SPS loose flesh from base and noone knows why?

[Montrosereef]

It's been a month since my SPS stared loosing flesh from base and end up loosing the whole Flesh. I had 2 frags loosing and spreaded to 10. I Google this issue and found many reefers encountered the same issue and ended up loosing the whole tank of SPS. Many reefers discussed this and no one knew for sure. People said it might be due to temp., alk. swing, or gfo. I stabilized all parameters weeks ago and use coralRX dip and nothing seem to stop them from loosing flesh, even after doing frequent water changes and removing gfo. I fragged a couple trying to save some and they ended up loosing their own base. I checked phosphate and it didnt lower too much so the use of GFO is not the case. I was thinking maybe they were starving as some reefers suggested. I fed them more and they grow fast on top but continues loosing flesh on base. Any SPS reefers who have had the same issue and successfully solved it?

Salinity 1.026
Temp 79-80 ( moving to 78-79)
Calcium 450
Mag 1400
Alk. 9-9.6
Nitrate close to 0
Phosphate 0.04

Use GFO and Carbon

Feed oyster feast, live phyto, Fuel, red sea energy.

 

[Chameleon]

That much phosphate is the key issue. It inhibits calcification...I'm surprised you are seeing growth. Usually what you are describing comes from alk swings butI would imagine that phosphate that high could also cause it to happen.

 

[Reefing8EZ]

That is very high I think. My phos is .02

 

[Montrosereef]

They were doing fine for months with this level of phosphate.Typo. My phosphate is 0.04

 

[returnofsid]

I would double check your Alk, with a different test kit, if you haven't already. In my experience, every time I have an established SPS coral that starts to lose flesh, it's always been due to extremely high or low Alk.

Are all effected SPS Acropora? If so, look closely for Acropora Eating Flatworms. Some may also suggest Red Bugs, but I've never heard of them actually causing any damage.

 

[greg0385]

How big is your tank? Could be micro param swings. Some people have had luck using superglue over the infected area. What kind of lights and flow do you have?

 

[Montrosereef]

I have a 60g with random high flow and new LED. I check alk almost 3 times a day with Salifert. Getting a bit crazy. I may move alk. to 10.
I tried superglue thing and it didn't work. The started again above superglue.

 

[returnofsid]

With my Alk caused tissue loss, I've NEVER been able to save the coral, even after correcting the Alk issue. Superglue has never helped either. Once it starts, the coral seems to have always been doomed. Moving to a different tank hasn't even helped.

 

[Henry C]

Do you have any other corals in the tank besides sps? If you do what are they and how are they doing? When this started had you done anything different to your routine to the tank? Have you burned any candles or sprayed air freshener or anything like that? It's possible that something could have gotten into the water coulmn via air which could contaminate the water. Just something to mull over.

 

[Montrosereef]

Have some LPS and they are thriving. I suspected some chemical so I did frequent water changes. Nothing seems to improve.

 

[grink]

Lower your Alk and try using some Zeo Spur 2

 

[Montrosereef]

I probably wont lower Alk. They were better at least not dying when my alk. was high about 10-11

 

[Rick]

could try dropping calcium to 420, 450 pairs better with a higher alk like 10.5-11.5 8.5-9.5 i like 420 7-8 CA 380-400seems to work better also try running aluminum oxide for phosphate removal it lasts longer and is very effective i switched from rowa and prefer the aluminum to standard gfo, getting to a barely detectable phosphate level is key where as when you eliminate completely sps is fine but really thrives with trace amounts there was a very interesting article on this issue in coral magazine a few months back

 

[SPSkeeper]

I have a 60g with random high flow and new LED.

That right there could be the problem, you might not have light acclimated them to the new lighting. LED's are iffy IMO, I just stick with what works. One change like that can have drastic affects on your inhabitants.

 

[returnofsid]

SPSkeeper may have hit it right on the head! I hadn't noticed that the LED lighting was new. That is one other time I've had tissue loss issues, when I changed from 250MH to an Evo150 LED, over my 40 breeder. Even starting the LED fixture at about 30% for over a week, bumping it up to 50% for a week after that, most of the SPS frags experienced tissue loss and died.

 

[Montrosereef]

Light is not the issue. LED has been in the system before any corals.

 

[MattL22]

I gonna say it is ur alk bouncing around especially wild sps will lose flesh if ur alk doesn't stay really stable !

 

[MattL22]

I'm also suspect of the red sea reef energy ! I had some issues wit
Th my sps when I used it!

 

[Montrosereef]

I am going to stop using red sea energy and see what happens. Issue started when I stared using it. I have an auto doser do I can control alk.

 

[SPSkeeper]

I am going to stop using red sea energy and see what happens. Issue started when I stared using it. I have an auto doser do I can control alk.

Kinda like the old saying goes, if it looks like a duck, talks like a duck and walks like a duck, it's probably a duck