New acros losing tissue, help?

[rennjidk]

Starting a new thread because I think it's going to get buried in my previous post about tank parameters. Hope that is ok.

So the acros went in yesterday, and 24hrs later I'm starting to see some tissue loss on 2 of the frags. What's odd to me is that my clown keeps going over and nipping at the same spot where the tissue is gone, as well as a small blue leg hermit.

The first has around 1/4 missing right down the top/side of the frag.

The other is just showing some skeletal tissue around the base

Finally, I was able to get some in focus video of my millies with great PE. I was wondering if anyone would be nice enough to give me their thoughts on the flow



I have some updated parameters. Got ICP results back too and everything is green except Po4:

20g IM Fusion
77.9F
35.1ppt
13.4ppm No3
0.19ppm Po4 (bringing down to 0.10 with Phosguard)
8.4dKH
1371ppm Ma
435ppm Ca
300 par AB+
1350gph Nero 5 set to pulse

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

Starting a new thread because I think it's going to get buried in my previous post about tank parameters. Hope that is ok.

So the acros went in yesterday, and 24hrs later I'm starting to see some tissue loss on 2 of the frags. What's odd to me is that my clown keeps going over and nipping at the same spot where the tissue is gone, as well as a small blue leg hermit.

The first has around 1/4 missing right down the top/side of the frag.

The other is just showing some skeletal tissue around the base

Finally, I was able to get some in focus video of my millies with great PE. I was wondering if anyone would be nice enough to give me their thoughts on the flow



I have some updated parameters. Got ICP results back too and everything is green except Po4:

20g IM Fusion
77.9F
35.1ppt
13.4ppm No3
0.19ppm Po4 (bringing down to 0.10 with Phosguard)
8.4dKH
1371ppm Ma
435ppm Ca
300 par AB+
1350gph Nero 5 set to pulse

How old is your tank?

Your montipora and your acro frag most likely have light shock. I don't know what they were in before you got them, but sometimes you can't blast them with light.

Don't chase your PO4 trying to lower it. That is just fine for PO4 and SPS. You'll do more damage by lowering it as it will lower quickly using GFO or similar, and can sometimes be a bad thing. A little PO4 isn't going to hurt and it will keep the dinoflagellates down as well.

Your other parameters look good, I like a little higher Alk, but yours is fine. I would try to raise your Mag a little. I've always been a fan of around 1500 myself.

I forgot to add, that flow is not enough for SPS. It's hard to tell, but they need more flow than that. The problem is if you try to keep LPS and SPS. Lots of flow can damage LPS.

 

[rennjidk]

How old is your tank?

Your montipora and your acro frag most likely have light shock. I don't know what they were in before you got them, but sometimes you can't blast them with light.

Don't chase your PO4 trying to lower it. That is just fine for PO4 and SPS. You'll do more damage by lowering it as it will lower quickly using GFO or similar, and can sometimes be a bad thing. A little PO4 isn't going to hurt and it will keep the dinoflagellates down as well.

Your other parameters look good, I like a little higher Alk, but yours is fine. I would try to raise your Mag a little. I've always been a fan of around 1500 myself.

I forgot to add, that flow is not enough for SPS. It's hard to tell, but they need more flow than that. The problem is if you try to keep LPS and SPS. Lots of flow can damage LPS.

System is over a year, with 4yr LR and ocean sand. I don't have any lps or montis. I suspect you're referring to the tabling acro that has the large white stripe?

It was a battlebox so system specs are:
8.5dKH
1200 Ma
420 Ca
5.4 No3
0.04 Po4
High par and flow

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I agree it doesn't look like alot of flow, yes things are moving but I'd add some movement. my tanks are like toilet bowls.

also agree it looks like they are bleaching, and the tops closest to the light are the worst, they may not recover in time before complete tissue loss, but I wouldn't go hammering on parameters trying to over correct, this is more than likely a lighting/acclimation issue.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

System is over a year, with 4yr LR and ocean sand. I don't have any lps or montis. I suspect you're referring to the tabling acro that has the large white stripe?

It was a battlebox so system specs are:
8.5dKH
1200 Ma
420 Ca
5.4 No3
0.04 Po4
High par and flow

I stay with what I said above. The problem with riding the razor's edge on PO4 is that it is VERY easy for you to add a couple of corals or your demand for nutrients increases and it depletes your PO4 and your system crashes or corals start dying.

Another issue is the coral farms move a lot of corals and they also have a large system water volume where they are most likely feeding daily due to the large amount of corals. Nothing at all wrong with a battlebox and I don't mean that, I'm saying it is a total different environment from what you have.

If those were my Acros, I would do a 10 minute dip in a small container with tank water and a healthy dose of Iodine. Sometimes that can stop what's happening. If you aren't able to do that, I would move them lower and give them some more flow. You can move them higher in a few weeks and they should be fine. Don't adjust your lights as you will affect your other corals.

 

[rennjidk]

I agree it doesn't look like alot of flow, yes things are moving but I'd add some movement. my tanks are like toilet bowls.

also agree it looks like they are bleaching, and the tops closest to the light are the worst, they may not recover in time before complete tissue loss, but I wouldn't go hammering on parameters trying to over correct, this is more than likely a lighting/acclimation issue.

