HELP! All my acropora is turning pale and dying

nim6us

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
520
Reaction score
381
Location
UK
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
After doing this for 7 years now I'd like to think I acquired the skills to fix my own problems, but things are getting bad and I'm getting desperate, so reaching out for help.

It started about a 6 weeks ago from my notes, some of my SPS started to lose color. I didn't think too much of it as I've seen it before and usually a couple extra water changes and time will perk things back up. But the thing that really caused alarm for me was about 2 weeks ago my alk started climbing and I hadn't touched any of the dosing.

I usually keep my alk around 8.4 dKH but every time I tested there was a 0.1 or 0.2 increase to where I got to 9.8 dKH. At that time I started to back off my 2 part dosing so much so I went from dosing 35ml a day to nothing. I stopped 2 part dosing completely and was only dosing kalk. I had to back kalk down from 3.6L a day to 2.1L per day before I could finally get alk down to 9 dKH where it's been holding for the past few days. Which is crazy, zero 2 part and half my kalk dose!

The problem seems to be exclusively with SPS, predominantly acropora. In fact most of the carnage is all acropora, bar some really beautiful juggernaut montipora. It's all very pale and the tips are turning brown. Now around some of the bases I'm seeing skeleton and little bits of algae starting to take hold. The acropora is all over the tank so not just isolated to one area.

Current parameters

Tank is 5 years old and had been without issue for nearly a year. Build thread

- Salinity: 35.1ppt
- Alkalinity: 8.9dKH
- Calcium: 440ppm
- Phosphate: 0.12ppm
- Nitrate: 16ppm

Possible Causes


I did some manual dosing of Phosphate RX (lanthanum chloride). Phos was at 0.2 and I just wanted to bring it down to a little below 0.1. I'd been burned before with lanthanum and dosing too much too quick. This time I dosed 3-4 drops a day for a little over 3 weeks. It's such a small dose in such a large volume of water 400L. I was checking phos every couple days and it was barley moving, thats why it took so long to eventually get down to 0.08ppm when I stopped dosing.

I switched kalk, I mean it was still the same manufacturer. I had been getting 98% pure kalk, but something has changed and I can't find 98% pure anywhere only 95%. This was my first time buying 95% kalk. I changed over 2 months ago. Though I'm dripping it in my coral holding tank as well and I've not seen issue there so I'm skeptical.

Also unlikely but worth mentioning I found the nori feeder had some plastic worn away and there was exposed metal that looked like rust. The exposed portion was very small though, about the size of a grain of rice. I've removed the feeder since finding it.

Remediations

Again fearing lanthanum had somehow done this I added Brightwell Purit to a reactor 6 days ago. It's basically like carbon but with more binders in it to make it more effective.

I trimmed off all the branches on my big colonies that had big brown bits. I've seen RTN before and this is not that. The skin hadn't sloughed off, it had just slowly died away and brown alage was growing on the skeleton.

I ordered an ICP test to rule out any contaminants. You can see below 3 years of ICP for comparison. The one on Jan 6th doesn't show anything super alarming that I can see. Silicon is a bit higher than I'd really like it but I don't think that would be responsible for this. Lanthanum is at 0 but my guess is that's because the Purit pulled anything that was in there out.

I added 4 vials of Prodibio BioDigest thinking perhaps it was bacterial and maybe some good guy bacteria would help.

I got the ICP back just today seeing all my traces at zero I decided to take kalk completely offline and resume 2 part dosing. My 2 part has trace elements in it so I figure on the remote chance the kalk is to blame it's now offline, and even if it's not bad kalk the 2 part dosing can help replenish trace elements.


This monti was BRIGHT yellow
IMG_6372.JPG

Red viper coral so pale and dying around base
IMG_6371.JPG

Elkhorn acro that was neon green now missing flesh and turning brown
1736361390112.jpeg

This myiagi tort has been unkillable, almost a pest, it's losing all its color and die off on the tips
IMG_6374.jpg

I think the blues being on are making the pink pop a bit more than it really is to the eye. But this is a pale pink, mostly wanted to show what I'm seeing brown on the tips of all the acros.
IMG_6375.JPG

ICP
ICP.png

I've got a bucket of salt coming and was thinking of doing a massive 50% (200L) water change. The only thing giving me pause is from all accounts water chemistry looks fine-ish. I don't know that a massive WC would actually help, just feels like I need to do something. I've been in similar situations before and I know sometimes doing too much is actually a detriment.

