away.

That was when my Alk was at 11-11.5 and Nitrates at 10-15 PPM and P04 at .01 or lower PPM. I came to the conclusion that alk was too high for such nutrient levels (Not sure how true this was ..)

So I stopped buffering/dosing/messing with ALK at all. I did some water changes with Reef salt from Seachem (Stopped using Salinity) - this got my alk down to 157, which is right at about 8.5, I actually want to get this to a flat 8. It has been stable at 157-160 for 3 months.

So now SPS will live quite healthy like, however I am still having issues - BUT if I am watchful I can keep the corals alive as now the tip burn is literally just a few centimeters off the tip.

At this point I no longer think this to be an alkalinity issue - as it has NOT shifted in months.. and Calc + Mag have also stayed quite stable from my testing (440ish for cal, 1440 for mg)

I think my problem now is I don't feed enough ? Perhaps the water is not nutrient rich enough and so even still I am having tiny amounts of alk burn? What's interesting is some of the corals I have had now for a month are showing new growth out of the burn spots, but I kind of ****ed that guy off when a rock moved and allowed the flow to turn him around. But new growth is a great (and new) sign in this tank for SPS.

My LEDs still seem to be causing some issues with digis and montis, but acros and milis seem to be doing great, I cut the lights back 10% for some new arrivals this weekend.

2 HYDRAS and 1 HYDRA 52

W: 30
uv: 40
V: 70
Red: 60
Green: 60
Blue: 90
RB: 90

I have found with the Hydras that turning the whites up tends to cause issues with about every coral and anemone in the tank - they all lose a lot of color with whites up high. These settings seem to have helped with coloration and now I can keep LPS without issue, thankfully. SPS are still a work in progress but things are better.

 

[Mikenroe]

Pife, as I stated in my original message. My tank is been up and running for over a year now. It actually is more but due to couple times where i needed to tear the tank down, it has now been up and running for over a year. i actually am somewhat new to the hobby, but i originally was in the hobby over 10 years ago and then left for quite some time. Now, over 10 years later, i am coming back into it where a lot has changed. My testing methods include using salifert tests kits that are current. I also use the red sea coral colors test kits to help with trace elements which i add weekly. What do you mean by stable, my levels do not stay consistent at alk: 9, but ranges from 8 to 9, my calcium ranges from 420 to 450, Mg stays pretty consistent between 1350 to 1380. I dose manually every night a 1/2 to 1 tsp of powdered alk by brightwell, and also add liquid cal by bright well at the same ratio. i usually take a cup full of tank water and add the powdered alk and mix for a few seconds, then pour into return area of my sump. I add the cal directly to the tank in a high flow area. I try to do the best i can with keeping levels stable, however that will improve when i have an apex and automatic dosing system hooked up. I do use a ATO auto top off with RO/DI water. My temp is between 79 and 80. Not sure if it is a flow issue as i said i do have the coral just below and about 8 inches away from a mp40.

 

[Mikenroe]

HI Zukari! thanks for your post. I have my hydras my higher than that. My whites are 60 and blues are in the 90. I wonder if i should adjust my whites down a bit. would it be beneficial to cut the tips that are burned back? Thank you Pife and Zukari for your help!

 

[Zukari]

Mikenroe - if the tips have algae growth (Brown or green nastyness over the white skeleton) I would indeed clip them, I would then put some glue on a piece of paper or dish and dip the cut tip in the glue.

Once I do those steps I let the coral sit in some CoralRX (or revive, w/e) for about 4-5 minutes, rinse and toss back in the tank. The algae will harass the coral and cause it to slowly get worse. If the algae growth is not rapid or bad leave it alone, they can re-grow pretty quickly if the dead area is not covered in algae FME.

Be careful when doing this as added stress will not help - and do NOT make the same mistake I did and cut the whites by half in one sitting, as that was a very stupid thing to do. Slow is best.