My Green Slimer went from this...... To this..... PICS--Acro Help Please

[JDK]

just curious...did all this coincide with the addition of refresh and waste away?

Which part?

The torch damage I would say no. The exact same thing happened to a torch head of mine when the return pump was facing the glass too directly and the flow was blasting the torch. The fleshy rim around the skeleton was damaged and the head died. The exact thing happened with this head. A powerhead was pointed in a way that allowed a stream of flow to directly hit the head of the torch coral on one side. This is the only area that the flesh was stripped and caused damaged. The protected sides of the torch are fine. I believe the torch species I have (aussie purple with neon green tips) is more succeptible and prefers indirect flow if not very little flow at all. Some types of torch coral may be fine in high flow but I do not believe my particular specimen is.

I only used waste away twice. Once when I had major cyano couple months ago. I used refresh and waste away for one week and th cyano disappeared. I used waste away by itself again only, a week ago to fight the cyano on the back wall. The first time I used waste away and refresh was well after the original torch died from too much direct flow. The most recent torch damage was at the same time as waste away but I am sure the two are not related. I do believe the waste away lowers your nutrients signifigantly. I did wonders to clear up my dirty sand and cyano. It had little effect on algae.

 

[JDK]

just curious...did all this coincide with the addition of refresh and waste away?

The loss of PE and color was a little bit after the first treatment of Waste away and refresh. If it does turn out that this is a nutrient problem the waste away probably did not help as it eats up all the organics. However is did add a huge skimmer (rated for 60 gallons) and a GFO reactor at the same time. Also started running BRS rox carbon around the same time. I believe all this contributed to a drastic reduction in nutrients. The loss of which I did not compensate for by increasing my feedings or adding fish. My goal was to make the water as clean as possible but I did not account for nutrient import as well as export. All were factors I believe. That is only if this turns out to be a nutrient problem and it can be remedied by changing directions in terms of nutrient import.

 

[FaviaFreak]

The loss of PE and color was a little bit after the first treatment of Waste away and refresh. If it does turn out that this is a nutrient problem the waste away probably did not help as it eats up all the organics. However is did add a huge skimmer (rated for 60 gallons) and a GFO reactor at the same time. Also started running BRS rox carbon around the same time. I believe all this contributed to a drastic reduction in nutrients. The loss of which I did not compensate for by increasing my feedings or adding fish. My goal was to make the water as clean as possible but I did not account for nutrient import as well as export. All were factors I believe. That is only if this turns out to be a nutrient problem and it can be remedied by changing directions in terms of nutrient import.

Yeah I was just curious...definitely low nutrients and the light acting together as a double whammy, been through it myself more than once, sounds like your on the right track with adding more fish and lowering the intensity of the light keep us posted

 

[JDK]

keep us posted

Will do... By the way what is that paly in you profile pic? Love the rainbow

 

[Acipenser]

You mentioned checking for red bugs, but what about AEFWs?

I had a green slimer and milli that responded the same way. Just got lighter and lighter in color and lost polyp extension. I thought it might be too much light or nutrients as well. Lowered the coral in the tank, started feeding more. Still got no response. Finally took out the frag and gave it a very close inspection with a magnifying glass and spotted AEFW eggs. Look for the bite marks - hard to see, especially on lightened frags, and for eggs. It can almost be impossible to see the worms on the corals. They blend so well.

 

[Dave3112]

That's strange. I have had AEFW before and the ONLY acropora corals they never affected were the green slimmer and my torts...

 

[motortrendz]

When you got it what type of system did it come from?
Was zeovit used prior? That would explain the bright color and extreme PE..

What do you use now? Do you check potassium? Could be low that effects greens and blues. Also iron can be low. I would possibly add some. (Very little doses) if yellow corals start to turn green stop.
Do you use amino acids? That could be a reason for less PE than before if they were using a good amino acid additive and your not.

It doesn't look unhealthy just not as vibrant.. is there any dead(white) spots in crevices or creases? How is the base? Entrusting? Any growth tips?

