Favia instant Death...?

chadg

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6 year old well established 92 gal corner tank with at 50 gal sump. about 125 total water volume.
Current parameters:
Alk - 8.1 (varies between 7.8 and 8.3)
Calc - 440
Mag - 1480 ( a week ago)
NO3 - 5ppm
PO4 - .01-.03 (I've been working to get this down for the last 4 weeks from 0.18 using Brightwell Phospate-E and GFO)
PH 8.0 - 8.2
PAR at the coral ~110 using a PAR meter

I've never really done any other corals other than easy softies. GSP, Kenya Trees, etc. because I never bothered with two part or other things I knew less hardy corals would need. About six months ago I decided that I'd like to do some more complicated ones. So, I spent time and got the tank setup to monitor and properly adjust above metrics. Once I felt I could keep it in check, I purchased a few frags from World Wide Corals on 5/16. For the most part they were doing fine. Other than now battling a medium cyano outbreak things are good in the tank.

In the before picture, it is on the sand bed a few days after I got it. This was the only picture I had of it looking good. I moved it up off the sand to get a bit more light about two weeks ago. I was looking at it just last night thinking how great it looked and it was all full and a bunch of tentacles extended. I looked at it tonight and BOOM! completely blowing up! As you can kinda see in the photos, the polyps on top turned all white, a bit fuzzy and bloated looking. The other polyps that are 'healthy' looking are all deflated and retracted.

All the other corals in the tank look pretty good and about what they usually do this time of night. It is just this one. Now, I have had many corals die on me over the years due to my poor maintenance and I take responsibility for that, but this is so strange. I've never seen anything go from LOOKING GREAT to LOOKING DEAD in 24 hours. So, strange..... :(

I know the question will be 'what did you do last night'. And I really did nothing to the tank last night. I did a water change this past weekend of about 35 gal. About normal for me every 1 -2 weeks. All the others seem OK, so does not seem wide spread. So, any suggestions would be apricated... I don't get it, I thought this was supposed to be one of the 'easy' LPS... ;)

Thanks!

UnHealthy1.jpg UnHealthy2.jpg Healthy.jpg
 

Reeferstin

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Background
6 year old well established 92 gal corner tank with at 50 gal sump. about 125 total water volume.
Current parameters:
Alk - 8.1 (varies between 7.8 and 8.3)
Calc - 440
Mag - 1480 ( a week ago)
NO3 - 5ppm
PO4 - .01-.03 (I've been working to get this down for the last 4 weeks from 0.18 using Brightwell Phospate-E and GFO)
PH 8.0 - 8.2
PAR at the coral ~110 using a PAR meter

I've never really done any other corals other than easy softies. GSP, Kenya Trees, etc. because I never bothered with two part or other things I knew less hardy corals would need. About six months ago I decided that I'd like to do some more complicated ones. So, I spent time and got the tank setup to monitor and properly adjust above metrics. Once I felt I could keep it in check, I purchased a few frags from World Wide Corals on 5/16. For the most part they were doing fine. Other than now battling a medium cyano outbreak things are good in the tank.

In the before picture, it is on the sand bed a few days after I got it. This was the only picture I had of it looking good. I moved it up off the sand to get a bit more light about two weeks ago. I was looking at it just last night thinking how great it looked and it was all full and a bunch of tentacles extended. I looked at it tonight and BOOM! completely blowing up! As you can kinda see in the photos, the polyps on top turned all white, a bit fuzzy and bloated looking. The other polyps that are 'healthy' looking are all deflated and retracted.

All the other corals in the tank look pretty good and about what they usually do this time of night. It is just this one. Now, I have had many corals die on me over the years due to my poor maintenance and I take responsibility for that, but this is so strange. I've never seen anything go from LOOKING GREAT to LOOKING DEAD in 24 hours. So, strange..... :(

I know the question will be 'what did you do last night'. And I really did nothing to the tank last night. I did a water change this past weekend of about 35 gal. About normal for me every 1 -2 weeks. All the others seem OK, so does not seem wide spread. So, any suggestions would be apricated... I don't get it, I thought this was supposed to be one of the 'easy' LPS... ;)

Thanks!

