STN/Tip Burn?

[ScottB]

I believe I made it through all of the posts, but perhaps I missed any discussion regarding an ICP test?

Your parameter ranges are tried and true figures to sustain SPS just fine. (Although your light output is very low for 2X26s). Any changes have been gradual. Temp and salinity managed. And that January photo shows you know how to take care of your animals.

I think it is time to rule out the improbable elements with an ICP test.

And lastly, rule out outside contamination. Any new house cleaning methods or products? Air fresheners, furniture polish, solvents, any VOC sources. I think I recall you traced back initial problems to April so this is not an easy task, but it seems we have covered the usual suspects.

Oh, and sunscreen. Personal experience with that; not good.

 

[JaaxReef]

I also run AFR in my system. Somewhere on here or RC, there's a post for Randy Holmes-Farley stating that it can act as a carbon source. I had to drastically cut back on my zeovit dosing as my phos and nitrates were absolute zero.

Per previous suggestions, I'd eliminate your nopox dosing completely and do some waterchanges to get everything back.

Also, if you were only using kalk previously, you weren't replacing any trace elements for a while. I think some large water changes would be beneficial as well. AFR has trace elements in it, so it should help if you continue with that going forward.

Currently doing that just. Water changes and have now completely taken Nopox offline (done slowly over a few weeks from 2.5ml per day).

 

[ScottB]

If you are not already running a poly filter, I would recommend that also.

Oh, and if the poly shows some blue, look for that lucky penny one of your butthead friends flipped in the there for good luck.

 

[JaaxReef]

If you are not already running a poly filter, I would recommend that also.

Oh, and if the poly shows some blue, look for that lucky penny one of your butthead friends flipped in the there for good luck.

Good call, I ran a Polyfilter for about two weeks with no sign of any weird colors... just a tan/brown hue. I don’t think it is copper, but it could potentially be a different contaminant.

I’m currently running a small bag of carbon in the filtration, so helpfully that can help with any organic contaminants. I should probably do an ICP test, but so many people on here with similar issues paid for one and found nothing conclusive; they were still scratching their head.

 

[JaaxReef]

What were your hydra settings when everything was thriving?

Pretty low... I left them as is until I just rented a PAR meter recently and I’ll be ramping them up over the next 2-3 months using acclimation mode.

The acros were getting about 140-150 PAR at the top and the rest of the tank was 70-100... so really low light actually according to what most people run.

I will be ramping up to 160-250 PAR throughout the tank slowly.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Pretty low... I left them as is until I just rented a PAR meter recently and I’ll be ramping them up over the next 2-3 months using acclimation mode.

The acros were getting about 140-150 PAR at the top and the rest of the tank was 70-100... so really low light actually according to what most people run.

I will be ramping up to 160-250 PAR throughout the tank slowly.

Did you grow those colonies from frags?

 

[JaaxReef]

Did you grow those colonies from frags?

Sure did.

 

[JaaxReef]

Here’s the Strawberry Shortcake 11 months before that photo, so Feb the previous year:

 

[JaaxReef]

Alk consumption is slowly increasing and some corals are doing much better I think. Slowly increasing All for Reef Dose to keep up. My rainbow Monti is showing more polyp extension along with my Cali tort. The light intensity slowly increasing might have been a good call.

 

[JaaxReef]

So alk consumption is slowly increasing still. But my sps and a few other select corals are still looking absolutely disappointing compared to 5 months ago... some are brown and others are just showing spotty tissue recession or weird issues. They are definitely stressed still and can’t figure out why. It is VERY slow progression of the color loss/browning and or tissue recession. Here’s some recent photos. I’m almost embarrassed to share, but I still need help and insight.

 

[JaaxReef]

Sorry, the other photos won’t attach since the iPhone keyboard seems to be in the way to add them. I’ll send them when I can.

 

[JaaxReef]

Decided to do another dip check on a small chunk of receding Acro. No sign of bugs or flatworms....

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Give it time. It may take a month or more for things to come back.

I would stop dipping them, that only stresses them more.

 

[JaaxReef]

Give it time. It may take a month or more for things to come back.

I would stop dipping them, that only stresses them more.

I broke off a threw out the frag I dipped (had algae on the tip anyway). Didn’t dip a whole colony or anything.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Pull off of the NoPOX doses and moderate flow. Add reef roids suspended rather than target feed and focus on blues over whites but don't make the tank too dark with dominant blue
Add a little iodine 2X per week and aminos 3X per week

 

[JaaxReef]

Hmm...

Nopox already reduced to 0. I dose Acropower daily on a doser 2ml. I dose either reef Roids or Reef chili twice a week. Iodine is supplemented in All for Reef and level is spot on at .06. I’ve already made adjustments to lighting and would rather keep it stable.

 

[JaaxReef]

ICP came back. Everything in check except Strontium. That was 2ppm low (5ppm vs 7ppm). Not sure how that happened, but it could be impacting things? Any suggestions on Strontium supplements?

 

[paraletho]

Most suggest 9 ppm. That was one of mine I was at 4 ppm. I had been using KZ Strontium Komplex but BRS was out of the 500 ml and 1000 ml so I thought I would try Prodibio Stronti +. I think mine was caused by a sudden burst of corraline and a fair amt of birdnest in the system. Much better since it is back up. Also showed low Bromine but that was more of a color issue

 

[JaaxReef]

Another update. So according to the ICP Strontium should now be back and track (10ppm) and it has been holding for a week. Nothing else was called out as negative on the ICP and symptoms aren’t really improving.

I’m really starting to feel like my systems are just very weird and I need to run lower lighting despite what my PAR readings were and even having plenty of NO3 and PO4 8ppm Nitrate and .1 phosphate. My one Acro frag that is down low in the tank and apparently getting 130 par is basing out and has insane polyp extension and good color (see picture).

Other corals that like lower light have turned patchy brown or grey and have absolutely no vibrance left (see picture of Monti and Leptoseris).

Just looking at the Monti and Lepto pictures. What would you say those symptoms are?

This hobby can certainly be frustrating when you just can’t figure out what is wrong...

 

[JaaxReef]

Here’s a previous photo of the Monti colony six months ago for reference.