How do the other corals look?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[Frick]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this but I have had a bioCube 29 SPS for about a year and a 40 PACKED with SPS that is three yrs old and my #1 issue with both tanks is the Alk swings more than a grandfather clock. Small SPS tanks are a challenge because when you get a minor amount of growth it kills your Alk fast, and those swings will bleach SPS fast. So i would test your alk often and see where it goes. Write it down.

 

[JDK]

You mentioned checking for red bugs, but what about AEFWs?

Look for the bite marks - hard to see, especially on lightened frags, and for eggs. It can almost be impossible to see the worms on the corals. They blend so well.

What are my options for the dreaded AEFW? I dip all my corals in Coral Rx (know that doesnt mean much though). Flatworm exit?

I will upload some macro up close shots with the flash on... Maybe you guys can spot something I cant.

 

[JDK]

When you got it what type of system did it come from?
Was zeovit used prior? That would explain the bright color and extreme PE..

1. Not sure the other systems all my frags were from. I know the slimer and blue mille and epic chaos were NOT from ZEO or ULNS

What do you use now? Do you check potassium? Could be low that effects greens and blues. Also iron can be low. I would possibly add some. (Very little doses) if yellow corals start to turn green stop.
Do you use amino acids? That could be a reason for less PE than before if they were using a good amino acid additive and your not.

Do not check pottasium. Do not check iron. I added a dose of aquavitro fuel 2 days ago- recommended dose. The fuel contains Iron and aminos.

It doesn't look unhealthy just not as vibrant.. is there any dead(white) spots in crevices or creases? How is the base? Entrusting? Any growth tips?

How do the other corals look?

Slimer ase has encrused since I got it. Small tips forming. Existing tips have lengthened. Got the frag on Feb 25th this year. There are some lighter spots in the crevices which are the most shadowed areas. Blue mille has encrusted as well and has one new tip growing on it. Got the mille frag in march.

PE on both frags ceased at the same time. Mille retracted its polyps to ZERO extension one day and has not come back. Both frags had great PE previously.

Uploading better pics in a min.....

 

[JDK]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this but I have had a bioCube 29 SPS for about a year and a 40 PACKED with SPS that is three yrs old and my #1 issue with both tanks is the Alk swings more than a grandfather clock. Small SPS tanks are a challenge because when you get a minor amount of growth it kills your Alk fast, and those swings will bleach SPS fast. So i would test your alk often and see where it goes. Write it down.

Pretty good about checking the ALK. I running a bubble magus dosing pump which makes it pretty easy to adjust. Have been running it for a while now probably two months. Had better PE when I was not running a dosing pump and just dosing 2 part by hand. Of all the things I do not think it is ALK related but I could be wrong.

 

[JDK]

Ok here we go lots of pics. Best I could get with macro mode zoomed in with my cellphone camera..... ALL PICS TAKEN WITH THE FLASH ON

Few notes-

-Added aquavitro fuel two days ago
-Added 4 more fish today. Two green chromis, royal gramma and another pseudo chromis. Have been feeding twice a day. Frozen Mysis and Ther-A pellets.

-Epic chaos appears to have better PE
-Slimer seems to have better PE than last month. Color is the same but hard to tell
-Blue mille still has ZERO PE
-Garf Bonsai base which was vibrant purple has browned a little from the lowering of the light intensity (I think)

First the acros in question- Green Slimer, Blue mille, Epic Chaos (dont know the species)

Blue Mille

Epic Chaos

Green SLimer

Other Acros in the tank.... Slow growth but good PE and color

Orange Crush acro

Garf Bonsai

Jason Fox Unknown Acro

 

[JDK]

Three things....

Should I remove the ROX carbon? Have been running it on and off for a while now.
I have discovered that I can indeed remove the entire rock theat all the frags are epoxied to. Should I did the entire rock in something? Revive? Coral Rx? Interceptor? Flatworm Exit? How would I go about doing this? Make a batch of fresh water... match the parameters and dip?

