Polyp bailout on Torch and starting on Hammer

[FireUnderwater]

So in the last two weeks, I have had a Holy Grail Torch do a complete bailout in 3 days, and now I’m having a Neon Green Hammer start to do the exact same.
Tank setup is a Red Sea Reefer P650, running a Reef Mat 1200, and a AquaaMaxx protein skimmer. Lights are Noops K7 Pro IIIs running around 90% at peak, 10 inches above water, and corals are about 10 inches deep in the water. The rest of my Hammers/Torches/Frogspawn seem to be doing okay.

Flow is two DMP-40s and two SLW-30s. Running carbon in a BRS deluxe reactor, and a 57w UV sterilizer.

Not currently dosing but I will be starting All For Reef soon to help maintain alk.

Current levels 1 week after water change are
PH 8.3
Nitrate 50 ppm
Phosphate 0.5 ppm
Calcium 425 ppm
Alk 7.7
MG 1450
Temp 78F
Salinity 1.025

Water changes are done every 7 days with Aqua Forest Reef Salt+ at 30g.

I know my phosphates and nitrates are a bit high but I’ve seen a large amount of people running similar numbers with massive LPS gardens, so I’m very confused what could be the cause for such rapid bailout.
(Note for pictures, lights were in ramp down so corals were starting to shrink up)

 

[TX_REEF]

your parameters look "perfect" so we have to think about things you aren't testing for, assuming you have no testing errors.

Do you use your own RODI system? When is the last time you've changed the filters? When I notice corals seeming unhappy with no explanation, it is often because the TDS of my RODI is no longer zero, meaning contaminants in the water that we don't test for.

If this is not a possibility, I'd recommend an ICP test, I've used this one multiple times with success: https://amzn.to/4sn8Bxl

 

[FireUnderwater]

your parameters look "perfect" so we have to think about things you aren't testing for, assuming you have no testing errors.

Do you use your own RODI system? When is the last time you've changed the filters? When I notice corals seeming unhappy with no explanation, it is often because the TDS of my RODI is no longer zero, meaning contaminants in the water that we don't test for.

If this is not a possibility, I'd recommend an ICP test, I've used this one multiple times with success: https://amzn.to/4sn8Bxl

RODI was last swapped on New Years, total I make around 150 gallons of RODI a month so they shouldn’t need swapped until May ish

 

[FireUnderwater]

your parameters look "perfect" so we have to think about things you aren't testing for, assuming you have no testing errors.

Do you use your own RODI system? When is the last time you've changed the filters? When I notice corals seeming unhappy with no explanation, it is often because the TDS of my RODI is no longer zero, meaning contaminants in the water that we don't test for.

If this is not a possibility, I'd recommend an ICP test, I've used this one multiple times with success: https://amzn.to/4sn8Bxl

I think it’s the most frustrating with how rapid the bailout is. My holy grail went from perfect and flowy to closed up one day, partial bail out the next, and complete bail out by day 3. I was originally thinking potentially BJD but I figured with 17 Euphyllia coral, that would run through my tank like a firestorm.

 

[TX_REEF]

RODI was last swapped on New Years, total I make around 150 gallons of RODI a month so they shouldn’t need swapped until May ish

that being the case, in your situation, I'd order an ICP test to check all water chemistry for potential issues. I see nothing wrong with your parameters whatsoever.

One thing I might suggest is that weekly 30 gallon water changes on your 140 gallon system is probably too much. If you are doing weekly water changes, ~10% is sufficient. Anything more than that, and you are potentially causing a very sudden drop in nutrients that can irritate corals. "too much of a good thing"

 

[FireUnderwater]

that being the case, in your situation, I'd order an ICP test to check all water chemistry for potential issues. I see nothing wrong with your parameters whatsoever.

One thing I might suggest is that weekly 30 gallon water changes on your 140 gallon system is probably too much. If you are doing weekly water changes, ~10% is sufficient. Anything more than that, and you are potentially causing a very sudden drop in nutrients that can irritate corals. "too much of a good thing"

Total system is 175 with sump, so around a 15% water change ish is what I’m currently doing. I’ll place an order for an ICP test to hopefully figure this out sooner rather than later.

