Corals show skeleton

[andrewt258]

Hello experts,

My tank has been up and running for almost 2 years. I followed a strict quarantine procedures for all new fish and corals (QT tank for 4-6 weeks, multiple dips, all corals are dipped before going into QT and before going into DT). Recently some of my corals started doing bad (2 has died) while others corals are doing fine. All of the corals have been in my DT for 3-6 months periods and were all doing great until recently. My warpaint scolymia and one of my acans showed skeletons today while I inspecting the tank. I know that scolymia can benefit from feeding. I was feeding 2-3 times a week but I was away for work so that didn’t happen for 6 weeks. I just sent out an ICP for some deeper analysis but results are not available yet. Here is my parameters that I gathered from trident/hannas/saliferts kits. Please note that nutrients are quite low and I’ve been trying to feed more but it’s seems to be dropping still.

Temp 77-78
Salinity 1.026
NO3 1.7-2.5
PO3 0.01
Alk 9.5
Ca 480
Mg 1430
pH 8.2-8.3
TDS 0 RODI water is used strictly

I attached some photos here for reference. Please give me recommendations of what should I do while waiting for the test results to come back. Thank you very much

 

[Shirak]

yes... I think you solved your own problem. Doing fine feeding a couple times a week and go away for 6 weeks and nutrients really really low. So feed more.
Maybe you need some sort of auto feeder if you are often gone for long stretches like that?

 

[andrewt258]

yes... I think you solved your own problem. Doing fine feeding a couple times a week and go away for 6 weeks and nutrients really really low. So feed more.
Maybe you need some sort of auto feeder if you are often gone for long stretches like that?

Should I take the weak corals out to a QT to treat them separately?

 

[VintageReefer]

Should I take the weak corals out to a QT to treat them separately?

There is no reason to qt. They aren’t sick. They are starving. Resume feeding, keep water parameters in healthy range, and give them time to recover and grow back

 

[Shirak]

Should I take the weak corals out to a QT to treat them separately?

How were you feeding them before? I would just go back to what you were doing prior to traveling for work. Might be helpful to get some phosphate and nitrate to dose and bump it up.

I am not fond of removing corals to give them liquid soaks in amino baths etc. I think the moving and messing around with them just causes more issues but for some it works.

 

[andrewt258]

Should I take the weak corals out to a QT to treat them separately?

How were you feeding them before? I would just go back to what you were doing prior to traveling for work. Might be helpful to get some phosphate and nitrate to dose and bump it up.

I am not fond of removing corals to give them liquid soaks in amino baths etc. I think the moving and messing around with them just causes more issues but for some it works.

I was feeding them ab+ mixed with reef roid 2-3 times a week. Sometime I add some pellets in that mixture as well.

 

[andrewt258]

Should I take the weak corals out to a QT to treat them separately?

There is no reason to qt. They aren’t sick. They are starving. Resume feeding, keep water parameters in healthy range, and give them time to recover and grow back

Should I reduce skimmer or just keep it as is? I heard people running it in a schedule rather than 24/7

 

[Shirak]

I attached some photos here for reference. Please give me recommendations of what should I do while waiting for the test results to come back. Thank you very much

I think I would remove that one section of torch? Not much left there and potential it could cause infections in the healthy looking ones.

As for the feeding reef roids and pellets, sounds good to me if that was working before. Some of the Acan heads may be separated from the rest if the tissue is gone in between so try to feed them each a little.

I would not mess with the system like the skimming etc. Seems to me all that changed was the feeding went down and nutrients dropped. So correct that by feeding like you were or a little more to get the nutrients back up but monitor so you don't go crazy. Especially the reef roids which will bump up the PO4

One of my favorites is frozen mysis blocks. I chop them up while frozen. They are highly nutritious and just about everything eats them. Chopping while frozen will create lots of particles of many sizes for all the tank inhabitants.

 

[Johnnyrainbowreefer]

Are those ArtReefRocks? I had major problems with those rocks leaching metals into my tank killing a lot of my prized acans and Scolys. If they are id dump em and get yourself some live rock. Thank me later.

 

[andrewt258]

Are those ArtReefRocks? I had major problems with those rocks leaching metals into my tank killing a lot of my prized acans and Scolys. If they are id dump em and get yourself some live rock. Thank me later.

No just marco dry rock that i glued together