Help! Euphyllia Random Deaths

[Renaissance corals]

I would agree it could partly be a nutrition issue. Test kits have a margin of error and .03-.07ppm PO4 is bordering on low side. When it's down near .03 it could really be close to 0. Same thing with NO3 at 4-6ppm.

Do you target feed them? My LPS like to get fed 2-3 times a week with various lps pellets, frozen mysis chopped up etc. They do much better for me long term if they get fed regularly. I would add my NO3 and PO4 are higher on average too than the OP and they still do better when they get feed several times a week.

I also try to keep my Mg 1400+ preferably around 1450ppm

I completely agree with everything you just said. I do the same. I target feed three times a week with refroids and oyster feast when I have it. And I found that these types of LPS prefer high alk, mag, cal, phosphate and nitrate

 

[Shirak]

I forgot I posted this 2.5 weeks ago, shows what this torch looked like very recently.

Not really seeing much movement on the two in the back in the middle.

 

[Dburr1014]

I took the torch out and dipped in in Revive for 15 min with a gentle flow and put it back in the tank. I inspected it as best I could and don't see anything obvious but sharing some pics I took in case others see things I don't know to notice.

The only thing I see here in you may want to note, these are pretty receded off the head. The flesh should be much longer. Here's a picture of mine. You can see the flesh comes well over an inch off the head, it's probably closer to 1.5".
You might think "so what" . But with the receding like this the problem has been going on for quite some time. Probably a couple of months.

 

[TokenReefer]

The only thing I see here in you may want to note, these are pretty receded off the head. The flesh should be much longer. Here's a picture of mine. You can see the flesh comes well over an inch off the head, it's probably closer to 1.5".
You might think "so what" . But with the receding like this the problem has been going on for quite some time. Probably a couple of months.

Ah Yes. I think that's why the algae jumped out at me as I suggested cleaning it...should be fleshed further down

 

[Morpheosz]

I would agree it could partly be a nutrition issue. Test kits have a margin of error and .03-.07ppm PO4 is bordering on low side. When it's down near .03 it could really be close to 0. Same thing with NO3 at 4-6ppm.

Do you target feed them? My LPS like to get fed 2-3 times a week with various lps pellets, frozen mysis chopped up etc. They do much better for me long term if they get fed regularly. I would add my NO3 and PO4 are higher on average too than the OP and they still do better when they get feed several times a week.

I also try to keep my Mg 1400+ preferably around 1450ppm

I feel like feeding and nutrients aren't the issue here as all my coral, including the Euphyllia, have been growing rapidly for months in these conditions. It also wouldn't explain why 1 at a time goes south in a matter of days. Malnutrition would likely manifest in all of them (maybe to varying degrees) and would likely be a slower process - I've been there in the past and usually color and extension suffer and you have a chance to turn it around. I find it highly improbably that it would affect one while the others continue growing rapidly.

I have a ton of coral and an autofeeder that feeds a mix of coral size to fish size food 5 times per day, plus I add Reef Complete AB+ every 1-2 days. I would call my tank "heavy in heavy out". A lot goes in and a lot is consumed. I think that my readings are relatively low because there is a lot of competition for food, but a lot of food is available on a daily basis. I do not target feed but I broadcast feed A LOT.

I will keep bumping my Mg up as multiple people seem to think that could be important. I am doubtful it has anything to do with this sudden onset issue, but I'm happy to tune it in that direction for the overall benefit of the tank.

 

[Morpheosz]

The only thing I see here in you may want to note, these are pretty receded off the head. The flesh should be much longer. Here's a picture of mine. You can see the flesh comes well over an inch off the head, it's probably closer to 1.5".
You might think "so what" . But with the receding like this the problem has been going on for quite some time. Probably a couple of months.

I totally agree but I think that's the symptom not the cause. They used to be a solid inch down before this happened - they are rapidly receding. The green torch next to it has tissue over an inch down on it.

 

[Morpheosz]

Not really seeing much movement on the two in the back in the middle.

They get a moderate flow and are happy with it. The one that is currently dying though is the purple torch in the middle that was getting hit by moderate surges - more than enough for a torch. I have my wave pumps timed to create a back and forth wave surge and I've dialed it in to a point that all these corals are happy. When I had them higher they got whipped around too much and didn't extend as well.

 

[TokenReefer]

He's an idea, take a look at your tank tonight after lights out (a few hours in at least). See if any warfare is going on.

 

[JGT]

Sometimes things die and there is no plausible explanation for it. Seems especially prevalent with euphyllia.

 

[EZKLR]

all that green algae on the base doesn't look normal. not sure that's the reason for the loss, but can't believe it's helping

 

[Red_Beard]

Wish i had a clear cut answer for what was causing this for you. Could it be any kind of trauma? Like something fell on them or bumped them and damaged tissue? One hail-mary you could try that has worked for me is an iodine dip. I got some povidone iodine from Walgreen's. Give it a good squirt, so that the water is brown, just past the yellow color and let the coral sit 5, 10 mins in there. The iodine can really help some of that struggling tissue heal up, especially if it is caused by a trauma injury. Other than that i can only echo what has been said above, that it could otherwise be a nutrient issue if all the tissue on the skeleton has been receding like that for an extended time. Could be some trace element that is lacking causing this too. Good luck dude, hope you can get them turned around.

