Trachy receding please help

[Mikemilly245]

Skeleton is starting to show around the base of my favorite coral.

What could be causing this? Light? Not enough food? Parameters ?

Admittedly I’ve always thought my lights were too close to the water , raised them about a week ago a few inches higher. I haven’t noticed it until now.

Any advice appreciated I really don’t wanna lose this guy, lost a torch last week too to polyp bailout and that’s what made me raise my light

 

[cdemoss01]

@vetteguy53081 might be able to help.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Skeleton is starting to show around the base of my favorite coral.

What could be causing this? Light? Not enough food? Parameters ?

Admittedly I’ve always thought my lights were too close to the water , raised them about a week ago a few inches higher. I haven’t noticed it until now.

Any advice appreciated I really don’t wanna lose this guy, lost a torch last week too to polyp bailout and that’s what made me raise my light

Can be as simple as shading (an area where light does not reach ) as well as irritation from sand. Most issues like this are affected by are often a change in salinity, temperature and salt mixes. Additionally, Elevated phosphate, light and even new light and elevated alkalinity levels will be a higher risk to coral. Other minor factors will be low Dissolved oxygen, new corals especially leathers (which emit a toxin known as Terpenes), false test kit readings and newly added rock which can alter chemistry.

 

[Mikemilly245]

Can be as simple as shading (an area where light does not reach ) as well as irritation from sand. Most issues like this are affected by are often a change in salinity, temperature and salt mixes. Additionally, Elevated phosphate, light and even new light and elevated alkalinity levels will be a higher risk to coral. Other minor factors will be low Dissolved oxygen, new corals especially leathers (which emit a toxin known as Terpenes), false test kit readings and newly added rock which can alter chemistry.

It honestly could be shading, it’s directly under the cross brace dead center of the tank.

Im thinking I haven’t been feeding enough, the previous owner said he did it 3 times a week when I’m only doing it once on weekends. And half the time the puffer yanks it out of its mouth

Is it likely to recover from this ? I’ve always had trouble saving corals when skeletons showing

 

[vetteguy53081]

It honestly could be shading, it’s directly under the cross brace dead center of the tank.

Im thinking I haven’t been feeding enough, the previous owner said he did it 3 times a week when I’m only doing it once on weekends. And half the time the puffer yanks it out of its mouth

Is it likely to recover from this ? I’ve always had trouble saving corals when skeletons showing

Ive seen these including my own recover from extreme circumstances

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

It honestly could be shading, it’s directly under the cross brace dead center of the tank.

Im thinking I haven’t been feeding enough, the previous owner said he did it 3 times a week when I’m only doing it once on weekends. And half the time the puffer yanks it out of its mouth

Is it likely to recover from this ? I’ve always had trouble saving corals when skeletons showing

I don't feed my trachy and I've had it for years - I don't think its caused by lack of feeding, but there should be measurable nitrate and phosphate in the water

 

[Mikemilly245]

Ive seen these including my own recover from extreme circumstances

Some more updated pictures. I’m kinda stumped on this. Any ideas appreciated

Raised the lights up cause I figured they were too strong (Viparspectra ~6 inches off water at 30 blue 1 white) to now I’ve been running about 9 inches above the water same settings just 32 blue

Been feeding daily sometimes twice a day whatever the puffer doesn’t get ( about half a cube of PE calanus and sometimes reef frenzy)

Still seeing receding skeleton. I did see my long spine urchin hanging around the right side where the most skeleton is showing but couldn’t tell if he was eating it or not.

Will do a parameters test this evening but just want some insight on what you guys think it could be given my circumstances

 

[vetteguy53081]

Some more updated pictures. I’m kinda stumped on this. Any ideas appreciated

Raised the lights up cause I figured they were too strong (Viparspectra ~6 inches off water at 30 blue 1 white) to now I’ve been running about 9 inches above the water same settings just 32 blue

Been feeding daily sometimes twice a day whatever the puffer doesn’t get ( about half a cube of PE calanus and sometimes reef frenzy)

Still seeing receding skeleton. I did see my long spine urchin hanging around the right side where the most skeleton is showing but couldn’t tell if he was eating it or not.

Will do a parameters test this evening but just want some insight on what you guys think it could be given my circumstances

I see this often due to irritation from sand but other factors would be change in light , flow or salt mix.

 

[Mikemilly245]

I see this often due to irritation from sand but other factors would be change in light , flow or salt mix.

