Post in the SPS section but it got no love so I am trying here...
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.
The last 3 pieces I lost were all Tenuis but 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.
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 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.
The last 3 pieces I lost were all Tenuis but 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.
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.