Have I done what I can and need to wait and see? Also curious if this seems familiar to anyone that's seen it before.

Crazy thing is the rest of the tank is great! LPS are all swaying in the current fat and fluffy. Great color on the chalices. Even have two colonies of stylo that haven't missed a beat. No GHA or brown algaes anywhere on the rocks or sand. What is happening?!
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
nim6us

nim6us

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
520
Reaction score
381
Location
UK
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I had previously dosed Acropower but stopped about 3 months ago when I saw a little cyano. I never restarted even after the cyano cleared.

I was thinking about restarting now, but not sure if what I'm dealing with is bacterial and maybe I'd be fueling the problem too with aminos? I'm willing to try Acropower if there's a consensus.
 

Mr. Mojo Rising

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 14, 2021
Messages
8,922
Reaction score
10,430
Location
Toronto
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thats sucks and I hope you figure it out.

Personally I am thinking along the same lines are you are with bacteria, but not bottled bacteria. I don't really add to my tank anymore, but once or twice a year I go buy a few frags and put them in the tank. I have no proof, but I feel its important to keep adding different bacteria's and micro organisms. There is always competition in our closed habitats, and that competition leads to stagnancy, if not continually adding - thats how I feel.

Anyway I wish you good luck.
 

Zyk5280b

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 30, 2011
Messages
105
Reaction score
23
Location
Colorado
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I think your on the right track with the lanthanum being the issue. You may have over stripped your phosphates and in combination with you climbing alk starved out the acros. Based on your newest ICP you getting to near scraping bottom, maybe throw Neophos or similar to see if you get a positive response? I'm not sure how larger colonies will rebound but I had a similar event and saw positive/no losses with acros. With LPS during the event, a few gonis got ticked and started melting, torches did not extend as far but other LPS seem to respond slower but I did see a faster bounce back in them after adding Neophos.
 
OP
OP
nim6us

nim6us

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
520
Reaction score
381
Location
UK
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Are you able to look closely for pests? Bugs crawling on the acros
Funny you should say that. I just turned my lights all white to 100% to see if I could notice anything. Many of the acros have these white almost hairs coming off them. It doesn't look like slime when they're mad, but more fine white hairs. It was hard to capture but I got a good picture of one. I'm not sure what that means, if anything.

IMG_6381.jpg
 

Troylee

all about the diy!!!!!
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
19,883
Reaction score
18,675
Location
Vegas baby!!!!
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Funny you should say that. I just turned my lights all white to 100% to see if I could notice anything. Many of the acros have these white almost hairs coming off them. It doesn't look like slime when they're mad, but more fine white hairs. It was hard to capture but I got a good picture of one. I'm not sure what that means, if anything.

IMG_6381.jpg
Those are stress filaments… I’d guess the la thin chloride is the culprit here off what I read and can see in your posts… it’s never good to bring down phosphate fast!
 
OP
OP
nim6us

nim6us

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
520
Reaction score
381
Location
UK
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yeah that's the thing, that's why it took me 3 weeks to go from 0.2ppm to 0.08ppm, I didn't think that was fast and def didn't think that was too low. ‍

Either way, I appreciate the feedback! I've never heard of stress filaments before.
 

spsick

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Messages
1,821
Reaction score
2,269
Location
Mpls, MN
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Only Acro concern on your ICP to me is strontium is very low. I have to dose regularly or mine gets like that as well.


Your issues mirror my own when I had input water problems.

Do you have a handheld TDS meter you can check your RO water in the reservoir? If not they’re pretty cheap on Amazon. I like the HM one. What’s the age of your carbon blocks and membranes? These are the first and cheapest things to check/replace when having sps issues.

Other thing to check is your refractor meter for calibration. Randy’s DIY recipe being the most guaranteed to be correct.
 
OP
OP
nim6us

nim6us

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
520
Reaction score
381
Location
UK
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yup I do have a TDS checker, I'll be sure to check that!

And yes actually, I just replaced my RO filters, carbon and DI resin a month ago. Perhaps it was really bad before I made the change out. I know I definitely haven't done a WC since I replaced them. Perhaps a big WC this weekend is just what the doctor ordered.
 

spsick

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Messages
1,821
Reaction score
2,269
Location
Mpls, MN
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Yup I do have a TDS checker, I'll be sure to check that!

