Most Seriatopora/Stylophora/Poccilopora dying, All Acros/Montis thriving

[danoo]

I'm posting because this is pretty bizarre and I haven't seen any other threads about it. I've got a strange situation in my tank where my Seriatoporas, Stylophoras and Pocciloporas are almost all dying or have died, whereas my Acros/Montis are all completely thriving with the best growth and best coloration they've had.

This is smaller corals, a giant purple stylo (>8" across) that grew from a small frag, all with the same symptoms over the past 2-3 months: slow tissue death, no polyp extension, weird white discharge. Some are dying from the base up, others dying from the tips down. There are at least 6 different corals throughout the tank, with different levels of low and light that are all exhibiting the same symptoms: ORA Green Birdsnest (pictured), Big Purple Stylo, Rainbow Stylo (died), Random Birdsnest (died), Hawaiian Pink Poccilopora (pictured), ORA Ponape Birdsnest (seems to be hanging on but some tissue death).

And as stated, there are at least 30-40 acros and montis that are all doing phenomenally. Small frags, huge colonies. Haven't lost an acro/monti in at least 6 months.

Potential factors: Pretty severe aiptasia problem (maybe they are doing chemical warfare?), decently severe cyano problem in the past 2-3 months (successfully treated with cyano remover a few weeks ago), bicolor blenny might be eating them (I've never seen it happen but can't discount it).

Otherwise nothing else I can think of. 350g tank, Alkalinity rock steady ~8.5-9 (tested twice daily), Nitrates ~20ppm, Phosphate 0.05.

I'd just as soon remove all the dying corals and free up more space for acros, so the fact they are dying is not of much concern to me, but I am curious about what is going on because it seems so bizarre. My leading theory is some strange bacteria that only targets those types of corals got a foothold in the tank somehow, but since the targets are all different species of corals I'm not sure how much sense that makes.

Any ideas or theories appreciated.

 

[Backreefing]

My first thought is a roller coaster alkalinity. I had it happen. Only hurt my birdsnests . Acropora and montipora were fine .
Btw birdsnest corals are difficult and certainly not a starter SPS . Good luck

 

[Reefer5640]

Dang! I’m really sorry to hear that, really sucks!!it almost looks like bacteria or something. I just went through something similar. I lost about 6 colonies of high dollar acros. Ended up being I had a small amount of copper in my system. No idea where it came from. Anyway, have you tried dipping? Also have you tried an icp test

 

[Reefer5640]

With that much damage I would think you’d see the blenny nipping by now. But could be... you say you alk has been rock steady so unless that’s just recent I would think alk swing wouldn’t be the cause. Could be the cyano. Those types of corals are pretty sensitive to being smothered by cyano in my experience.

 

[Reefer5640]

Are the aptasia touching the corals that are being effected? If so I’d say that’s huge possibility

 

[Backreefing]

I just read more , nitrates at 20 ppm = problem

 

[Reefer5640]

Yeah I missed that too. That’s pretty high. I know guys that get their nitrates up to 10 with acros and other SPS but they do it very slowly over a long time. Have your nitrates been that high for a long time? If so have you ever noticed those specific coral thrive at that high of nitrates?

 

[danoo]

Are the aptasia touching the corals that are being effected? If so I’d say that’s huge possibility

Almost certainly touching the various bases but not necessarily touching the parts where the tissue is dying.

 

[Reefer5640]

Mmm I’d say it could be wearing them down but in my experience the aptasia kill the spots they touch

 

[danoo]

Yeah I missed that too. That’s pretty high. I know guys that get their nitrates up to 10 with acros and other SPS but they do it very slowly over a long time. Have your nitrates been that high for a long time? If so have you ever noticed those specific coral thrive at that high of nitrates?

Nitrates had historically been about 10ppm. A few months ago I did very slowly dose nitrates in an attempt to reduce phosphate, which was fairly effective. They raised from 10ppm --> 20 ppm over the course of a month. I stopped dosing nitrates about a month ago and the levels have stayed fairly steady. I feed heavily.

That is an interesting theory. I'd find it surprising if these corals were that sensitive to nitrates but the timing does roughly line up. The increased nitrates improved the depth of coloration on some of my acros which is why I'm keeping the levels high.

 

[ycnibrc]

Check your flow those are notorious high flow Coral. When you put them in low flow the algae can grow on the skeleton and kill the corals. I look at your picture look like u have it on the bottom.

 

[jeffww]

For me this happens with alkalinity swing paired with low nutrients which is not your case. I would test again to check to make sure this isn't the case. Otherwise, my BNs and stylo die back during high temperature/low oxygen.

 

[danoo]

Check your flow those are notorious high flow Coral. When you put them in low flow the algae can grow on the skeleton and kill the corals. I look at your picture look like u have it on the bottom.

The birdsnest in the picture is in a very high flow spot in the aquarium. I don't think it could be flow because that is something that didn't change and the corals were all previously very healthy and growing in the same spots.

 

[SeaDweller]

Can we see pics of your acros that are thriving and with the best colors you’ve ever had?

 

[Sallstrom]

We have had the same type of die off, only in Seriatopora and Stylopora. We don't have that much Poccilopora, but the ones we have didn't seem to be affected. The strange thing is that we had it in two different coral holding systems at the same time. So two water systems, not connected. We did move corals around and switched them between systems. That's of course not always a good idea, but when running many tanks it's sometimes a quick fix for some corals just to get to another tank.

I really don't have any explanation for it. We tried to remove the "sick" parts and keep the healthy looking ones, and after a month or two it stopped. We didn't have any strange numbers, other then the temp that went down a couple of times. Low nitrate and phosphate. Steady KH at 6,5-7. So to me I felt like a diease, just affecting those groups of corals.

 

[danoo]

Can we see pics of your acros that are thriving and with the best colors you’ve ever had?

A real call to arms in the reef community! But a good excuse to take some photos. Should have waited for the halides to come on as all of these are way too blue. I guess that will be an excuse to take more photos.

 

[danoo]

We have had the same type of die off, only in Seriatopora and Stylopora. We don't have that much Poccilopora, but the ones we have didn't seem to be affected. The strange thing is that we had it in two different coral holding systems at the same time. So two water systems, not connected. We did move corals around and switched them between systems. That's of course not always a good idea, but when running many tanks it's sometimes a quick fix for some corals just to get to another tank.

I really don't have any explanation for it. We tried to remove the "sick" parts and keep the healthy looking ones, and after a month or two it stopped. We didn't have any strange numbers, other then the temp that went down a couple of times. Low nitrate and phosphate. Steady KH at 6,5-7. So to me I felt like a diease, just affecting those groups of corals.

Interesting. What percentage of the corals recovered?

 

[SeaDweller]

A real call to arms in the reef community! But a good excuse to take some photos. Should have waited for the halides to come on as all of these are way too blue. I guess that will be an excuse to take more photos.

That’s odd. I’d keep real close watch on these unless you have something that only affects those genus.