After Months of mind Numbing SPS RTN STN Problems

[mcarroll]

I can't say I've seen anything exactly like that pic.....the green-snottyness of it makes me guess chrysophytes.

But I've never seen them grow other than encrusted (ensnotted?) directly on the rocks.

Maybe it's chrysophytes+dino or +cyano or something else weird that is more strand-forming. Totally guessing.

A microscopic view would probably be interesting. $10 toy scope time!

 

[RamsReef]

I've been pretty bummed about losing the colony mainly becuse that's where the two trapezia live.
The haven't abandoned the colony thankfull but I don't think they like the new decor. Looks like they are out shopping.

Yea. Large homeless crab wandering the tank for weeks. That's Cha Cha CHa btw. My male.

I don't have Anothe colony suitable for them kinda. They like to be able to hide in the branches. But I do have this. (One of my favorites btw)

I Broke a couple large branches and set them back on to make it thicker and provide some cover.
Yes. I'm using the bonsai method on a Coral.

I'll be putting a tester piece of it in the tank today after the wc.

Really cool.

 

[RamsReef]

So.....I am a twisted individual. I Just couldn't help it.
I've never lost a large colony , and I couldn't leave the crabs homeless.

So I've been observing the decay.

It lost the polyps. Went white. Ok nbd. But after several weeks , it began to to do this. As if deeper in skeleton something took time to decay or dissolve. I had assumed all the soft flesh would have dissolved anger a week or two. I'm kids guessing maybe this is the softer minerals dissolving from the skeleton and feeding whatever the heck this is.

Warning graphic imagery.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Circle of life.

 

[mcarroll]

Check out the chrysophyte section on phycokey:


There are actually filamentous and pseudofilamentous chrysophytes that look like "potential maybe's".

 

[Newb73]

This is Why

1) Larger Tanks are better
2)Continuous Water changes work
3)Triton testing is a good idea.
4) Gac is a good idea

If a test comes back bad though, order another one and test your source water to start isolating the problem. Quite easy to tell if your water changes/ATO water is the problem vs something in the tank. I would send a sample of freshly mixed saltwater...of course if thar comes back bad you may need yet a third test of your rodi water to determine if the problem is from the tap or the salt batch...

It wont always reveal the boogie man chemical as the cause however, there are plenty of biological issues such as flow, lighting, oxygenation, and biological/bacteria interactions which are quite capable of killing sps just fine even with a good triton test.

I also run a polyfilter once in a while.

Its def not the iron though. I dose iron into my system.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

This is Why

1) Larger Tanks are better
2)Continuous Water changes work
3)Triton testing is a good idea.
4) Gac is a good idea

If a test comes back bad though, order another one and test your source water to start isolating the problem. Quite easy to tell if your water changes/ATO water is the problem vs something in the tank.

It wont always reveal the boogie man chemical as the cause however, there are plenty of biological issues such as flow, lighting, oxygenation, and biological/bacteria interactions which are quite capable of killing sps just fine even with a good triton test.

I also run a polyfilter once in a while.

Its def not the iron though. I dose iron into my system.

I run gac full time. Can't have a larger tank. Don't think the constant pice tag of an icp worth it (and can't afford it )and don't want to have to keep asking internet on how to read one. I rent and can't install a constant wc system. My source water is o tds rodi an IO salt.
A razor blade is made of much more than iron , I have a background in metal work, science nerding, an alchemy. Current working theory w Mr F and research is Tin and possibly chromium or even trace copper. Flow has new rules out as well, that colony and the others are HUGE and you need flow for that.

I have not ruled out lighting as a possible first domino , as I did change lights , even though the intensity was more than half that of the last lights, and the STN rtn had been a struggle for many months before lighting change.ie It is possible this was a sickly coral and the light put it over the edge. However , many of the other colonies I had to pull frag and save suffered the same. As if it was a sudden release of a higher dose the toxin.

I do prefer to play the game with the hand that was dealt to me than wish I had a different hand. I also belive is nothing happens , we never learn anything. Darwin seems to agree on this point.

It's long been my philosophy that with very basic tools we can accomplishh a great deal if we trust our eyes and heart. Many of us raise our children without an icp test.

 

[RamsReef]

I'm here with you salty.

I just upgraded my 20 to a 40 to get more water and a skimmer.

Everything was growing awesome in my 20 finally..
and I ruined it.

Lost pretty much all my coral to mini cycle.

This is why I haven't updated my thread in a while.

Just focusing on basement renos and hopefully a step closer to setting up the larger tank.