Just tested water
Temp 77.7-78.8
Salinity 1.022
Ph 7.8
Alk 7.5 dkh
Magnesium 1080
Calcium 450ppm
Phosphate 0.90
Nitrates 65ppm

Not sure how my phosphates or nitrates got so high but admittedly I haven’t changed the floss in awhile. Any advice ??

 

[vetteguy53081]

Just tested water
Temp 77.7-78.8
Salinity 1.022
Ph 7.8
Alk 7.5 dkh
Magnesium 1080
Calcium 450ppm
Phosphate 0.90
Nitrates 65ppm

Not sure how my phosphates or nitrates got so high but admittedly I haven’t changed the floss in awhile. Any advice ??

Mag is low - you want 1300-1400
Nitrates elevated - you want 20-35
Alk slightly low- 7.5 used by some but 8.10 recommended
Salinity quite low for this coral - you wany 2.025-1.026
Ph borderline - best 8.0 -8.3

How are you testing these parameters?

 

[VintageReefer]

I see this often due to irritation from sand but other factors would be change in light , flow or salt mix.

It’s this.

They can’t touch sand. I’ve lost trachy from it. Right now it’s receded but can recover. If it gets worse it will become an infection that can not be stopped.

 

[Mikemilly245]

Mag is low - you want 1300-1400
Nitrates elevated - you want 20-35
Alk slightly low- 7.5 used by some but 8.10 recommended
Salinity quite low for this coral - you wany 2.025-1.026
Ph borderline - best 8.0 -8.3

How are you testing these parameters?

Testing at home with hanna checkers and other high accuracy test kits. Not api or anything
Was thinking the same about salinity, gonna fill the ato with some salt for a couple weeks
I don’t dose anything and never have. Any tips on that ? Products you recommend ? Gonna change filters and add carbon for nitrates but not sure about mag or alk

 

[VintageReefer]

Mag is low - you want 1300-1400
Nitrates elevated - you want 20-35
Alk slightly low- 7.5 used by some but 8.10 recommended
Salinity quite low for this coral - you wany 2.025-1.026
Ph borderline - best 8.0 -8.3

How are you testing these parameters?

And all of this.

 

[Mikemilly245]

It’s this.

They can’t touch sand. I’ve lost trachy from it. Right now it’s receded but can recover. If it gets worse it will become an infection that can not be stopped.

Really ? I will prop him up right now. I was just worried about blasting him with light so I put him really low

 

[VintageReefer]

Really ? I will prop him up right now. I was just worried about blasting him with light so I put him really low

They want to be low and on the sand but not touching sand. Is it on a plug? If yes, Put them on these

@CCK_8814 sells them if you can buy them from him direct here through dm for slightly less

This will elevate it about 1” off the sand and keep it safe

 

[Mikemilly245]

They want to be low and on the sand but not touching sand. Is it on a plug? If yes, Put them on these

@CCK_8814 sells them if you can buy them from him direct here through dm for slightly less

This will elevate it about 1” off the sand and keep it safe

I don’t think it’s on a plug, the bottom is smooth
I think I have an area in the tank that might work. When I get back from the store I’ll send a pic for your opinion

 

[VintageReefer]

I keep all my trachy, wellso, and some other corals on them. Gives them room to poof up and still avoid sand contact

 

[VintageReefer]

I don’t think it’s on a plug, the bottom is smooth
I think I have an area in the tank that might work. When I get back from the store I’ll send a pic for your opinion

You could mount it to a plug if you wanted with superglue. Super easy. Not harmful

 

[vetteguy53081]

Testing at home with hanna checkers and other high accuracy test kits. Not api or anything
Was thinking the same about salinity, gonna fill the ato with some salt for a couple weeks
I don’t dose anything and never have. Any tips on that ? Products you recommend ? Gonna change filters and add carbon for nitrates but not sure about mag or alk

Water changes best way to reduce nitrates and prevent overfeeding. Skimmers help and how is tank filtered. Try to get salinity up over 72 hours, not a couple of weeks and again, direct sand will irritate them

 

[Gone Reefin’]

I’m surprised no one commented on the phosphate, unless I missed it. Listen, I am NOT one of those people that will look at .5 phosphate and scream it is the root of all your issues, not at all. I only make this comment since I saw it with my own showpiece Wellso.

I would work to bring it down. When my tank was at the tail end of its first year, my PO4 started drifting up. When it reached .8, I noticed recession on my Wellso. Not where you see it on edges, but rather at mouths. It was also shriveled for 3 weeks straight. I decided to use small amounts of passive GFO (Easy as a fine mesh bag in a high flow area). Monitored closely and it came down to 0.5 over 3 weeks. Wellso started looking much better. Purely anecdotal, but thought I would mention it.