'' rotting'' or' 'wither of SPS bases. Help please.

[Da8]

Hi!!

Been experiencing this for long time.

Never had idea of what could be happening.

Is like Stn but slower, and the visible skeleton left instead of white is like brown like.

The tissue recession is slow, and more than tipical stn, is more like localised paling of the tissue. Like withering.

Haven't got a clue. Maybe it's bacterial issue... Don't know.

On this first picture is on the visible base.
Top side.

On this second one is more visible.

Thank you very much for your help!!!

 

[ReillyReef]

i had the same issues when my p04 and no3 were low. Get nutrients up.

 

[homer1475]

While I certainly am new to SPS, mine did the same thing when my nitrates went to 0. Their not loosing tissue(rtn/stn) they are turning brown.

If they were loosing tissue you would be left with a stark white stick.

 

[Redfoxtang]

What’s your water parameters? Did you change anything recently? Lights, new pumps, power heads, etc?

 

[Da8]

i had the same issues when my p04 and no3 were low. Get nutrients up.

Yes... Maybe. I'm always with nutrient problems with spikes. Had a hard time managing to get my no3 from cero to detectable. Now on 4.

PO4 are always lower than 0,1 but quite unstable.

So maybe are part of the main problem.
But don't know. Other time managing my system with almost cero nutrient, when having stn was clear white slow but steady recession of the tissue, not this ultra slow brownish skeleton reveal.
Maybe it is consuming itself not to die, as you see color is great, and health is apparently well.

While I certainly am new to SPS, mine did the same thing when my nitrates went to 0. Their not loosing tissue(rtn/stn) they are turning brown.

If they were loosing tissue you would be left with a stark white stick.

For sure it's not browning. By the photos do you think my corals are browning?
Always thought browning as a complete progressive darkening. Not as punctual on some areas.

Never seen it as stn. Got always some stn in the tank and I'm quite familiar with it.
It's something else... Thank you very much.

What’s your water parameters? Did you change anything recently? Lights, new pumps, power heads, etc?

Yes... But seen it before also.
But yes. Changed flow. Even though it was already happening.
Had also an issue with kh (rose 3 points) so yes..lots of errors that can worsen any problem.

But that has happened to the coral also previously...

Parameters: almost stable since a lot of time.

Kh: 7,2
Ca 420
Mag 1400
K400
No3 and PO4 fluctuate too much.

Thanks all for the interest.

 

[ScottB]

Do you have an algae growing consistently in the tank? Film algae on the glass every couple of days? Those stated parameters are fine, so I too am questioning nutrient availability. If you said "yes" to one question above, then you have available nutrient.

How old is the tank? Do you have sponge growing under the rock or in the sump yet? Sponge and acros like to consume PO4 by eating the bacteria that eat PO4. It is kind of a sign that your biome is really ready to keep acros. (search Lou Ekus, youtube, Tropic Marin)

Lastly, the base is first attacked by pests. It also often shaded. On a colony, it is not at all unusual for the shaded out portion to have no/little flesh and no zoox at all. Always keep some wrasses in an acro tank to manage pests. Melanurus, coris are my favorites.

 

[Da8]

Do you have an algae growing consistently in the tank? Film algae on the glass every couple of days? Those stated parameters are fine, so I too am questioning nutrient availability. If you said "yes" to one question above, then you have available nutrient.

How old is the tank? Do you have sponge growing under the rock or in the sump yet? Sponge and acros like to consume PO4 by eating the bacteria that eat PO4. It is kind of a sign that your biome is really ready to keep acros. (search Lou Ekus, youtube, Tropic Marin)

Lastly, the base is first attacked by pests. It also often shaded. On a colony, it is not at all unusual for the shaded out portion to have no/little flesh and no zoox at all. Always keep some wrasses in an acro tank to manage pests. Melanurus, coris are my favorites.

Incredible answer. Thank you.


Yes. There is algae. So yes, it should be enough nutrient.
I have ciano. And have a big problem with valonia algae on the frag tank. So their is nutrient. Mainly phosphate.

The tank is just 8 months old. But it all comes from my old setup that is 6 years old. Had to change from a cube to a long tank not a year ago. Therefore I'm sure some problems are still to appear.
Acros are all veteran. At least one year with me. And some five (see that big red planet)

Acros live and grow well. I'm happy with the development of it after the change of tank.

But don't have a clue on why some tissues wither...

Ps: got six band wrasse and a splendidus on the frag tank.
On the big one also and a crysus
I do believe they are the most important fishes for an acro keeper.
Would love to have algo marginatus, but six band is too aggressive with the new ones.

 

[SeaDweller]

Funny, I was just mentioning this the other day. My HW colony is experiencing something unusual Like this as well. I’ll try to snap a pic if I can. Yesterday I basted the colony and some flesh came flying off, but it’s not dead today, and it’s happened before in the past, it recovered from whatever was affecting it. I snipped a few tips off where the flesh was clearly gone and the skeleton isn’t white, it’s a dark gray, and brittle. And it affects only this particular colony.

 

[Da8]

Funny, I was just mentioning this the other day. My HW colony is experiencing something unusual Like this as well. I’ll try to snap a pic if I can. Yesterday I basted the colony and some flesh came flying off, but it’s not dead today, and it’s happened before in the past, it recovered from whatever was affecting it. I snipped a few tips off where the flesh was clearly gone and the skeleton isn’t white, it’s a dark gray, and brittle. And it affects only this particular colony.