And yes actually, I just replaced my RO filters, carbon and DI resin a month ago. Perhaps it was really bad before I made the change out. I know I defintely have done a WC since I replaced them. Perhaps a big WC this weekend is just what the doctor ordered.
Awesome. I’ve found it’s so easy to burn up carbon blocks if your city uses chloramines. And membranes if you don’t flush the carbon blocks well.
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
99,002
Reaction score
223,349
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
15   0   0
lanthanum chloride can be a cause but other causes can be a change in salinity, temperature and salt mixes. Additionally, Elevated phosphate, light and even new light and elevated alkalinity levels will be a higher risk to coral. Other minor factors will be low Dissolved oxygen, new corals especially leathers (which emit a toxin known as Terpenes), false test kit readings and newly added rock can alter chemistry.
 
OP
OP
nim6us

nim6us

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
520
Reaction score
381
Location
UK
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Some great info!

Here's answers to those concerns...
  • Salinity has been stable, per Apex
  • Temperature also stable, per Apex
  • No change in salt mix
  • Phosphate was on the rise but barely passed 0.2ppm before starting the Phosphate RX dosing
  • No light change
  • Alkalinity was stable within 0.2dKH +/- until the recent decline
  • ORP has actually been going up usually 390mv(ish) currently 420mv, per Apex , not sure what the explanation is
  • There have been no new additions fish, coral, invertebrates or rock in 4 months
  • Had an ICP done to confirm my test kit results, results look similar to my test kits
 

Dburr1014

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2016
Messages
11,840
Reaction score
11,566
Location
CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
After doing this for 7 years now I'd like to think I acquired the skills to fix my own problems, but things are getting bad and I'm getting desperate, so reaching out for help.

It started about a 6 weeks ago from my notes, some of my SPS started to lose color. I didn't think too much of it as I've seen it before and usually a couple extra water changes and time will perk things back up. But the thing that really caused alarm for me was about 2 weeks ago my alk started climbing and I hadn't touched any of the dosing.

I usually keep my alk around 8.4 dKH but every time I tested there was a 0.1 or 0.2 increase to where I got to 9.8 dKH. At that time I started to back off my 2 part dosing so much so I went from dosing 35ml a day to nothing. I stopped 2 part dosing completely and was only dosing kalk. I had to back kalk down from 3.6L a day to 2.1L per day before I could finally get alk down to 9 dKH where it's been holding for the past few days. Which is crazy, zero 2 part and half my kalk dose!
That's pretty much what happens when they stop uptake alk.

I skimmed the replies but nobody suggested to dim the lights.
That would be my first thing!

Here's answers to those concerns...
  • Salinity has been stable, per Apex
  • Temperature also stable, per Apex
  • No change in salt mix
Good!
  • Phosphate was on the rise but barely passed 0.2ppm before starting the Phosphate RX dosing
No worries about 0.2 but I know your concern.
  • No light change
Dim it by 10~20% no uptake=no growth=light stress. Give them a break from the light for a week or two, get things in line, then ramp up slowly.
  • Alkalinity was stable within 0.2dKH +/- until the recent decline
You can swing 1dkh without to much concern but do try to keep it somewhat stable.

How you can get thru this.
 

CHSUB

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 4, 2015
Messages
573
Reaction score
501
Location
Punta Gorda, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ime, when I’ve had parameters based problems with Acros, (ie. temperature, Alk, low nutrients, etc) the corals paled and stn,rtn from the base only. Looking at your pictures I’m seeing something that is attacking the flesh in various parts and not a general decline in the coral. Imo, you have a bacterial or viral issue. This could be present from the beginning, but the corals could keep it ‘at bay’ however something changed, maybe lowering po4 but doubtful, and the ‘pest’ started effecting the corals. I believe you need to start removing the affected areas of at least one coral and see how it reacts, fragging.
 

TOP 10 Trending Threads

ON A SCALE FROM 1-10, HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE REEFING?

  • 10 - It's one of the things I love most in life!

    Votes: 30 29.7%
  • 9

    Votes: 14 13.9%
  • 8

    Votes: 21 20.8%
  • 7

    Votes: 21 20.8%
  • 6

    Votes: 2 2.0%
  • 5 - I enjoy it, but I could live without it if I had to.

    Votes: 10 9.9%
  • 4

    Votes: 1 1.0%
  • 3

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1 - I'm not sure why I am still in this hobby...

    Votes: 2 2.0%
Back
Top