Help with misc. coral deaths (SPS/LPS)

[DanielJameS]

Hey all, long post warning but really need some help:

So I wasn’t quite sure where to post this as I’m having an issue with both LPS/SPS and I’m not sure if this is an algae, bacteria or pest.

I have been dealing with a lot of death the last few weeks, but really struggling with certain things the last couple years.

My latest train derailment has been the death of many Euphylia, one polyp at a time, some that are over a year old, one specifically that is over 8 years old. Always the same pattern, retracted/deflated polyp, 2-3 days later either total bailout or melting entirely. Proximity also doesn’t seem to matter, I’ve had polyps melt on the other side of the tank, usually 1 at a time. This has been going on for a few weeks now.

In addition, most if not all SPS I put in the tank slowly decline. I’ve had a few that have done/are doing a well, but mostly they lose color, and slowly wither away and/or turn brown and/or have tissue loss at the tips.

I’ve been trying to hunt this down and solve it forever and in my efforts came across a few things I’d love some input on but before anyone asks, here’s the tanks history/parameters:

125G - going on 7 years established
SG 1.025-1.026 always stable
Temp: 77.6-78.4 stable
Alk: 8.0-8.3 stable
Calc: 440 stable
Mag: 1375 (stable)
NO3: 10-15 (highest 25-30 but generally stable long term)
PO4: .10-.15 (a drift up and down here and there but never lower than .07 or higher than .25) long term average about .13
Potassium: 410 stable

Lighting is 3x Kessil a360x’s + 2 AI blade grows. PAR was measured and in acceptable ranges for all corals. If I observed what looked like too much/too little light or flow I always try to find a better spot, but don’t fiddle too much as over the years I’ve learned to not be monkeying around and let things settle.

I had some losses over a year ago and since have really put a lot of effort in with maintenance, water changes, and general stability only to have it happen again.

Here are some photos I want to share to see if anyone has any insight. The first set of photos was from my most recent bailed out hammer. The red gel stuff is what was found where the frag was glued onto the plug. I’ve seen this on at least 2 other dead frags (both acro and LPS) is this just iron or iodine? Some kind of bacteria? Pest eggs? I can’t say I’ve seen this before.


The second is this reddish, calcified sort of node I found burred into the side of the rock this hammer was on. Interestingly enough I see a similar thing burrowed into at least 2 of my acropora (also pictured) are these eggs? If they’re acro related why did I also find this on/around a hammer?

a couple acros have and/or are losing tissue at either the tips, or the coralites very slowly.

I have spun my wheels looking for bad magnets, contaminants, changing RO filters/membrane, keeping up water changes, checking for stray voltage, running polyfilter/carbon, etc to no avail.

I have not YET done an ICP though that’s next on my list. Starting to realize this may be a pest issue not a water quality issue, with another option being a bacterial problem, possibly both?

I’m really looking for some experienced advice here on where to start. FWIW nothing at all came off in any dips of dying or dead Euphylia like flat worms etc.

Any help or Insight offered is appreciated as I’m up to my eyeballs in frustration at the moment. Thanks y’all!

 

[Tahoe61]

But the tank was stable and gorgeous before?
Have you tried a UV filter?
All testing equipment is calibrated? Use an alternative test resource?
Did you change saltmix or water source?
With regard to the Euphyllias, have you checked at night for polycald flatworms?

 

[DanielJameS]

But the tank was stable and gorgeous before?
Have you tried a UV filter?
All testing equipment is calibrated? Use an alternative test resource?
Did you change saltmix or water source?
With regard to the Euphyllias, have you checked at night for polycald flatworms?

Gorgeous? Haha that’s subjective but I guess everything (basically besides acros) grew extremely well. I’ve had this tank for going on 7 years, some of the stuff in it a couple years before that so it’s been through ups and downs over the years but yes, there have been long periods of everything doing great. To answer your questions:

1) Yes, run UV 24/7 for a long time but after reading a ton on microbiome, thinking of going without it a while.

