SPS burnt tips? Couldnt ID the cause of it please help T_T

[yuzusama]

40 gallons Tank params:

KH: 8~9
Ca: 410~420
Mg: 1350~1380
NO3: 1
PO4: Undetectable

I regularly feed Tropical Marin's powder coral food about once in two days, with almost daily input of amino acids. I feed my 7 fish twice a day.

People say that burnt tips occur when high alk and low nutrients happen at the same time, but many other sps in my tank seems to be in good condition, and the inconsistency of the health of my sps confuses me. This one has almost zero polyp extension, and I can see some flesh of the tip is swinging. Any idea of what is the current state/health of this one red sps? Thank you all in advance!

 

[yuzusama]

These are some photos of my other SPS that is taken at the same time as the above one. These seem to be in relatively good health.

 

[StatelineReefer]

Undetectable P, low N. Do you carbon dose?

 

[yuzusama]

Undetectable P, low N. Do you carbon dose?

No I didnt use carbon dosing. All I did was feeding my fish and some powder coral food, and water change about 15%/2 weeks. and I do manual dosing for maintaining KH and Ca.

 

[StatelineReefer]

You'll want to introduce some phosphate and nitrate to the system, whether that looks like feeding more or dosing intentionally is your call. It doesn't need to come up much, but I would suggest it come up to detectable.

 

[Dburr1014]

40 gallons Tank params:

KH: 8~9
Ca: 410~420
Mg: 1350~1380
NO3: 1
PO4: Undetectable

I regularly feed Tropical Marin's powder coral food about once in two days, with almost daily input of amino acids. I feed my 7 fish twice a day.

People say that burnt tips occur when high alk and low nutrients happen at the same time, but many other sps in my tank seems to be in good condition, and the inconsistency of the health of my sps confuses me. This one has almost zero polyp extension, and I can see some flesh of the tip is swinging. Any idea of what is the current state/health of this one red sps? Thank you all in advance!

Classic says Lou Ekus:

 

[ocncheffy]

Classic says Lou Ekus:

Not sure if I agree with this regarding burnt tips. I have sever burnt tips from using GFO when my phosphates were at .3 or higher. Nitrate was also only 10. I lowered my alkalinity to 7 which seemed to resolve the issue for me. Also started dosing lanthium instead of GFO to bring phosphates down to .12 and didn't cause any issues to my SPS.

My alkalinity climbed to 8.8 the other day and this was due to running out of CO2 media and my PH not rising (Lowered alk consumption). The next day I had burnt tips again. Try dropping your alkalinity down to 7-7.5 and see if that resolves your issue.

 

[rtparty]

Stateline nailed it. Not enough nutrients. Especially with an alkalinity above 7.5dkh. Super low nutrients needs 6.5-7dkh

Definitely get some phosphate in there

 

[Dburr1014]

Not sure if I agree with this regarding burnt tips. I have sever burnt tips from using GFO when my phosphates were at .3 or higher. Nitrate was also only 10. I lowered my alkalinity to 7 which seemed to resolve the issue for me. Also started dosing lanthium instead of GFO to bring phosphates down to .12 and didn't cause any issues to my SPS.

My alkalinity climbed to 8.8 the other day and this was due to running out of CO2 media and my PH not rising (Lowered alk consumption). The next day I had burnt tips again. Try dropping your alkalinity down to 7-7.5 and see if that resolves your issue.

So GFO lowered the po4 in the water column and still maintained no3,and you got burnt tips?
Isn't that what I posted?

 

[ocncheffy]

So GFO lowered the po4 in the water column and still maintained no3,and you got burnt tips?
Isn't that what I posted?

I was getting burnt tips with high phosphates and normal nitrate levels (10ppm). I dropped phosphates with GFO and made things even worse. The only thing that curbed burnt tips was dropping alk to 7-7.5.

The article/screenshot states burnt tips with low phosphates and high nitrates.

 

[Dburr1014]

I was getting burnt tips with high phosphates and normal nitrate levels (10ppm). I dropped phosphates with GFO and made things even worse. The only thing that curbed burnt tips was dropping alk to 7-7.5.

The article/screenshot states burnt tips with low phosphates and high nitrates.

