Rainbow Crush Chalice Tissue Necrosis

[0utworld]

Hi all,

I recently had a Rainbow Crush Chalice shipped to me and placed at a shaded area in my 20g tank, following the appropriate acclimation procedures. When it arrived, I noticed a bit of skeletal exposure that wasn't on the catalog image. But I just thought it was typical shipping stress. However in the following two days, the chalice has been rapidly losing tissue at different spots near the center. After doing some research, I've noticed that if water parameters are off, tissue recession typically occurs from the edges. So right now I'm stressed and completely out of ideas. This morning during a scheduled 20% water change, I dipped it in 1.5x concentration CoralRx, blew off some dangling dead tissue, and moved it to an even more shaded area. Does anybody know what's going on?

When the chalice arrived, the water it was in smelled like death. Could this mean that the chalice wasn't doing so well before it arrived?

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3 (before and after dip)

Water parameters before water change:
Nitrate: 2
Phosphates:0.046
Alk: 8.5
Haven't measured Ca and Mg in a while, but I dose Tropic Marin All-for-reef based on my Alk.

My raja rampage has almost doubled its size since I got it 2 months ago, so I really don't think its the water.

Any help is appreciated! Thank you all in advance.

 

[boostedbeast]

Sand and chalices dont mix . Get it on a disc so its not getting sand on or around the bottom of it. Goahead and put it in full light on sandbed. Are you dosing kalk or magnesium?

 

[0utworld]

Sand and chalices dont mix . Get it on a disc so its not getting sand on or around the bottom of it. Goahead and put it in full light on sandbed. Are you dosing kalk or magnesium?

I'm dosing an all in one doser, which is for alk, ca, mg, and trace elements.

It was on a frag plate the whole time but I initially buried the plate for aesthetic purposes. When I re-placed the chalice today, I have the plate sitting out on the sand (day 3 last image).

Are you sure I should go full light? I heard chalices really like no/very low light.

Thank you!

 

[andrewkw]

I can’t really help you with what’s wrong, based on the information. That being said as long as you don’t lose it completely, it can and will bounce back.

I’ve had some real rough looking ones make 100% recovery over just a few short months.

 

[0utworld]

I can’t really help you with what’s wrong, based on the information. That being said as long as you don’t lose it completely, it can and will bounce back.

I’ve had some real rough looking ones make 100% recovery over just a few short months.

Appreciate it. Good to know that there's hope!

 

[boostedbeast]

Yeah as long as its on the sandbed it will be fine with the light. Ive always put mine in the spot they are going to stay from the start.

 

[andrewkw]

Appreciate it. Good to know that there's hope!

No prob. I would guess something stressed it out but it's so hard to say. I never found out what was wrong with this one :

Here is a more recent picture

 

[Saltyreef]

I would test cal and mag. If mag is too low corals dont consume alk very well. Should be above 1350

 

[0utworld]

Quick Update: Since the dip, it's rapidly losing tissue by the minute ;Drowning

 

[0utworld]

I would test cal and mag. If mag is too low corals dont consume alk very well. Should be above 1350

That's a logical next step for me right now.

 

[0utworld]

No prob. I would guess something stressed it out but it's so hard to say. I never found out what was wrong with this one :

Here is a more recent picture

What did you do to help with its recovery? Did you dose anything? What was the light and flow?

Thanks!

 

[andrewkw]

The only thing I did for mine was I moved it to another tank and left it in a really low light spot. After a few weeks it started to grow back then started to extend tentacles, at that time I moved it back to a moderate light spot and began target feeding once a week.

The only reason I moved it to a different tank was I did not know what the problem was. Other tank has similar parameters.

 

[Saltyreef]

When my chalices and montis lose tissue like this i always turn to testing my macros and make sure they are all in an acceptable range.
Lighting plays a lesser significant factor in this case.

 

[Saltyreef]

Usually whats found in my case is either low alk or low mag causing this issue.

 

[siggy]

Chalis can be tricky, At least for me. I treat them like sps, if anything is off I lose them, salinity and alk swings are killers.
Right now I have a jelly bean that has done nothing, and another rainbow like the JB that is noticeably growing.
Light I don't believe is much of a factor, as long as it's not getting blasted.

 

[0utworld]

Usually whats found in my case is either low alk or low mag causing this issue.

Has this type of tissue loss every occurred to your chalices?

I just test my mg twice and both were at 1240. Also, this is after a 20% waterchange, so it was probably a bit lower before. Is this considered low for chalices?

I never considered Mg to be a problem because I had fast-growing chalices and this one didn't have tissue recession from the edges.

 

[0utworld]

Chalis can be tricky, At least for me. I treat them like sps, if anything is off I lose them, salinity and alk swings are killers.
Right now I have a jelly bean that has done nothing, and another rainbow like the JB that is noticeably growing.
Light I don't believe is much of a factor, as long as it's not getting blasted.

Just found out that my Alk went up by 0.5 following a 20% waterchange today, which is definitely adding gas to the fire. I'll work to keep it stable from now on.

Thanks!

 

[0utworld]

I can’t really help you with what’s wrong, based on the information. That being said as long as you don’t lose it completely, it can and will bounce back.

I’ve had some real rough looking ones make 100% recovery over just a few short months.

Unfortunately I don't have another tank . But I was wondering if you could share your Alk, Ca, Mg levels .

Much appreciated!

 

[andrewkw]

Alkalinity is between 7.7-8 dkh.
Calcium 420
Mag 1400+

I find it unlikely that one of these parameters is what’s effecting only one coral in your tank. The temperature did drop in the tank my chalice was originally in but again I dismissed that as the reason for it almost dying.

 

[brandon429]

100% agreed. I could turn that into a dinner plate with only weekly water changes and cup feeding. It’s a baby on a frag on the bottom...use that to feeding advantage to add mass easily here.

occasionally, turn off your circulation. Take your days reef feed and blend it in and shoot most of it creatively into a little hole you put in a large pill bottle or some cap cup resting over the plug on the bottom make a weight so it won’t fall. It sits there covering feed on the coral till you release it for the rest of the tank, no waste no extra feed- focused feed exercise/ waster change sustained eight weeks is the certain fix. A small plastic cup with a hole in the bottom, inverted over the frag is perfect.


The feed cup is removed after a few mins and the currents carry away the normal amount of feed. Select feed that elicits a tentacle response; try rods frozen feed all corals eat that.