2) Yes, 2 refractos, calibration solutions, multiple versions of test kits like alk/calc etc to cross check, been there done that.
3) Yes (same answer as above)
4) No salt change
5) Interesting you mentioned polyclad flat worms. I found a MASSIVE single one on a rock in my sump a long time ago. Since I have spent time looking for baby’s at night, doing dips etc but never saw any others and there was zero issues with euphylia in the year or so since I found that up until about 2.5 weeks ago. Nothing came off dipped dead/dying euphylia.

 

[Tahoe61]

The only times I have had difficulties with Euphyllia were swings in dkh, or polyclad flatworms.

That doesn't explain the sps issues though.
If it were a bacterial or a viral pathogen you would think the UV would have slowed it down. I can't identify the unknown on the coral skeleton. It's possible to have 2 types of pest.

So that leaves lighting and chemistry.

It's an extreme idea but maybe set up a quarantine tank. Run it with the same water source but different lighting and filtration. Move over a couple lps and see what happens.

I sure hope someone smarter than me comes along with the right answer.

 

[DanielJameS]

I should probably also add that this isn’t really happening overnight. Most of the time, a perfectly fine looking polyp/head of euphylia will retract/deflate in the middle of the day (which is where I notice it) then degrade over the next several days.

that’s a good reminder on the polyclad though considering I’ve had one in my sump before.

 

[DanielJameS]

The only times I have had difficulties with Euphyllia were swings in dkh, or polyclad flatworms.

That doesn't explain the sps issues though.
If it were a bacterial or a viral pathogen you would think the UV would have slowed it down. I can't identify the unknown on the coral skeleton. It's possible to have 2 types of pest.

So that leaves lighting and chemistry.

It's an extreme idea but maybe set up a quarantine tank. Run it with the same water source but different lighting and filtration. Move over a couple lps and see what happens.

I sure hope someone smarter than me comes along with the right answer.

I’ve debated on the QT to be honest, maybe even more so for an experiment with SPS.

Stability and chemistry are not an issue, unless it’s an unknown contaminant or microbiome imbalance sort of thing I can’t test for. My main ions have been pretty rock solid over the last couple years. I can’t remember the last time I had some major swing that was extremely concerning.

The lighting (in terms of PAR) is good, though maybe some things don’t like the spectrum mix of Kessils and blades? I’m sure that’s a possibility.

I’ve been trying to figure this out for a long time. The last time it happened in 2023, I lost all my SPS that had been doing very well, one by one over a period of a couple months with no rhyme or reason to the pattern which looked to me like an “infection” that was spreading. Then seemingly over the following year just staying stable and doing some water changes, it seemed to go away and everything I added over this past year or so was doing fantastic, then boom…here we go again.

 

[DanielJameS]

Right on cue:

Another one. Started today a couple hours ago. Same pattern. Head randomly shrivels, tentacles shrivel up, and a day or two later it bails or is dead.

This is 2 heads of the same colony hammer I’ve had in the same spot growing for the last 10 months. One at a time they all fall down.

This is so incredibly frustrating.

 

[smacrophylia]

Have u sent in an icp test? I had a slow steady decline of all my corals in my last tank from a rotting burned out pump in my overflow leeching metal. Can’t hurt just to rule it out. Icp test and Cuprisorb is much cheaper than euphyllia. I wish you luck!

 

[DanielJameS]

Have u sent in an icp test? I had a slow steady decline of all my corals in my last tank from a rotting burned out pump in my overflow leeching metal. Can’t hurt just to rule it out. Icp test and Cuprisorb is much cheaper than euphyllia. I wish you luck!

I need to send in an ICP - but this is happening fast. I’ve run Polyfilter which has never changed any color indicating metal contamination and done water changes with no luck. Thanks, these are the rough times….

 

[KJoFan]

I know this is a relatively old thread, but OP @DanielJameS did you ever find the culprit?

I feel like I could have written this thread, it's so similar to what I'm experiencing.

 

[BryanM]

Stability and chemistry are not an issue, unless it’s an unknown contaminant or microbiome imbalance sort of thing I can’t test for. My main ions have been pretty rock solid over the last couple years. I can’t remember the last time I had some major swing that was extremely concerning.

Unknown containment .... I'd send out an ICP test and make sure something's not off.

PLenty of threads that have decline and then find a wavemaker that's leaching something in to the water.... things like that.