Stay in there bud,

Ram

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'm here with you salty.

I just upgraded my 20 to a 40 to get more water and a skimmer.

Everything was growing awesome in my 20 finally..
and I ruined it.

Lost pretty much all my coral to mini cycle.

This is why I haven't updated my thread in a while.

Just focusing on basement renos and hopefully a step closer to setting up the larger tank.

Stay in there bud,

Ram

Thanks Ram.

A wise man(probably woman) once said
"Stuff Happens"

 

[Newb73]

Thanks Ram.

A wise man(probably woman) once said
"Stuff Happens"

Agree with the possible issues with tin and copper but its also sort of a guess without the test.

I have seen crazy stuff happen that you would never even think to consider...such as glade plug ins or new carpet in a room that has the door closed most of the time on a different floor of a house crash a tank. I have seen source water that tested 0 tds BEFORE the resins..... do nothing but grow cyano. (We are talking 2x carbon blovks, 2x ro membranes and 2x resin stages here). I have seen bacterial blooms precipitated by things not known to do so and turn the water milky white.

By only considering that razor, you might be missing something.

It is just hard to imagine though that the razor had sufficient qunatities of leaching to cause that much damage in a tank unless there was virtually no water changes goin on....but ill never say never.

I know you said you are looking into other causes so keep us posted.

 

[XNavyDiver]

Thanks Ram.

A wise man(probably woman) once said
"Stuff Happens"

I remember that saying differently.

 

[reeferfoxx]

A scope will definitely help here but I'm curious if it isnt just zoox bail out with sps slime.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

A scope will definitely help here but I'm curious if it isnt just zoox bail out with sps slime.

Dunno it's been too long I think for that. It went bone white for a long time.

I'd wager though. It'll be gone and never come back or spread. It hasn't so far.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Agree with the possible issues with tin and copper but its also sort of a guess without the test.

I have seen crazy stuff happen that you would never even think to consider...such as glade plug ins or new carpet in a room that has the door closed most of the time on a different floor of a house crash a tank. I have seen source water that tested 0 tds BEFORE the resins..... do nothing but grow cyano. (We are talking 2x carbon blovks, 2x ro membranes and 2x resin stages here). I have seen bacterial blooms precipitated by things not known to do so and turn the water milky white.

By only considering that razor, you might be missing something.

It is just hard to imagine though that the razor had sufficient qunatities of leaching to cause that much damage in a tank unless there was virtually no water changes goin on....but ill never say never.

I know you said you are looking into other causes so keep us posted.

With what I know , a guess is a calculated guess and a pretty good one imo.
I've already treated for most of those scenarios in fact. A test would just confirm the diagnosis , in fact, the test I just sent in will likely only show super low levels or nothing at at all.
Honestly, that's the point of the exercise.
If I'm wrong , so be it. My current indicator are the reaction of the corals and inveterates.

And please read above. Wc were included in treatment and was part of the diagnostic trials.

Blaming environmentals has already been ruled out. I have three tanks in the same room.

I have no other issues in any tank. Same waters.

So in a way , the test would be cheating on the point of the experiment. Or provide useless. It's actually just chance (I know it was89.6557 that it was not) won the API icp test. But it should be interesting nontheless.

 

[Newb73]

With what I know , a guess is a calculated guess and a pretty good one imo.
I've already treated for most of those scenarios in fact. A test would just confirm the diagnosis , in fact, the test I just sent in will likely only show super low levels or nothing at at all.
Honestly, that's the point of the exercise.
If I'm wrong , so be it. My current indicator are the reaction of the corals and inveterates.

And please read above. Wc were included in treatment and was part of the diagnostic trials.

Blaming environmentals has already been ruled out. I have three tanks in the same room.

I have no other issues in any tank. Same waters.

So in a way , the test would be cheating on the point of the experiment. Or provide useless. It's actually just chance (I know it was89.6557 that it was not) won the API icp test. But it should be interesting nontheless.

Having multiple tanks in the same room Is useful!!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Having multiple tanks in the same room os useful!!

Oh I know! Saved my but many times. As much as I agonized about having them. lol

 

[Fishfinder]

So did it resolve your problem? are things getting better?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So did it resolve your problem? are things getting better?

No new damage. Testers are all still fine.
Did a water change yesterday and pulled off the reactor with the gfo.
I'm putting in a tester of the digitata today. That'll be the crabs new home , assuming they like the color.

Orange with purple tips.

 

[Fishfinder]

Good for you!

 

[TikiBird]

Aw man Salty I didn’t see this before. I’m sorry. Blergh.