White tips on sps corals.

[PotRoast]

This may sound like a dumb question but stick with me, I'm a newb.

I've noticed recently that some of my sps coral has developed bare white tips. Part of me thinks that the tissue wore away, while the other part actually thinks the coral might be growing and white tips are a sign of that?

I have only had these corals a few weeks and I have never experienced new growth....so I really don't know what to look for.

I don't have any pics because they all turn out like crap. I can tell you the coral most noticable that are doing this are the green digita and the puple cap monty. seem to show the whitest tips. But it is evident on most of my sps.


The only thing I have really done that is questionable was add Tropic Marin bio calcium. I added it to get my calcium up. I added a lot of it, but not more than recommended. I did not exceed the max daily dose, and I only dosed one day. However I mixed the powder in a five gallon bucket of saltwater, and then poured the solution into my sump over a 12 hour period. During this time my tank was super cloudy and some of the bio-calc came out of solution and settled on the bottom of my bare bottom tank. Within a couple days the stuff that settled out disappeared.

After this dosing cleared up I did a water test, and a 1/5 water change. And then I noticed the white tips.

parameters:
ph 8.1
alk 6
nitrite 0
nitrate .1
phos .03
ca Less than 300 (I am getting a calc reactor today)
mg 1340
ammonia .4 (before water change....)

 

[-MillerTime-]

Sounds like growth to me.

 

[LuvMyBizz]

Yea it is pry just growth, mine look like that!

 

[einsteins]

Generally a white edge or tip in the coral world is a good thing and represents new growth. Coraline algae when growing will have a white edge. The white cloudiness that you experienced was the calcium precipitating out of the water column.

I wont go into the chemistry of it but it was probably not a good idea to mix your calcium additive to new salt water and add that to the tank. Always try to space out your events like water changes and additives and such so you have as little impact as possible on the tank as you make changes.

If in doubt, we are always around here online and will be more than happy to help you out.

Its pretty cool when you see things start to grow...

Hope that helps....

eins