Well I'm at the point now where I kind of have to commit to a flow and lighting schedule, so I can throw them in acclimation mode and up the flow, but I'm looking close to 100x already plus the return. Much more and it will just be a sandstorm and pinned fish.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Well I'm at the point now where I kind of have to commit to a flow and lighting schedule, so I can throw them in acclimation mode and up the flow, but I'm looking close to 100x already plus the return. Much more and it will just be a sandstorm and pinned fish.

flow is hard to judge from video and best diagnosed in person, if you think it's enough then im sure it is as far as acclimation modes I don't do it, I have places in all my tanks where new frags go for a few weeks as I inspect them and they get used to my tank, I don't glue them to rocks until they are acting right and surviving in my tank without question.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

Well I'm at the point now where I kind of have to commit to a flow and lighting schedule, so I can throw them in acclimation mode and up the flow, but I'm looking close to 100x already plus the return. Much more and it will just be a sandstorm and pinned fish.

Yeah, if you are that high, 100x, then you have more than enough, but need to make sure you have it moving in a good direction and not directly on the Acros. That's always a fun thing to nail down,

 

[Brandont21]

If i place a rock or frag to close to my clowns anemones, it will be moved or destroyed in short order

 

[rennjidk]

Yeah, if you are that high, 100x, then you have more than enough, but need to make sure you have it moving in a good direction and not directly on the Acros. That's always a fun thing to nail down,

I have no other corals in the tank, minus a few zoa heads around the rockwork. The single Nero 5 is placed like this

 

[rennjidk]

If i place a rock or frag to close to my clowns anemones, it will be moved or destroyed in short order

I don't have any nems, at least anymore

 

[dwest]

I would not lower phosphates yet on this system. The clown nipping is interesting and I’ve never seen that in my tank and have had clowns 30 years.

 

[Brandont21]

I think ots a territory thing not related to the nem. But yes, ive but corals too close to her area and she will nip them. Maroon clown

 

[Dburr1014]

Starting a new thread because I think it's going to get buried in my previous post about tank parameters. Hope that is ok.

So the acros went in yesterday, and 24hrs later I'm starting to see some tissue loss on 2 of the frags. What's odd to me is that my clown keeps going over and nipping at the same spot where the tissue is gone, as well as a small blue leg hermit.

The first has around 1/4 missing right down the top/side of the frag.

The other is just showing some skeletal tissue around the base

Finally, I was able to get some in focus video of my millies with great PE. I was wondering if anyone would be nice enough to give me their thoughts on the flow



I have some updated parameters. Got ICP results back too and everything is green except Po4:

20g IM Fusion
77.9F
35.1ppt
13.4ppm No3
0.19ppm Po4 (bringing down to 0.10 with Phosguard)
8.4dKH
1371ppm Ma
435ppm Ca
300 par AB+
1350gph Nero 5 set to pulse

I didn't see how you acclimated the corals.
What steps did you do and time for each step.
I find people have problems when they do a bunch of steps and the acclimation ended up being an hour long. IMO, to long, very stressful.

 

[Kzang]

The flow is definitely lacking. My acros get constant random flow that constantly moves the polyps every second in different direcitons.

 

[rennjidk]

I didn't see how you acclimated the corals.
What steps did you do and time for each step.
I find people have problems when they do a bunch of steps and the acclimation ended up being an hour long. IMO, to long, very stressful.

I just bag floated, inspected, clipped the plugs, and glued them in place. Probably around 15mins minus the float.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I just bag floated, inspected, clipped the plugs, and glued them in place. Probably around 15mins minus the float.

Get rid of the phosguard and stop testing for po4. It doesn’t matter

 

[rennjidk]

Get rid of the phosguard and stop testing for po4. It doesn’t matter

There are several studies which all point to that not being remotely true.

Effects of phosphate on growth and skeletal density in the scleractinian coral Acropora muricata: A controlled experimental approach

Phosphate contamination can negatively affect corals, modifying growth rates, skeletal density, reproduction, mortality, and zooxanthellae. We determi…

www.sciencedirect.com

It is worth noting that I will be discontinuing the use of Phosguard because of it's Al leeching issues, but will be implementing GFO in the future.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

There are several studies which all point to that not being remotely true.

Effects of phosphate on growth and skeletal density in the scleractinian coral Acropora muricata: A controlled experimental approach

Phosphate contamination can negatively affect corals, modifying growth rates, skeletal density, reproduction, mortality, and zooxanthellae. We determi…

www.sciencedirect.com

It is worth noting that I will be discontinuing the use of Phosguard because of its Al leeching issues, but will be implementing GFO in the future.

Take my advice or dont. I don’t really care. Your sps corals look like 5hit and mine are awesome with my philosophy/method. Either way you should at least check out my previous posts and threads before you start throwing 13 year old studies at me that don’t even apply to the home aquarium hobby. You might learn something.

 

[rennjidk]

Take my advice or dont. I don’t really care. Your sps corals look like 5hit and mine are awesome with my philosophy/method.

I've had the frags 36hrs...

Either way you should at least check out my previous posts and threads before you start throwing 13 year old studies at me that don’t even apply to the home aquarium hobby. You might learn something.

"Acropora muricata were sub-divided and distributed among three 110-L aquaria, and exposed to phosphate levels of 0.09, 0.20, and 0.50 mg L− 1 for four months."