Candy Cane Coral looks to be melting

[scott_r]

I have a Candy Cane and its looks terrible! Everything else in the tank looks fine. 10% water changes done weekly. I am dealing with a GHA battle and am not feeding any corals just the fish. I'm using the Reef Breeders V2 and using their custom setting for a mixed reef, I have never tested PAR. Placement of the corals is just off bottom. Tank is approx. 8 months old. My CA is high but everything else seems to be within a good parameter.

Temp -78
Sal-1.025
CA -500
MG- 1400
Alk- 9
PH- 8.3
No3-cant detect with my kits
p04- cant detect with kits

Thanks for the advice!!

 

[Miami Reef]

Your parameters (including calcium) are fine except for your nitrates and phosphates. What test kit are you using for those parameters?

The candy cane doesn’t look bad to me IMO.

 

[sixty_reefer]

Agree with above no3 and po4 keept at that level for a long period of time will kill coral and increase growth on the GHA

 

[Miami Reef]

increase growth on the GHA

How does having undetectable nutrients increase GHA?

 

[scott_r]

Your parameters (including calcium) are fine except for your nitrates and phosphates. What test kit are you using for those parameters?

The candy cane doesn’t look bad to me IMO.

I'm using Salifert. I have been trying to raise the nitrates w/ feeding but if I go to heavy I get a big bloom of the crap. If I feed the corals with Reef Roids or Red Sea AB+ things just get stupid green as well .
The Candy Canes just seem a bit puffy and irregular compared to some of the pics I see on the net. Maybe I wont worry about it. Thought they might be sick or something.

Cheers!!

 

[sixty_reefer]

How does having undetectable nutrients increase GHA?

The op stripped the tank from available nutrients, that’s why it’s showing undetectable residual nutrients, theoretically this allows for the nutrient C to build up, wend that happens dissolved co2 becomes more available for algaes to use with the addition of photosynthesis.
The next phase in this nutrient conditions will be dinoflagellates or Cyanobacteria if a seed is present in the tank as they normally thrive in this conditions.
If the op is killing algae inside the tank it will make matters worse as the dying algae will release a vast amount of organic carbon Into the water column and make things slightly more difficult to get back in control.