 

[Shirak]

I think it’s the most frustrating with how rapid the bailout is. My holy grail went from perfect and flowy to closed up one day, partial bail out the next, and complete bail out by day 3. I was originally thinking potentially BJD but I figured with 17 Euphyllia coral, that would run through my tank like a firestorm.

How does the flesh look around the outside of the skeleton? Is there a decent flesh band visible? I agree could be bacterial if it's happening so rapidly but sometimes hard to say for sure if they are declining slowly and not much flesh around the skeleton. They can look fine and healthy and puffy for months and then they appear to go downhill seemingly overnight when there isn't much left except for the polyp.

Possible something picking at them? Peppermint shrimp, fish?

Water parameters seem fine. I used to run pretty high nutrients like you but my lps would still need direct feeding a couple times a week or they would lose tissue and recede. My system was very fish light though so I was not broadcast feeding a lot for fish every day.

 

[FireUnderwater]

that being the case, in your situation, I'd order an ICP test to check all water chemistry for potential issues. I see nothing wrong with your parameters whatsoever.

One thing I might suggest is that weekly 30 gallon water changes on your 140 gallon system is probably too much. If you are doing weekly water changes, ~10% is sufficient. Anything more than that, and you are potentially causing a very sudden drop in nutrients that can irritate corals. "too much of a good thing"

Total system is 175 with sump, so around a 15% water change ish is what I’m currently

How does the flesh look around the outside of the skeleton? Is there a decent flesh band visible? I agree could be bacterial if it's happening so rapidly but sometimes hard to say for sure if they are declining slowly and not much flesh around the skeleton. They can look fine and healthy and puffy for months and then they appear to go downhill seemingly overnight when there isn't much left except for the polyp.

Possible something picking at them? Peppermint shrimp, fish?

Water parameters seem fine. I used to run pretty high nutrients like you but my lps would still need direct feeding a couple times a week or they would lose tissue and recede. My system was very fish light though so I was not broadcast feeding a lot for fish every day.

I have an AF4 so everything in my tank gets broadcast fed 4 times a day. Currently 17 fish in the tank. I was originally thinking that since I have quite a few fish that could be coral eaters like two dwarf angels but I religiously watch the tank and have a camera and haven’t seen anything peck at it. The holy grail when it bailed went from a large flesh band to none in the 3 days. The hammer is already starting to bail, and it still has a decent flesh band. I did notice this morning that I have another torch head fully receded, and a double hammer head starting too.
I ordered an ICP test and another set of RODI filters. It hasn’t been long enough but I’m at a loss.

 

[Shirak]

are you able to get some close up pictures under white lights?
Could try putting in some fresh carbon in case it’s some sort of contaminant. I think I would be leaning towards infection though based on your description of the rapid decline of the individual heads. Even something like bjd could bounce around from coral to coral head to head.

Are you able to do an iodine dip on one to see if it helps?

 

[FireUnderwater]

are you able to get some close up pictures under white lights?
Could try putting in some fresh carbon in case it’s some sort of contaminant. I think I would be leaning towards infection though based on your description of the rapid decline of the individual heads. Even something like bjd could bounce around from coral to coral head to head.

Are you able to do an iodine dip on one to see if it helps?

I did a carbon swap yesterday, I was thinking infection but it’s not showing normal infection signs.

 

[FireUnderwater]

Just as an update, I figured out the cause. Looks like somehow some flatworms managed to slip through my coral dips. My best guess is some eggs came in on inverts, and they decided to go to town. Probably got a good 7-8 of them off of a total of 16 Torches/Hammers. Still have a few more corals to dip, my hammer that was stringing finally opened up today.

 

[Shirak]

Glad you found the cause. Not fun to deal with them but they can be eliminated with periodic dipping and removing eggs.