Chalice and cyphastrea issues

[nkyreef]

My 2 chalice frags are losing tissue and my cyphastrea is almost completely gone and I'm not certain as to what the problem can be. No questionable tank mates. Parameters steady over the past 6 weeks with averages:

Alk= 8.2 - 8.3 dKH
Cal= 410 - 430 ppm
Mag= 1400 - 1440 ppm
NO3= 5 - 12 ppm
PO4= 0.03 - 0.1 ppm (GFO changed at 0.1)
Salinity= 1.025
Temp= 78

Lighting: T5HO (4 hrs) w/ Kessil A360 @ 60% max and overall lighting schedule of 9 hrs. The light is mounted 24 inches from bottom of tank. I started lowering the intensity from 90% max about 6 weeks ago when I lost a chalice that had been in my tank for over 6 months. I couldn't identify any other potential cause.

One chalice is on the bottom the other chalice and cyphastrea are 2 - 6 inches, respectfully from bottom.

Is there anything immediate I can do to save them? Dip or will that stress them out even more? Move them to a completely shaded area? I'm at a total loss and don't want to lose them

 

[Mykesocalreef]

When I had issues similar to yours I tried everything. Figured out my lighting was to intense. Maybe lower intensity or raise higher?

 

[nkyreef]

When I had issues similar to yours I tried everything. Figured out my lighting was to intense. Maybe lower intensity or raise higher?

That's the way I'm leaning. I have lowered the intensity of the kessil significantly. I wish I could just stop the receding from going past the point of no return.

 

[Mykesocalreef]

That's the way I'm leaning. I have lowered the intensity of the kessil significantly. I wish I could just stop the receding from going past the point of no return.

I had a good size chalice colony size of a small potato, cyphastrea about an inch and a quarter in diameter, leptoseris the same. I have an 8 bulb ATI with one reefbrite xho. 2 bulb channel had blue plus at 70% and the 6 bulb channel was on for thirty minutes only at 30%. The green lepto basically turned grey, cyphas. went fully encrusted with 30 eyes to only 7 or so eyes with flesh ans same with the chalice. Turned my lights down to 30% on the two bulb channel and 10% for the 6 bulb channel. Once I did that they have all stopped receding and/or have regrown the flesh back. So some insight that might be able to help you. Good luck.

 

[Mykesocalreef]

Here are two pictures of at its worst and starting to come back. I’ll post an updated photo when I get home from work.

 

[nkyreef]

I went ahead and dropped the intensity to 55%. I do have a completely separate 20g. I may move them there on a frag rack. It's being lit with two kessil a150's. Parameters mostly the same. Just don't know what else to do. I may still dip them in some Seachem Reef Dip. I hate to see them just wither and die.

 

[Mykesocalreef]

The way I found out was by checking the par on my buddies tank who I got the pieces from. Heres the up to date shots. Also one of the lepto was completely grey at its worst.

 

[Mykesocalreef]

The worst pick was on 4/10 next was 4/19. So they can come back from really bad situations.

 

[nkyreef]

The worst pick was on 4/10 next was 4/19. So they can come back from really bad situations.

That's promising. I wish I had a way to measure par. I've been trying the convince the LFS to buy one for them and possibly even rent it out to customers.

 

[SteadyC]

I tried the same with my LFS, and then just broke down and got the Seneye. Works great for PAR. At $199, it’s pretty reasonable as compared to how much we spend on corals, and how much we get emotional about them. Right now, I actually use it about once a month, as I find myself tuning the lights, doing it slowly, to get in the PAR ranges across the whole tank.

Now, ill even buy the monitors and drop it in for a bit to verify temp, ammonia, and PH. Verifying my main computer. Or also, throw it in my 20 gallon, where I don’t have a computer.

 

[nkyreef]

I tried the same with my LFS, and then just broke down and got the Seneye. Works great for PAR. At $199, it’s pretty reasonable as compared to how much we spend on corals, and how much we get emotional about them. Right now, I actually use it about once a month, as I find myself tuning the lights, doing it slowly, to get in the PAR ranges across the whole tank.

Now, ill even buy the monitors and drop it in for a bit to verify temp, ammonia, and PH. Verifying my main computer. Or also, throw it in my 20 gallon, where I don’t have a computer.

What kind of lighting setup do you have? Is there a correction factor for LEDs? I've also thought about finding a used Seneye or maybe an Apex PMK since I have an Apex already.

 

[SteadyC]

What kind of lighting setup do you have? Is there a correction factor for LEDs? I've also thought about finding a used Seneye or maybe an Apex PMK since I have an Apex already.

Have Radion G3, in an AquaticLife hybrid T5 and Led enclosure. I have been moving to more blue lighting with the Radion, added the diffusers, and moved from violet to acintic bulbs in the T5. So, through these three changes, I have been using the PAR meter quite a bit.