Yes... It sounds familiar.

But I can only think of it as a bacterial issue.

Got no clue.

 

[ScottB]

Incredible answer. Thank you.


Yes. There is algae. So yes, it should be enough nutrient.
I have ciano. And have a big problem with valonia algae on the frag tank. So their is nutrient. Mainly phosphate.

The tank is just 8 months old. But it all comes from my old setup that is 6 years old. Had to change from a cube to a long tank not a year ago. Therefore I'm sure some problems are still to appear.
Acros are all veteran. At least one year with me. And some five (see that big red planet)

Acros live and grow well. I'm happy with the development of it after the change of tank.

But don't have a clue on why some tissues wither...

Ps: got six band wrasse and a splendidus on the frag tank.
On the big one also and a crysus
I do believe they are the most important fishes for an acro keeper.
Would love to have algo marginatus, but six band is too aggressive with the new ones.

Thanks for the pic. Beautiful reef you have there!

Looking at the pics again I can see those bases are getting enough light to keep flesh on them. And like @SeaDweller this condition is familiar to me too from more than a year ago in my frag system. Super slow recission from the base upward. I think I lost a couple of frags to it, but it was very slow. I doubt it was pest related as I have a fairly rigorous dip routine & QT and get aggressive if I see something like this. But who knows for sure. I did have a dino battle along the way that nobody was happy with for a few weeks so...

Below is a pic of a survivor. It probably took 3 months to lose that little bit of tissue. Thankfully, you can see new growth edging downward. I should probably clean up the base a little to encourage further encrusting.

 

[Kayvon]

I am also having very slow death from the bottom up. I am currently fighting dinos as well.

 

[Da8]

Thanks for the pic. Beautiful reef you have there!

Looking at the pics again I can see those bases are getting enough light to keep flesh on them. And like @SeaDweller this condition is familiar to me too from more than a year ago in my frag system. Super slow recission from the base upward. I think I lost a couple of frags to it, but it was very slow. I doubt it was pest related as I have a fairly rigorous dip routine & QT and get aggressive if I see something like this. But who knows for sure. I did have a dino battle along the way that nobody was happy with for a few weeks so...

Below is a pic of a survivor. It probably took 3 months to lose that little bit of tissue. Thankfully, you can see new growth edging downward. I should probably clean up the base a little to encourage further encrusting.

Yes... More or less sounds same.

And yes. Also fighting dinos, or ciano (unable to difference them all the times...)

Maybe they get intoxicated by it when it dissapears at night...
Don't know. Maybe more active carbon will help. (uv sterilizer sure would be also a great idea... But hate killing also the nice guys)


@Kayvon , guess maybe it got something to do. White o brownish recent skeleton?

 

[ScottB]

@Kayvon and @Da8 if you are both fighting dinos (and have not already done so in the past) keep a close eye on NO3 & PO4. You may end up needing to dose both to keep your sticks going. Those dinos can process A LOT of nutrient quickly.

And yes, it is very common to have both cyano and dino concurrently. Do you have an ID yet on what dino species. (Should probably take this over to the big dino thread...

Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

I don't know what percentage of folks had luck battling dinos with any of the methods in the old Dino thread but it's obviously a very low percentage, so I'd like refresh folks on the natural alternatives and lay out three areas of info: some of the factors that contribute to a dino outbreak...

www.reef2reef.com

The first page gets you started pretty well. If you post in there, tag me and I can help point you to a few things depending on the species.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

My WD went completely...The skeleton was brownish colored instead of white. As new flesh would flake off, brown skeleton was underneath. This is in contrast to all others that would be bright white skeleton underneath.

 

[SeaDweller]

Mine isn't TN from the base up. It's at the tips for this colony, and probably all the way down.

 

[Kayvon]

@Kayvon and @Da8 if you are both fighting dinos (and have not already done so in the past) keep a close eye on NO3 & PO4. You may end up needing to dose both to keep your sticks going. Those dinos can process A LOT of nutrient quickly.

And yes, it is very common to have both cyano and dino concurrently. Do you have an ID yet on what dino species. (Should probably take this over to the big dino thread...

Dinoflagellates – Are You Tired Of Battling Altogether?

I don't know what percentage of folks had luck battling dinos with any of the methods in the old Dino thread but it's obviously a very low percentage, so I'd like refresh folks on the natural alternatives and lay out three areas of info: some of the factors that contribute to a dino outbreak...

www.reef2reef.com

The first page gets you started pretty well. If you post in there, tag me and I can help point you to a few things depending on the species.

Thanks Scott. I have a microscope coming in tonight, so I should have a picture up in that thread soon.

 

[Rick5]

I am also having very slow death from the bottom up. I am currently fighting dinos as well.

I posted about this a few hours ago. I hate to quote myself because where’s the credibility in that? Nevertheless, I didn’t have a microscope but was very much nearly-unmistakably convinced I had a Dino infestation (that decimated my SPS collection) and I used a combination of bacteria in a bottle (and who really knows what’s in that) alongside sea lettuce and eventually a UV sterilizer. I don’t know/recall that the UV sterilizer contributed to the Dino eradication (temporally speaking).