Sps receding from edges of base and black specs left on skeleton?

[reefer4816]

So as the title says....

Im having two sps pieces recede at the base. On both frags there are tiny black specs left on the remaining skeleton.

Anyone have ideas?

 

[Humblefish]

First thing you'll want to do is test all your water parameters and post them.

#reefsquad

 

[Crabs McJones]

What are your water parameters, lighting and lighting schedule. How long have they been in the tank and did you dip them before adding them?

 

[reefer4816]

Alk-10
Ca 425
Nitrate-6
Salinity-1.026

I test once per week. Has always been stable. I dip and cut at the base ever single sps I get. I had aefw back in the day and never want them again lol

I’m running radion g3 over this tank. Sps ab+

 

[Sabellafella]

So as the title says....

Im having two sps pieces recede at the base. On both frags there are tiny black specs left on the remaining skeleton.

Anyone have ideas?

I've had and still get this some times when I see stn. I have no idea what it is but would love to know myself. Too me it looks like a burrowing calcified worm. I don't think it's part of the problem though

 

[sil40sx]

Whats your Alk and Ca consumption, do you dose? If not, how often you do WC?

 

[reefer4816]

Whats your Alk and Ca consumption, do you dose? If not, how often you do WC?

Yep dosing about 30 ml per day of ca and Alk - brs two part

 

[sil40sx]

Yep dosing about 30 ml per day of ca and Alk - brs two part

Oh I see, then we can take ALK swing out from the equation.

How do you monitor temp, do you have a controller? Any temp spike recently?

Did you ever put your hands in your tank without washing by any chance? Because you could have some lotion or cologne on your hand that got into the tank.

 

[BigJohnny]

How are the other acros in your tank?

 

[reefer4816]

All other acros are doing well. About 20 acros in this display. And about 100 in my other tank.


Yes I have a ink bird temp controller that keeps me within 1-2 degrees.


Would red bugs do this?

 

[sil40sx]

I'm not familiar with SPS bugs. But I've seen other people had problems with them.

Reason I was asking you about temp and alk swing because I had two incidents of RTN/STN. And those two were the reasons, like you, I have few SPS and only 2 or 3 of them got affected.

Good luck, hopefully you can pin point the cause of your problem.

 

[BigJohnny]

In that case I would normally say it has nothing to do with your tank but maybe just stress, sometimes acros just dont adapt to new systems, but the black dots are concerning. There are "black bugs" which are related to the more common parasitic copepod "red bugs".

It is also very possible that the "black bugs" are simply eating the decaying flesh and/or microalgae on the coral and have nothing to do with its demise.

I would remove a frag (assuming these are new frags?) and try a Bayer dip, even if you dipped before. Do you have a microscope? That would make identification easy. You can also try basting the frags to see if they blow off. I personally would toss them regardless, but try and identify/isolate the black dots through a dip first.

 

[reefer4816]

In that case I would normally say it has nothing to do with your tank but maybe just stress, sometimes acros just dont adapt to new systems, but the black dots are concerning. There are "black bugs" which are related to the more common parasitic copepod "red bugs".

It is also very possible that the "black bugs" are simply eating the decaying flesh and/or microalgae on the coral and have nothing to do with its demise.

I would remove a frag (assuming these are new frags?) and try a Bayer dip, even if you dipped before. Do you have a microscope? That would make identification easy. You can also try basting the frags to see if they blow off. I personally would toss them regardless, but try and identify/isolate the black dots through a dip first.

Fortunately the black specs do not move! So thank god they are not black bugs. I was thinking they might be poop from a pest perhaps tho.

Someone said possibly vermitid snails getting started

 

[BigJohnny]

Fortunately the black specs do not move! So thank god they are not black bugs. I was thinking they might be poop from a pest perhaps tho.

Someone said possibly vermitid snails getting started

You would likely not be able to see poop from a pest lol. I've never seen vermitid snails on coral either

 

[reefer4816]

You would likely not be able to see poop from a pest lol. I've never seen vermitid snails on coral either

Lol right. True.

Well I’m just assuming the skeleton is now like rock too a vermitid snail. So it’s just starting to lay it’s shell? Possibly

 

[Hans-Werner]

The circled spots are pores in the skeleton and maybe some specks of cyanobacteria which appear darker against the background of the white skeleton. Cyanobacteria and hair algae love fresh coral skeletons.

 

[drawman]

I agree with others if it is localized to this coral it just may be stressed out and you may never know why. I wouldn't panic unless you see other acros involved. My guess is that the bugs are normal pods eating the decaying tissue and not the cause of the problem.

 

[CoralExotic]

Halofolliculina corallasia
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/acro-pest-small-black-spots-on-acro.194128/

 

[reefer4816]

Halofolliculina corallasia
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/acro-pest-small-black-spots-on-acro.194128/

If it is this... how is it treated?

 

[Acrostick]

I would check those skeletons and coral with a flashlight when lights are off for the night. I fought black bugs last year and can tell you that they burrow into coralites of the sps during lighting hours. Hopefully they are not black bugs. If you see Tiny black dots on the sps moving around after lights out it could very well be them. Let us know what you find after lights out. Good luck.