Help sps brown algae?

[Balz3352]

Hello
Recently some of my sps is dying off one by one and I cannot find a source. Only symptom is brown algae/slime that develops on the tips and then frags rtn after that.

All frags were healthy and growing prior to this. Only change is I had a gold torch die due to brown slime before my sps started to go

Alk 8.0
Cal 440
Mag 1300

Don't have a reliable phosphate kit (expired) but do run gfo amd have a large refuge with mangroves and cheato.

Best pics I could get sorry I only have phone. Upper left of the milli

 

[Balz3352]

Here is an obviously dead coral with some residual brown stuff on it

 

[Balz3352]

 

[BigJim]

The brown algae just forms on the dying tissue. It's not likely the cause. It seems like most SPS STN or RTN issues are either alk or pest related. Dead tissue at the tips is often a sign of high alk and low nutrients. Does it stay at 8 or does it fluctuate? Have you checked the corals for pests? How old is the tank and what kind of lighting do you use?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The brown algae just forms on the dying tissue. It's not likely the cause. It seems like most SPS STN or RTN issues are either alk or pest related. Dead tissue at the tips is often a sign of high alk and low nutrients. Does it stay at 8 or does it fluctuate? Have you checked the corals for pests? How old is the tank and what kind of lighting do you use?

this.

 

[Balz3352]

Fairly stable when I test... Will try to inc alk testing. But past month 7.8-8.1

No pests that I can see. I also have tried to frag/dip a few to save them with no luck but also no pests.


Tank is 8 months old. Coral didn't go in till month 4-5 but was doing great and encrusting/growing. Zoas look fine.

Lighting
2 80w t5 most of the day.
Blue diy led stunners on all day (except few hours at night)
Metal halides 250watt Phoenix on for 2.5 hours.

Tank is a 215gallon
72*24*29

 

[Balz3352]

The brown algae just forms on the dying tissue. It's not likely the cause. It seems like most SPS STN or RTN issues are either alk or pest related. Dead tissue at the tips is often a sign of high alk and low nutrients. Does it stay at 8 or does it fluctuate? Have you checked the corals for pests? How old is the tank and what kind of lighting do you use?

Forgot to tag

 

[BigJim]

I don't have any other ideas without knowing your phosphate and nitrate levels. I would guess they are low if you run gfo and a fuge, but I wouldn't want to suggest increasing them without knowing the test results. I had similar issues a few months back, and increasing my nutrients helped some. I was also having an issue with my dosing pump that took me some time to diagnose.

 

[Sabellafella]

Fairly stable when I test... Will try to inc alk testing. But past month 7.8-8.1

No pests that I can see. I also have tried to frag/dip a few to save them with no luck but also no pests.


Tank is 8 months old. Coral didn't go in till month 4-5 but was doing great and encrusting/growing. Zoas look fine.

Lighting
2 80w t5 most of the day.
Blue diy led stunners on all day (except few hours at night)
Metal halides 250watt Phoenix on for 2.5 hours.

Tank is a 215gallon
72*24*29

Have you made any changes lately? Looks like one of those photos rtned indicating something bad happened rather quickly

 

[Balz3352]

Have you made any changes lately? Looks like one of those photos rtned indicating something bad happened rather quickly

It has been quick. No change beside adding qtd fish. But I only have. 7 fish so far

 

[Balz3352]

I don't have any other ideas without knowing your phosphate and nitrate levels. I would guess they are low if you run gfo and a fuge, but I wouldn't want to suggest increasing them without knowing the test results. I had similar issues a few months back, and increasing my nutrients helped some. I was also having an issue with my dosing pump that took me some time to diagnose.

I'll check everything out tonight.

 

[Balz3352]

I did have a clam recently die from pinched mantle.

 

[Sabellafella]

I did have a clam recently die from pinched mantle.

Hmm. Id run some carbon or some polypad or polymer just incase and give it some time. Maybe do some waterchanges to get back ontrack. If all of your sps are reacting poorly, its obviously water quality issues(if it indeed is not a pest)

 

[luke33]

You start the tank with dry rock?

 

[Balz3352]

Tonight's perams

Alk 8.0
Cal 446
Mag 1290

Ph 8.1 test kit 8.07 apex
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phos . 05

 

[Balz3352]

Oh crap..... My hanna reader im guessing reagent was bad. My alk is 7.2!! With new reagent.
Checked twice. 7.2 both times.

 

[luke33]

If your alk has been at 7.2 consistently I don't think that's the issue. Unless your phos and trates are high.

 

[Balz3352]

Hmm. Id run some carbon or some polypad or polymer just incase and give it some time. Maybe do some waterchanges to get back ontrack. If all of your sps are reacting poorly, its obviously water quality issues(if it indeed is not a pest)

I am running carbon.

 

[Balz3352]

You start the tank with dry rock?

Yes and no.. Base rock was dry but I have 2 big marine pure blocks that were seeded from an existing system

 

[luke33]

Dry rock always causes maturity probs imo, so sps will not thrive for well over a year.

With the mature marine blocks I would question the prior tank and I've heard of metal leaching. Maybe a triton test would help. Other thing I would check is your sg. Have you checked your refractometer with a sg solution? This gets overlooked often.