Help - LPS Corals Struggling

[tanked4u]

Hello Reef 2 Reef,

Issue:
Over the past ~4 weeks or more, my LPS corals have been struggling with tissue loss. It started with 2 of my 3 blasto colonies and is now impacting my hammer and trumpet corals (see photos below). The trumpet coral is new to the tank (within the last few weeks), but the blasto and hammer corals have been thriving in my tank for 3+ years.

Background:
My tank is a 32 gallon Biocube which has been up and running for ~4 years. I have lost corals over the years for various reasons, but this is my experience with wide spread coral loss. My fish/inverts all seem to be happy and healthy. My soft corals all look great. I have a duncan, jack-o-lantern lepto, and bubble colony that look normal. However, I just noticed one of my two chalices looks stressed, too.

Fish and Inverts:
2 clowns
1 yellow watchman
1 pistol shrimp
various snails
1 tuxedo urchin
* All of these guys have been in my tank for at least 1+ years.

Water Maintenance Routine:
I religiously do a 5 gallon water change weekly with RO/DI water. This is my primary means for maintaining stability, and my parameters do not move much. From time to time, I will add a little bit of Alk/Cal each week, but it is mostly just the water changes. When my corals seem stressed in the past, I conduct a 10 gallon water change, and it has always cleared up the issue. I run BRS carbon and GFO in a bag in the sump. I run the Tunze skimmer.

Dipping Routine:
I dip each new coral in Bayer and CoralRx. I add a new coral frag about every 3 months, or so. The last new corals were about 2 weeks ago.

Coral Feeding:
ReefRoids every other week or so. I feed my fish LRS Reef Frenzy on a daily basis, and the corals catch the scraps.

Current Water Parameters:
Temp: 78 degrees
Salinity: 1.026
Alk: 9.0
Calc: 430
Mg: 1370
NO3: 10
pH: 8.2 --- I have a really hard time judging the color on this test. This is my best guess.

* The above parameters are within my "normal" range.

I conducted a 10 gallon water change this past Sunday without any noticeable improvement. In fact, it seems worse today than on Sunday.

Side note, I have noticed the coralline algae seems to have been really taking off over the past few months.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions for root cause(s) and corrective actions.

I appreciate the assistance!

 

[JGT]

Don’t see a PO4 number and your NO3 if accurate is too low. You may be starving your corals.

 

[Lavey29]

Agree. Nitrates should be 10 not .10.

 

[tanked4u]

Agree. Nitrates should be 10 not .10.

My mistake.

Nitrates are 10.

 

[tanked4u]

Don’t see a PO4 number and your NO3 if accurate is too low. You may be starving your corals.

I do not have a PO4 test available.

 

[Lavey29]

Have you done an ICP test recently? Do you have any leather corals with possible toxin in the water? Do you suspect a bacterial infection?

 

[tanked4u]

Have you done an ICP test recently? Do you have any leather corals with possible toxin in the water? Do you suspect a bacterial infection?

Yes, I have a very large and healthy toadstool coral. I started running the carbon about 2 years ago out of concern for leather toxins. For what it is worth, the issue started with my blastos, which sit right next to the leather.

I am not sure what to look for in regards to a bacterial infection.

I have not tried an ICP test, but I am willing to give it a try.

 

[Lavey29]

Yes, I have a very large and healthy toadstool coral. I started running the carbon about 2 years ago out of concern for leather toxins. For what it is worth, the issue started with my blastos, which sit right next to the leather.

I am not sure what to look for in regards to a bacterial infection.

I have not tried an ICP test, but I am willing to give it a try.

For instance, in my tank I had a slow decline of hammers and torches. One head at a time would die off every few weeks. My coral vendor said it was bacteria infection and to frag the dying heads off to stop the spread. Instead, I dosed ciprofloaxin and the problem stopped immediately. Now the large leather toadstool is interesting. Maybe you need more filtration now if it's really big? There are other possibilities like a rusty magnet on a powerhead or something too. That's where an ICP test can check everything.

 

[tanked4u]

For instance, in my tank I had a slow decline of hammers and torches. One head at a time would die off every few weeks. My coral vendor said it was bacteria infection and to frag the dying heads off to stop the spread. Instead, I dosed ciprofloaxin and the problem stopped immediately. Now the large leather toadstool is interesting. Maybe you need more filtration now if it's really big? There are other possibilities like a rusty magnet on a powerhead or something too. That's where an ICP test can check everything.

I was suspicious of a pest or bacterial issue because my water pretty much does not change. In addition, the one head die off every few weeks is exactly what I am experiencing until the last few weeks when it really started to spread. I think I will try the Ciprofloxacin and see if it works.

What brand Ciprofloxacin did you use? Where did you purchase it?

I think it also time to invest in an ICP test. After 4 years, the rusty magnet could certainly be in play.