UnHealthy1.jpg UnHealthy2.jpg Healthy.jpg
Seems to me your nutrients have hit dead zero , stop stripping the tank of nutrients corals need nitrate and phosphate to live , feed alot more, dinos in the sand happen from zero nutrients from my experience raise those numbers up
 
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chadg

chadg

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@Reeferstin, thanks for the replies. I'm so confused. For years I was chasing 0 nitrates and could never get there. Started using Chaeto and got NO3 down to about 5-10 range. My Phospates were at .15 - .18. Standard years ago was to have about that .15 recommended.

So, when I started to get the sand algae I focused on getting my PO4 down to the .03 range because that is what seems to be recommended these days. So, what do you think range of those should be then? I'm so confused on what the target should be.... :(

I also think it is Cyano. It is more red now and slimy. There is some hair elements to it, but not sure.

Thanks for the thoughts....
 

Reeferstin

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@Reeferstin, thanks for the replies. I'm so confused. For years I was chasing 0 nitrates and could never get there. Started using Chaeto and got NO3 down to about 5-10 range. My Phospates were at .15 - .18. Standard years ago was to have about that .15 recommended.

So, when I started to get the sand algae I focused on getting my PO4 down to the .03 range because that is what seems to be recommended these days. So, what do you think range of those should be then? I'm so confused on what the target should be.... :(

I also think it is Cyano. It is more red now and slimy. There is some hair elements to it, but not sure.

Thanks for the thoughts....
I keep my tank around 10-20ppm nitrates phosphate is always low i dose neonitro and neophos but very small amounts reef roids always bumps my numbers up too i only do 5 gallon water change once a month around 85 gallons of water and i feed about one cube of frozen every day
 

Reeferstin

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I keep my tank around 10-20ppm nitrates phosphate is always low i dose neonitro and neophos but very small amounts reef roids always bumps my numbers up too i only do 5 gallon water change once a month around 85 gallons of water and i feed about one cube of frozen every day
Dino x will kill whatever is growing in the sand just do not over dose do a very minimal dose to start and if any corals dont like it water change and run carbon
 
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chadg

chadg

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@Reeferstin , thanks for the replies. Funny, I spent years trying to get 0 nitrates, now that I'm close to that the general consensus seems to have changed! I've been dosing Vibrant for 6 weeks now. So, I"m going to wait another 3-4 weeks to see if that has a positive effect. I know it look brown in those pics and it did look brown at first, but it is pretty red now and slimy. I think it is more Cynao, maybe both? If the Vibrant does not do it in a few more weeks, then chemiclean for the cyano and that is not it on to Dino X. That is my plan for now, but always open to suggestions!

I'd still like to know why I can't keep some of the more 'simple' LPS :( I guess I can try to get my Nitrate back up a bit to see if that helps?
 

Reeferstin

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@Reeferstin , thanks for the replies. Funny, I spent years trying to get 0 nitrates, now that I'm close to that the general consensus seems to have changed! I've been dosing Vibrant for 6 weeks now. So, I"m going to wait another 3-4 weeks to see if that has a positive effect. I know it look brown in those pics and it did look brown at first, but it is pretty red now and slimy. I think it is more Cynao, maybe both? If the Vibrant does not do it in a few more weeks, then chemiclean for the cyano and that is not it on to Dino X. That is my plan for now, but always open to suggestions!

I'd still like to know why I can't keep some of the more 'simple' LPS :( I guess I can try to get my Nitrate back up a bit to see if that helps?
Yes corals need nutrients to live!!!
 

zuri

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the coral behind it is eating it
 

PacoPetty

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Is it possible that another coral near it is stinging it?
 

Hypan

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That Enchinata appears pretty close and it looks like that side is the one damaged. My money is on the Acan getting hold of it in the middle of the night
 
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chadg

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I hear everyone on the other corals, but the thing is the zoos seem to be doing OK, but ACAN is not. There is nothing near the ACAN now. It is starting to shrink away from its skeleton as well. :( Not sure what to do. My parameters seem to be ok. From what I'm seeing everyone else say in threads, 5-10 NO3 and ~.05 PO4 seems to be what most recommend these days. The Montipora I moved from the sand bed high for light and is doing great and growing. The Chalice is on the sand still and not sure it is doing great. Seems to be some receding, but not bad, but not growing either. Anyway, thanks for any pointers...
 

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