Acropora dying and losing color

[gspeed124]

Hi, for the last month or so some my acropora have slowly been turning browning and losing their color. Over night two of my acros rtned and have no clue why. I sen out an ati icp and dont see anything to off that would cause that but let me know what you think. Many of the ones still alive have lost pe and just seem very dull. Thanks for yalls help!
The tank is a little over 2.5 years old and has been doing really well until this past month

 

[bluemon]

I would say your nutrients are too low for one

Unless you are running a ULNS, which I don’t think you are.

 

[jvb89]

 

[jvb89]

I had this happen in the past to a couple sps. I dosed iodine back to reasonable levels and things looked much better

 

[jvb89]

 

[gspeed124]

I had this happen in the past to a couple sps. I dosed iodine back to reasonable levels and things looked much better

That is great to know. I think I have underestimated how impactful low to zero major elements are.

 

[bluemon]

I personally would not use AI answers to be answering questions on this forum.

Otherwise, why wouldn’t OP just ask an AI themselves?

 

[jvb89]

That is great to know. I think I have underestimated how impactful low to zero major elements are.

100% fact. IMO Programs like moonshiners work well for most due to keeping an eye on all these levels. Just doing water changes does not handle this issue, due to the possibility of the salt not having proper levels to start with and that's not even taking into consideration the coral uptake levels are different in every system.

 

[jvb89]

I personally would not use AI answers to be answering questions on this forum.

Otherwise, why wouldn’t OP just ask an AI themselves?

. It was just the quickest way to get him the info I found a year ago that helped me with a similar issue.

 

[Daftendire]

0.02 ppm phosphate would first turn my sps brown, then into ghosts. I don't let mine fall under 0.1ppm.

 

[bobnicaragua]

It would be good to bring your iodine up, but I seriously doubt that’s why your acros are losing color and dying.

I would look at nutrients first, unless you always run these levels.

 

[gspeed124]

It would be good to bring your iodine up, but I seriously doubt that’s why your acros are losing color and dying.

I would look at nutrients first, unless you always run these levels.

Yes after thinking on it I feel the same. My tank has been running low nutrients since it was set up and has been fine. I did notice my left light xr30 wasn't connected to mobius but still running the time schedule. I believe it may have been blasting my acros with to much light. The dead corals started on the left side aswell.

 

[bobnicaragua]

Yes after thinking on it I feel the same. My tank has been running low nutrients since it was set up and has been fine. I did notice my left light xr30 wasn't connected to mobius but still running the time schedule. I believe it may have been blasting my acros with to much light. The dead corals started on the left

If the corals are dying or changing colors on the right also, it’s not the light.

 

[obsessedfishlady]

It would be good to bring your iodine up, but I seriously doubt that’s why your acros are losing color and dying.

I would look at nutrients first, unless you always run these levels.

Honestly for me all my tests in the past say low iodine and I can’t for the life of me keep acros alive. I recently went to reefapalooza and asked Ryan (former BRS employee now Serious Reef employee) about dosing iodine and they felt iodine isn’t really a critical thing to dose because it supposedly fluctuates like crazy. However it’s the only thing I could ever really find showing on tests that was low. I’m curious what others think of this. Phos, calc, mag, alk, salinity ect was all in line where it should be and very stable with dosing in place. Never could figure it out.

 

[CHSUB]

My nutrients are lower than yours, verified by ICP. SPS’s are thriving, except last month, occasionally a Monti Digi that is growing extremely fast shows pale color and no pe. At first I didn’t think it was an issue, however it is happening more frequently now. I have not added anything to the tank in more than 6 months and the Monti is over a year old; also fragged 4 times. Most here will automatically assume low nutrients or minerals because that is the “in” advice. I have now noticed nearly invisible bugs chewing on my Monti, I would suggest keeping a close eye for pest that go unnoticed.

10x magnification, note black spots!

 

[gspeed124]

My nutrients are lower than yours, verified by ICP. SPS’s are thriving, except last month, occasionally a Monti Digi that is growing extremely fast shows pale color and no pe. At first I didn’t think it was an issue, however it is happening more frequently now. I have not added anything to the tank in more than 6 months and the Monti is over a year old; also fragged 4 times. Most here will automatically assume low nutrients or minerals because that is the “in” advice. I have now noticed nearly invisible bugs chewing on my Monti, I would suggest keeping a close eye for pest that go unnoticed.

10x magnification, note black spots!

I was just about to mention last night I zoomed in close with my phone and a flashlight and noticed some bug crawling on the corals. I dosed interceptor and made sure my lights are running the same protocol because mobius lost my left one. I am gonna wait a few weeks and see if that helps or stops the death and go from there.

 

[Asagi]

you boys doing water changes?

 

[Ehder]

I've had this happen when I've put in too much aggressive carbon. Especially in a low nutrient system. Corals pop with color for a day or two then all of a sudden poof overnight losses.

 

[Ehder]

I've had this happen when I've put in too much aggressive carbon. Especially in a low nutrient system. Corals pop with color for a day or two then all of a sudden poof overnight losses.

Note that the ones that didnt RTN lost their color or went brown after a time. Likely due to the water being suddenly too clean and the PAR level may have been higher. No idea if it was since i never measured. Just a thought that if you did put in new carbon, maybe lower the lighting a nudge and see what happens

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

It would be good to bring your iodine up, but I seriously doubt that’s why your acros are losing color and dying.

I would look at nutrients first, unless you always run these levels.

Those are big colonies that didn't get that way quickly. My guess is that water changes and husbandry slipped and over time many of the critical trace elements (Iodide, Fluorine) weren't replaced with WC's and the SPS being as large as they are reached critical mass.

If you are already doing ICP's and open to exploring the nitty gritty, look into programs like Reef Moonshine.