I may also slightly increase the carbon dosing. My toadstool has really taken off over the past year, but I have been using the same carbon dose.

Thanks for the help!

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Are you dosing carbon or using it for filtration? Two completely different things...

 

[Lavey29]

I was suspicious of a pest or bacterial issue because my water pretty much does not change. In addition, the one head die off every few weeks is exactly what I am experiencing until the last few weeks when it really started to spread. I think I will try the Ciprofloxacin and see if it works.

What brand Ciprofloxacin did you use? Where did you purchase it?

I think it also time to invest in an ICP test. After 4 years, the rusty magnet could certainly be in play.

I may also slightly increase the carbon dosing. My toadstool has really taken off over the past year, but I have been using the same carbon dose.

Thanks for the help!

I dose 125mg pill diluted in tank water first 3 times over a 6 day period at night with lights off. Remove carbon but skimmer can run. No harm to corals, fish or inverts. I ordered online from Alivet.

 

[tanked4u]

Are you dosing carbon or using it for filtration? Two completely different things...

Correction -- No, I am not dosing. I am using it in a bag in the back of the sump as filtration with the GFO.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Correction -- No, I am not dosing. I am using it in a bag in the back of the sump as filtration with the GFO.

That's what I figured, but wanted to clarify

 

[Tcook]

Is the gfo a new thing for you? How do you know you're not bottoming out your PO4?

 

[tanked4u]

Is the gfo a new thing for you? How do you know you're not bottoming out your PO4?

I have been relying on my LFS visits to check my Phosphates. I had an algae outbreak a while back which was attributed to high phosphates. The GFO knocked it out in about a month or so. I use the lowest recommended dose. Having said that, it is time for me to invest in a phosphate test, too.

Based on some quick research, it seems the Hanna ULR is a good option. True?

 

[Lavey29]

I have been relying on my LFS visits to check my Phosphates. I had an algae outbreak a while back which was attributed to high phosphates. The GFO knocked it out in about a month or so. I use the lowest recommended dose. Having said that, it is time for me to invest in a phosphate test, too.

Based on some quick research, it seems the Hanna ULR is a good option. True?

I use Hanna for everything. They even have a magnesium tester coming out this month.

 

[tanked4u]

Thank you everyone for the information.

After doing more research, I am fairly certain I am experiencing some type of bacterial infection, possibly white plague. My reasoning:

- Water parameters are consistent for the past 4 years
- Coralline algae is thriving
- Condition seems to move from one polyp to the next spreading by proximity
- All soft corals and some LPS are not impacted
- Descriptions of bacterial infections are consistent with what I have seen in my tank

Issue:
Outside of a sketchy Asian website, I cannot find ciprofloxacin for sale online.

Questions:
- Does anyone know a website that is currently selling ciprofloxacin?

- Alternatively, is there another antibiotic I could use as a substitute that is readily available?

- Any other general advice for treating coral bacterial infections?

Thank you!

 

[Shirak]

Thank you everyone for the information.

After doing more research, I am fairly certain I am experiencing some type of bacterial infection, possibly white plague. My reasoning:

- Water parameters are consistent for the past 4 years
- Coralline algae is thriving
- Condition seems to move from one polyp to the next spreading by proximity
- All soft corals and some LPS are not impacted
- Descriptions of bacterial infections are consistent with what I have seen in my tank

Issue:
Outside of a sketchy Asian website, I cannot find ciprofloxacin for sale online.

Questions:
- Does anyone know a website that is currently selling ciprofloxacin?

- Alternatively, is there another antibiotic I could use as a substitute that is readily available?

- Any other general advice for treating coral bacterial infections?

Thank you!

Where are you located?

 

[Lavey29]

Thank you everyone for the information.

After doing more research, I am fairly certain I am experiencing some type of bacterial infection, possibly white plague. My reasoning:

- Water parameters are consistent for the past 4 years
- Coralline algae is thriving
- Condition seems to move from one polyp to the next spreading by proximity
- All soft corals and some LPS are not impacted
- Descriptions of bacterial infections are consistent with what I have seen in my tank

Issue:
Outside of a sketchy Asian website, I cannot find ciprofloxacin for sale online.

Questions:
- Does anyone know a website that is currently selling ciprofloxacin?

- Alternatively, is there another antibiotic I could use as a substitute that is readily available?

- Any other general advice for treating coral bacterial infections?

Thank you!

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[JGT]

An issue I seem to have with Cipro is that while it stops the spread of. BJD to other heads, the initial head always winds up dying. And in many cases while the other heads initially survive, they also end up dying. I’ve tried going days in between without Cipro, raising the dose, lowering the dose but no luck. They just see seem to constantly ooze a brownish slime and slowly waste away to nothing. Any advice?