 

[ID-Reefer]

I have burnt tips. Water parameters all seemed great. Sent in water for ICP test and just got them back. My RODI is perfect. My tank water was mostly as expected (some low trace elements like iodine, strontium, manganese etc.). Dkh was almost exact. My P04 and N03 however were off from what was expected.

My hanna P04 test results were telling me I was consistently around .15 so ive been running GFO. My hanna N03 results were around 20 consistently. So I felt my ratio was ok. ICP results show P04 at .05 and N03 at 26.

So I believe this is the reason for my burnt tips and worse for a couple corals. I should have sent ICP in sooner. Sucks we can't trust test kits more.

 

[Pod_01]

I have burnt tips. Water parameters all seemed great. Sent in water for ICP test and just got them back. My RODI is perfect. My tank water was mostly as expected (some low trace elements like iodine, strontium, manganese etc.). Dkh was almost exact. My P04 and N03 however were off from what was expected.

My hanna P04 test results were telling me I was consistently around .15 so ive been running GFO. My hanna N03 results were around 20 consistently. So I felt my ratio was ok. ICP results show P04 at .05 and N03 at 26.

So I believe this is the reason for my burnt tips and worse for a couple corals. I should have sent ICP in sooner. Sucks we can't trust test kits more.

Out of curiosity what company did you use for ICP? ICP test do not measure PO4 or NO3 but ICP can measure P or O or N and other elements but not compounds. Likely they are using titration method like Hanna or some estimate.
Also the difference between their measurements and yours are not that terrible. My personal interpretation would be NO3 is elevated and PO4 is on low end, general trend to keep eye on and maybe do something because corrals are telling me they are unhappy.

 

[Reefahholic]

I’m going with low/depleted nutrients as well. Final answer.

I’ll continue to say that low or depleted PO4 is the #1 killer of Acro’s.

 

[tbrown]

I had non detectable phosphates and an alk of 9.5 and was getting burnt tips. When I started dosing phosphates the tip burns stopped. I lowered the alk as well. Either way, the high alk and low nutrients combined were the problem. Plenty of people run high alk but they have detectable phosphates.

Current levels for me and it's working:
NO3 - 60
PO4 - 0.1
Alk - 8.6
Mag - 1280
Cal - 480

 

[To(meany)Tang]

These are some photos of my other SPS that is taken at the same time as the above one. These seem to be in relatively good health.

The look in that damsels faces is sus. He look like he either did it or is about to do something he's not supposed to haha

 

[ID-Reefer]

Out of curiosity what company did you use for ICP? ICP test do not measure PO4 or NO3 but ICP can measure P or O or N and other elements but not compounds. Likely they are using titration method like Hanna or some estimate.
Also the difference between their measurements and yours are not that terrible. My personal interpretation would be NO3 is elevated and PO4 is on low end, general trend to keep eye on and maybe do something because corrals are telling me they are unhappy.

The tests were from ATI

taking GFO out. Will keep eye on parameters. I should be able to at least see trends with my Hanna. Thoughts on carbon dosing to slowly bring down nitrates?

 

[StatelineReefer]

The tests were from ATI

taking GFO out. Will keep eye on parameters. I should be able to at least see trends with my Hanna. Thoughts on carbon dosing to slowly bring down nitrates?

Carbon dosing will bring down both N and P. Best to bring up P so N is utilized faster.

 

[Pod_01]

The tests were from ATI

taking GFO out. Will keep eye on parameters. I should be able to at least see trends with my Hanna. Thoughts on carbon dosing to slowly bring down nitrates?

Yes I would take out the GFO and see over 3 or 4 weeks what happens to the corals. For carbon dosing I would use TM bacto balance at 1/4 recommend dose.
My reason for carbon dosing is to feed bacteria that hopefully feeds the corals. I am not fan of growing excess bacteria for nutrients control, you never know what you end up with.
Good luck.

 

[zheka757]

I had non detectable phosphates and an alk of 9.5 and was getting burnt tips. When I started dosing phosphates the tip burns stopped. I lowered the alk as well. Either way, the high alk and low nutrients combined were the problem. Plenty of people run high alk but they have detectable phosphates.

Current levels for me and it's working:
NO3 - 60
PO4 - 0.1
Alk - 8.6
Mag - 1280
Cal - 480

is algae under control under those parameters? im baffled by that 60 no3