Phew, I've been at this many years and only in the last few years, after buying from varied hobbyist's and vendors have I ran into issues with unwanted critters.
I suspect something is up with the tank. I have lost a few frags over the last few months while others have survived and thrived. Almost always goes the same way, polyp extension slowly dwindles. Then, either the corals have poor polyp extension or no polyp extension. Usually they will STN from the base up - it's slow, like weeks, sometimes months before it gets bad and then RTN. On occasion I have "thought" I saw something with my Macro lens when taking images. But usually they just look like emerging new coralites. I have seen moving pods on the dead areas but I suspect that is normal. I have tried different positions in the tank with more or less light and different flow's and it doesn't make any difference for the ones not doing well.
I was watching something on Youtube about Tenuis in particular and how common white bugs are. The symptoms being loss of polyp extension, failure to thrive and browning out. The last 3 pieces I lost were all Tenuis. Currently I have a few going down this road that are not tenuis, but a few that are. Losing color (either browning out or lightening), poor polyp extension and some starting to STN from the bottom up. Simultaneously I have other corals growing like weeds with great polyp extension.
The only changing variable at this time is I am starting to use the Captiv8 dosing of trace elements and stopped using the A and K from Tropic Marin. That said I have had these same issues before making this change (I'm still in the process of testing and adjusting). Seems to me that trace elements shouldn't affect polyp extension, but maybe it could. Again, I had these issues when I was just using the A and K too. It's just now I am paying a lot of attention, bugs are on my radar, and I got new frags in January sometime.
Tank is a standard 120 gal with 40 gal sump. Tank is old. At least 3 years but some of the seeding LR came from my old tank which has essentially been around for the last 15 years or more (Velonia and all :(). I'm running an old Tunze skimmer, 4 T5's (all Blue +) with a XR 15 G6 Pro radion, a 12 inch blade and two Kessil 360's. PAR varies from 250 up to the high 400's at mid-day. I monitor ALK with KH keeper and usually only have a daily swing of about .2 to .3 DKH. ALK usually runs high 7's or low 8's. Occasionally I might get a swing of .5 but not usually. I dose a little No3 and occasionally a touch of P04. I dose BRS 2 part and close to a gallon of saturated KALK a day. In fact, recently I have upped the Kalk due to slowly falling ALK. Temps used to fluctuate about 2 degrees but last month I added fans and now only get a 1 degree swing. P04 is usually. around .08 to .1 or there about. NO3 on most ICP's are around 10-20 and my HANNA says the same although my last ICP said 25 or something. Plenty of flow with an Eheim 1048 return, an MP 40, and MP-10, a Nero 5 and a Gyre :).
Lots of pics for you. The bad first, and then some of the healthy ones. I have one close up image of the most obvious "thing" I saw on any corals. On the bottom of the CB Jawdropper where it's just starting to STN I see some suspect little areas....bugs? On the frag rack the PC Rainbow is growing with good PE and the TCG Cherry Bomb right next to it and arriving at the same time, not so good...I will add all of these corals came in with good PE and at the least decent color.
I have ordered some Interceptor (Chews with the "Plus) because that is essentially all I can get. I am pretty sure what I see on the CB Jawdropper is no Bueno. I just found those today after looking extra long and careful at the troubled pieces.
Cherry Bomb next to the PC Rainbow - arrived at the same time.
Hmm, do I see the culprits here?
What is this? I read good guys shouldn't be healthy Acro skin....
I suspect something is up with the tank. I have lost a few frags over the last few months while others have survived and thrived. Almost always goes the same way, polyp extension slowly dwindles. Then, either the corals have poor polyp extension or no polyp extension. Usually they will STN from the base up - it's slow, like weeks, sometimes months before it gets bad and then RTN. On occasion I have "thought" I saw something with my Macro lens when taking images. But usually they just look like emerging new coralites. I have seen moving pods on the dead areas but I suspect that is normal. I have tried different positions in the tank with more or less light and different flow's and it doesn't make any difference for the ones not doing well.
I was watching something on Youtube about Tenuis in particular and how common white bugs are. The symptoms being loss of polyp extension, failure to thrive and browning out. The last 3 pieces I lost were all Tenuis. Currently I have a few going down this road that are not tenuis, but a few that are. Losing color (either browning out or lightening), poor polyp extension and some starting to STN from the bottom up. Simultaneously I have other corals growing like weeds with great polyp extension.
The only changing variable at this time is I am starting to use the Captiv8 dosing of trace elements and stopped using the A and K from Tropic Marin. That said I have had these same issues before making this change (I'm still in the process of testing and adjusting). Seems to me that trace elements shouldn't affect polyp extension, but maybe it could. Again, I had these issues when I was just using the A and K too. It's just now I am paying a lot of attention, bugs are on my radar, and I got new frags in January sometime.
Tank is a standard 120 gal with 40 gal sump. Tank is old. At least 3 years but some of the seeding LR came from my old tank which has essentially been around for the last 15 years or more (Velonia and all :(). I'm running an old Tunze skimmer, 4 T5's (all Blue +) with a XR 15 G6 Pro radion, a 12 inch blade and two Kessil 360's. PAR varies from 250 up to the high 400's at mid-day. I monitor ALK with KH keeper and usually only have a daily swing of about .2 to .3 DKH. ALK usually runs high 7's or low 8's. Occasionally I might get a swing of .5 but not usually. I dose a little No3 and occasionally a touch of P04. I dose BRS 2 part and close to a gallon of saturated KALK a day. In fact, recently I have upped the Kalk due to slowly falling ALK. Temps used to fluctuate about 2 degrees but last month I added fans and now only get a 1 degree swing. P04 is usually. around .08 to .1 or there about. NO3 on most ICP's are around 10-20 and my HANNA says the same although my last ICP said 25 or something. Plenty of flow with an Eheim 1048 return, an MP 40, and MP-10, a Nero 5 and a Gyre :).
Lots of pics for you. The bad first, and then some of the healthy ones. I have one close up image of the most obvious "thing" I saw on any corals. On the bottom of the CB Jawdropper where it's just starting to STN I see some suspect little areas....bugs? On the frag rack the PC Rainbow is growing with good PE and the TCG Cherry Bomb right next to it and arriving at the same time, not so good...I will add all of these corals came in with good PE and at the least decent color.
I have ordered some Interceptor (Chews with the "Plus) because that is essentially all I can get. I am pretty sure what I see on the CB Jawdropper is no Bueno. I just found those today after looking extra long and careful at the troubled pieces.
Cherry Bomb next to the PC Rainbow - arrived at the same time.
Hmm, do I see the culprits here?
What is this? I read good guys shouldn't be healthy Acro skin....
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