When should I start to frag?

Nick Steele

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Okay so I’ve been having some very slow stn recently. Started with my two montis and now has spread to my acros (minus my Walt Disney). It started around June 24th with my sunburst monti. And didn’t spread to my pink caddy until July 8th. It’s slowly been getting worse but very slowly (like 1mm a day). I believe I think I found the issue (higher alk water changes) and tonight I plan to do a water change to start bringing the alk back down (currently 9.5 usuall 8.3ish). Tanks been up for 18 months or so and I was having really good growth before this incident.

Other parameters
430 calc
1350 mag
.05 phos
2-5 nitrate
1.025 salinity
79.4F temp

I really have been starting to like my acros and I would be really sad to lose any of them! If the water changes don’t start to slow or stop the stn at what point should I start to frag the frags.

Pink caddy before and after
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Green acro frag
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T-J

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You may have some nutrient or other issues going on with your tank. There's a lot of cyano in that pic. You sure about your test results? What kind of flow do you have?
 
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Nick Steele

Nick Steele

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The pic with cyano is a low flow area. Hard to get more flow to that spot without blowing my euphyllia all over the place. The cyano was from a Dino outbreak a few months ago but it’s mostly gone away besides the few spots. Cyano was present for months when these sps where doing good too.

I have 2 jebao sow 4’s at max settings on else mode which should give me 100x+ turnover in tank but doesn’t seem like it. The sps polyps sway all over the place.
 

ScottB

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Of that orange monti has been in there and was happy for a few months, I would almost suspect monti-eating nudibranchs. I had a nice piece look like that before I figured it out. Melfix dip will knock em back, but you have to repeat weekly. Just a thought.

I can't see a whole lot of recession on the two sticks. Could just be the hangover effect from the starvation period associated with the dinos. Is it along the base edge?
 
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Nick Steele

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Of that orange monti has been in there and was happy for a few months, I would almost suspect monti-eating nudibranchs. I had a nice piece look like that before I figured it out. Melfix dip will knock em back, but you have to repeat weekly. Just a thought.

I can't see a whole lot of recession on the two sticks. Could just be the hangover effect from the starvation period associated with the dinos. Is it along the base edge?
Monti eating nudi’s taking almost a month to destroy that piece? I though they would act quicker and I don’t see anything when I look at night.

Yes it’s along the base edge. The pink caddy was added after Dino’s about 3 months ago so never went through a starvation phase. The green frag has been in there for awhile now so maybe.

Here’s another picture from now with more of the base dead second pic I circled in blue to show
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ScottB

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Would it be wise to do a dip in coral rx for the ones I can get off the rockwork?
If you dipped them already before they went in then I don't think it is worth the stress. A few thing though:
a) How old is the system? Dead rock or live rock start?
b) Yes, it can nudis a while to mature, replicate and damage montis. I suggest it because the damage looks familiar.
c) Next to the Pink Caddy I see a bunch of vermetids. Are they dead yet? Otherwise they could certainly be a culprit. A little superglue will finish them up.
 
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Nick Steele

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If you dipped them already before they went in then I don't think it is worth the stress. A few thing though:
a) How old is the system? Dead rock or live rock start?
b) Yes, it can nudis a while to mature, replicate and damage montis. I suggest it because the damage looks familiar.
c) Next to the Pink Caddy I see a bunch of vermetids. Are they dead yet? Otherwise they could certainly be a culprit. A little superglue will finish them up.
A) Tank is going on 18 months old. Dry rock start
B) Didn't know this I’ll take another close look tonight when light go out. But I really doubt it is monti eating nudis
C) Yes they are vermentid snails that are alive. I haven’t gotten around to irradiating them yet but I will do this now as I didn’t think they would harm anything.


Just noticed my SSC also has a few bare spots toward the tips now and no vermentids around it…
EC7CC9FA-0742-4435-B3BF-EA46D2CE16EB.jpeg
 
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Nick Steele

Nick Steele

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Just redid all my test before a water change.

Alk 8.7 (down from 9.5 on sat)
Calc 410
Mag 1440
Phos
Nitrate ? Ran out of test and have one on order.
pH 8.1
Salinity 1.026

It’s my first 0 reading for phos since I’ve noticed this occurring in the tank. I’m going to do the water change and dose some phos to the tank.
 

ScottB

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Just redid all my test before a water change.

Alk 8.7 (down from 9.5 on sat)
Calc 410
Mag 1440
Phos
Nitrate ? Ran out of test and have one on order.
pH 8.1
Salinity 1.026

It’s my first 0 reading for phos since I’ve noticed this occurring in the tank. I’m going to do the water change and dose some phos to the tank.
Your previous recording for PO4 of .05 was just OK which is fine as a minimum. I tend about twice that amount just as insurance.
 
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Nick Steele

Nick Steele

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Your previous recording for PO4 of .05 was just OK which is fine as a minimum. I tend about twice that amount just as insurance.
I guess I’ll just have to work on getting parameters in order again.

I’m going to shot for
8-8.3 alk
1400 mag
400-440 calc
5-10 nitrates
.08-.1 phos

I added enough neophos to get .03 phos I’ll slowly work it up over time. I also added neonitro to get 2ppm nitrate. I’m going to get test from buddy tomorrow to check both and continue dosing what’s needed.
 

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