Kenya tree is melting! Mad about phosphates coming down?

[DesktopDiver]

My kenya tree was large and growing well until 2 days ago. Today it is slumped over, and part of one of the branches is black and mushy.

I was having issues with high phosphates (0.4), and was recommended using PhosGuard by SeaChem. This went into my tank 5 days ago.

I added more Phosguard two days ago, as nothing was happening. Since then, my phosphate has gone from 0.4 to 0.3, and my kenya tree, and my pulsing xenia, are both melting.

Nothing else in the tank seems effected yet. There are mushrooms, rockflower anemones, various LPS, and a couple of SPS.

Rest of the parameters are:

1.025 spec gravity
24 C temp
7.95 pH
453 Calc
9.22 dkH
1478 Mag
16 Nitrate
0.3 Phosphate

Help please, this was one of my first corals, and I really don't want to lose it.

I have taken out the phosguard, and added carbon. I am currently making up some saltwater to do a waterchange.

 

[DesktopDiver]

I did a 20% water change, and added carbon. It's been two hours, and the coral seems to be picking up again.

I'm hoping it was some sort of chemical warfare from my shedding toadstool, and removing the carbon when I added the Phosguard was my mistake.

I'll do another 20% water change tomorrow morning.

 

[ToxicPaly]

Did it recover?

 

[DesktopDiver]

Did it recover?

Sort of. I cut away all the dying tissue and was left with a tiny little stump.

Two months later it's got new polyps and is growing again.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'd watch that it does not repeat using Phosguard. It can release aluminum and irritate corals, including what was the bellweather in the old days with phosguard: leather corals closing up.

 

[DesktopDiver]

I'd watch that it does not repeat using Phosguard. It can release aluminum and irritate corals, including what was the bellweather in the old days with phosguard: leather corals closing up.

Thank you, I have removed the phosguard for the moment anyway as my phosphates seem to be under control.

My aluminium was raised in my last ICP, so good to know that might be where it was coming from.