Are these bite marks?

 

[JDK]

Very good article on nutrients and coral food:
Reef Food by Eric Borneman - Reefkeeping.com

 

[JDK]

Parameters from last night:

Alk- 8.6
Cal- 425
MG- 1280

Raised the cal and mg a little. Dosing pump should hold the level

NO3- .2-.5
PO4- .02
Amazing how much I have been feeding the past week and these numbers have not gone up?

Have been turning off the skimmer periodically. Running it about half the day. Took the carbon out. Not going to do a water changed until the NO3 goes up.
Gfo is still running. Also going to change the lighting over the Chaeto to an opposite 12 hour schedule instead of running it 24/7. Hopefully will help with any PH swings.

 

[JDK]

Think I found a redbug on the blue millepora today. It was definately red and very very small. Did not see the yellow body with red dot but it was definately a foreign body of some kind. Considering treating the tank with Interceptor. I have the "tasty chew" version of interceptor which contains praziquantel. I am going to do a little more research before treating but from my intial digging it appears to be safe to use. AlphaCorals on this forum has a thread where he used the "tasty chew" version of Interceptor.

 

[JDK]

I have had many people tell me that Milleporas and Green Slimers are not affected by red bugs. I have also found a few threads where experienced reefers are convinced they have had red bugs on both species. I have even seen a video on youtube of red bugs on a green slimer. The mille and the slimer are the two corals that have shown the most negative reaction the past month. Considering I originally narrowed down the two most likely causes to be 1. Low Nutrient Issue 2. Pests/red bugs I think I will go ahead with the Interceptor treatment.

I do have a fire shrimp in the tank and maybe one or two very small hermits. If they do not survive so be it, I will just get them out before the pollute the water. I feel if I treat with intereceptor I can eliminate one of my two original causes of the corals lack of health and better pinpoint the cause. Interceptor has a proven track record of success with red bugs. If I see improvement it may have been bugs. If coral health does not improve it must be low nutrients because I am out of ideas at this point.

Will continue doing everything else the same in regards to the low nutrient issue i.e. feeding 1-2 times a day with the new population of fish. Currently have 7 small fish. 2 clowns, 2 green chromis, 2 pseudochromis, I royal gramma (damsel died yesterday?)

Hill stop the gfo for the interceptor treatment

 

[JDK]

Found the Mille Frag RTNd when I got home today..... Not the blue mille which has been suffering but the Superman Mille I got at the frag swap a couple weeks ago. Posted pics a few pages back. It had fine PE and decent color until today.

Tyree Stylo does not look good. Polyps are retracted and looks like a little tissue necrosis. Might be a goner...

Pink lemonade looks fine.....

Have no clue what is going on or if it was related to the Interceptor treatment.

Will monitor the next couple days to see if the interceptor treatment has any effect on PE and growth. It has been about 24 hours. Running a bunch of carbon and skimming wet. Did a water change. Will start increasing the lights this week. I am getting frustrated. I check levels, monitor everything, do water changes, and I feel like I am losing the battle.... Things are not getting better. Couple of the acans look ****** off, Damsel died.

 

[jmreef]

This has been a great learning thread. I just started to add Sps to my 50gal side tank I have connected to my 100gal main tank. In my 100gal I have a couple of sps placed high up with strong flow and their PE is extended out and blowing with the water flow. I have 3 led combo lights in there. I noticed in my 50 gal the discoloration you have in your beginning pictures. I also didn't have too many fish in my 50gal. I will try adding more fish before dosing anything. So far I have had success with weekly and bi-weekly water changes. Good luck and hang in there. I seen the most growth in my main tank when I forget to do water changes and just let things be. However I got green and bubble alge on my rocks now. I'm picking up some green emerald crabs and a nasso tang before I do any chemical treatments for that problem.

What killed your chromis?

 

[jmreef]

I mean your damsel?