 

[Morpheosz]

Sometimes things die and there is no plausible explanation for it. Seems especially prevalent with euphyllia.

Yeah, I don't get too bent out of shape with any one coral, but the randomness of it is unsettling, and the fact that it's 3 now leads me to believe there is some biological element that is infecting or preying on these euphyllia.

 

[JGT]

Yeah, I don't get too bent out of shape with any one coral, but the randomness of it is unsettling, and the fact that it's 3 now leads me to believe there is some biological element that is infecting or preying on these euphyllia.

Did you check on any rusting metals, shorts in pumps/power heads? Have you done an ICP test? I had a gyre where the wires were exposed and rusted and caused some torch heads to die. Not all the torches and not all the heads on torches that died. But removed that and everything has been fine since.

 

[Morpheosz]

Did you check on any rusting metals, shorts in pumps/power heads? Have you done an ICP test? I had a gyre where the wires were exposed and rusted and caused some torch heads to die. Not all the torches and not all the heads on torches that died. But removed that and everything has been fine since.

I haven't done an ICP test in the last month or two. I may still have one laying around, I'll send it in, good idea.

I doubt I have anything of that nature though, the tank is only a year old and I have recently replaced the return pump (an unrelated saga) with a brand new one, and over the holidays I disassembled and cleaned my skimmer and wave pumps and everything looks like new again.

 

[Shirak]

From the video I would call that barely flowing for Euphyllia. Maybe that doesn't show the full extent of your flow amounts and randomness? Growing for months and yet there is little tissue around the outside of those that are declining and hasn't been for some time based on the color of the skeleton. This is not a sudden new issue. These have been having problems for a while and losing tissue. When I see this on Euphyllia it is usually a sign of slow starvation, and or a problem with the skeleton putting on new growth from calcification. It does not have to be accompanied by color and extension change. You could be correct there is something biological attacking them. More likely when they get to a weakened state first. It's not always evident until boom and in a matter of 2 or 3 days the Euphyllia is gone. Usually brown jelly which will hit when the tissue around the edge recedes up far enough to the edge of the skeleton.

Attached a video of some of my torches. The hammers and frogspawn are getting the same kind and amount of flow..(takes a while to load).

Th

 

[Morpheosz]

From the video I would call that barely flowing for Euphyllia. Maybe that doesn't show the full extent of your flow amounts and randomness? Growing for months and yet there is little tissue around the outside of those that are declining and hasn't been for some time based on the color of the skeleton. This is not a sudden new issue. These have been having problems for a while and losing tissue. When I see this on Euphyllia it is usually a sign of slow starvation, and or a problem with the skeleton putting on new growth from calcification. It does not have to be accompanied by color and extension change. You could be correct there is something biological attacking them. More likely when they get to a weakened state first. It's not always evident until boom and in a matter of 2 or 3 days the Euphyllia is gone. Usually brown jelly which will hit when the tissue around the edge recedes up far enough to the edge of the skeleton.

Attached a video of some of my torches. The hammers and frogspawn are getting the same kind and amount of flow..(takes a while to load).

I'm surprised you consider that barely flowing - it looks very similar to yours, maybe 20% less, but not dramatically less. Maybe it didn't come through in the video, but at full size it's pretty easy to see how similar our flow is.

Here is another clip that shows the flow better.


With respect to the tissue recession, that literally all happened in the last week. The green torch has tissue nearly all the way to the bottom, and so did this one a week ago. They have not been slowly deteriorating for awhile. The green torch next to it has gone from 3 heads when I bought it a few months ago to 7 heads now. You can't argue that that's somehow masking it wasting away.

 

[Shirak]

I'm surprised you consider that barely flowing - it looks very similar to yours, maybe 20% less, but not dramatically less. Maybe it didn't come through in the video, but at full size it's pretty easy to see how similar our flow is.

Here is another clip that shows the flow better.


With respect to the tissue recession, that literally all happened in the last week. The green torch has tissue nearly all the way to the bottom, and so did this one a week ago. They have not been slowly deteriorating for awhile. The green torch next to it has gone from 3 heads when I bought it a few months ago to 7 heads now. You can't argue that that's somehow masking it wasting away.

Yes your flow looks better in the additional video. Have you checked salinity?
I have heard of others with similar situations and the Euphyllia just succumb one after the other. I went through a bought of BJD on my Euphyllia a while back. It doesn't hit them all at once... Did you see any signs when dipping the others? a little brown gunk down deep between the plates where the flesh had gone from around the rim? In a good flow situation it doesn't always develop into a big mess of brown stuff but will work it's way down into the crown of the head from one edge.
Cipro dosing the tank may be an option or pull the unhealthy guys out and give them a soak.