What's killing my encrusting corals?

ReefingIsMyTherapy

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This is the second encrusting LPS that I loose to whatever is eating the flesh and I have no idea what to do :crying-face:

PXL_20230601_180257297.MP.jpg


I posted this on a FB group and someone suggested that it might be nudibranch, but I haven't seen any, at leat not during the day and when I check the tank at night with a blue LED flashlight.

These are my tank's parameters
Salinity 35 ppt
Temp 77.5F
NO3 24
PO4 0.15
Magnesium 1430
Calcium 440
Alk 8.7

I just put an IPC test on the mail today and I'm waiting for the results.

The coral had been growing for months and all of the sudden it started to loose flesh. Same happened with another encrusting LPS. This is driving me crazy.

What do you guys think? I'll really appreciate any help to figure this out. Thanks!
 

littlefoxx

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This is the second encrusting LPS that I loose to whatever is eating the flesh and I have no idea what to do :crying-face:

PXL_20230601_180257297.MP.jpg


I posted this on a FB group and someone suggested that it might be nudibranch, but I haven't seen any, at leat not during the day and when I check the tank at night with a blue LED flashlight.

These are my tank's parameters
Salinity 35 ppt
Temp 77.5F
NO3 24
PO4 0.15
Magnesium 1430
Calcium 440
Alk 8.7

I just put an IPC test on the mail today and I'm waiting for the results.

The coral had been growing for months and all of the sudden it started to loose flesh. Same happened with another encrusting LPS. This is driving me crazy.

What do you guys think? I'll really appreciate any help to figure this out. Thanks!
Do you have it under a lot of light?
 
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ReefingIsMyTherapy

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Not really. Aprund 100 PAR last time I checked. It has been in the same spot for 8+ months and it was growing just fine. So, if anything, I'd like to think the coral was happy with the placement
 

shakacuz

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Not really. Aprund 100 PAR last time I checked. It has been in the same spot for 8+ months and it was growing just fine. So, if anything, I'd like to think the coral was happy with the placement
any changes within the last month?
 

yanetterer

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Your parameters don't look that bad, did any of them spike recently? That's what a couple of my chalices looked like when I screwed up my kalk dosing and overdosed.

I can see some sand on the rocks, is it getting covered in sand?
 
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ReefingIsMyTherapy

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any changes within the last month?
Nothing, not even water changes. I should have mentioned in my initial post that I'm battling dinos (Coolia). I won the fight against prorocentrum and SCA, but Coolia is putting a good fight. I don't know if dinos can cause this but I think it's worth mentioning. I dose All-for-reef, and I've been using that for more than a year. My dosing hasn't changed. I put an ICP tests on the mail every 4 to 6 weeks to make sure things are staying within valid ranges. I've been in the hobby for only 1.5 years, so there's just so much I don't know, so I'm sure there's something I'm doing wrong :(
 
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ReefingIsMyTherapy

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What kind of fish, inverts do you have? This looks like someone has been munching on the coral.
I have 2 tangs (yellow and blue hippo), 2 clownfish, 1 diamond goby, and marine beta.
My CUC is snails (Mexican, trochus, bumblebee), 2 conch, 1 rock urchin, and 1 pincushion urchin. I also have 4 or 5 peppermint shirmps.
 
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ReefingIsMyTherapy

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Your parameters don't look that bad, did any of them spike recently? That's what a couple of my chalices looked like when I screwed up my kalk dosing and overdosed.

I can see some sand on the rocks, is it getting covered in sand?
I dose All-for-reef and haven't seen any spikes or drastic changes. My Alk stays between 8.3 and 8.7. Calcium has been always around 440 and 460 (maybe a bit high?), but I have a clam and was told they like/need a lot of calcium. I don't have any problem growing coralline algae.

Sometimes it gets covered a bit in sand but I blow it right away with a turkey baster.
 

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