HELP: LPS Suffering, everything else looks great!

[schwaggs]

Hi All!

I have a very strange situation I just can't figure out. Several of my LPS are not as expanded as usual and are suffering. This started about a 2-3 weeks ago. First it was a chalice frag that started not inflating, then it was a birds nest with limited to no polyp extension. Now I notice all my Euphyllia coral are not expanding as large as they used to. Now some Blastos are shriveling up. No changes in fish stocking or coral additions recently or before this started so I don't think it is a problem imported with new livestock. All the fish and inverts look happy, very active and normal.

All my acros look great. Best I have ever kept. In fact one of them sprouted 15 new branches in the last several weeks.

SG 1.024 (my normal is 1.023 - 1.025 for years)
Alk 8.0
CA 420
Mg 1350
pH 8.1 - 8.1 (average 8.2 for the day)
NO3 - 0.00 with 2 different test kits (my system has always run at 0)
PO4 - 0.02 (this is also usually 0.00)

I have about 25 fish in the 210 display with about another 150 gallons of sump and support tanks.

I know some people will say that isn't enough Nitrate or Phosphate. But to be honest, my system always runs that low (I have a great skimmer and a lot of live rock in my system that keeps those both in check, I think). This might be it but for months before these corals took a downturn, all these parameters were at these levels.

Maybe something fell in the tank? How can I determine if this is the problem and remedy it?

An general filter material I should try to pull out whatever is causing this? Poly filter? Purigen? Carbon? Other? I do not use carbon or any other filter media, never have.

I dosed some nitrates tonight to see if that helps (can't beleive I'm adding that to my tank )

Any ideas?

 

[FutureInterest]

Birdsnests are like the canary in the mine... They grow super fast and will show symptoms of something being off faster than most other corals. LPS will quickly display their displeasure as well but take a long time to perish. Acros are wierd... sometimes they respond quickly to something being off and other times they takes a few weeks before you see any impact.

First, send off an ICP test... It'll tell you if there is some sort of heavy metal or other issue you can't test for at home.

Do some water changes... This would help with dilution of whatever is ailing them... or help add what they might be missing...

Run activated carbon... Carbon can absorb many toxins that may have made it into your water.

Take your water to a LFS or a friend and have them test to verify your numbers.

 

[vols22]

Could be too much flow on the lps. If you recently changed flow and the lps are getting blasted they might not like it.

 

[enderg60]

Water change and fresh carbon first. Then try upping your alk and your nitrates a bit.

I keep my alk in the 10-11 range. Any lower and I get STN on my montis and bird nests and my LPS doesnt fluff up. But thats just me.

 

[CJD18]

Up your nitrates, most find they like and do better with an elevated lvl, never be at zero imo.

 

[FutureInterest]

Nitrates may read 0 but that's not the same thing as being nitrate deficient. If your corals are just using up all the nitrates your tank produces in a day and its enough for them... then being at 0 is acceptable. Being at 0 though and not producing enough for the corals is where you'll get in trouble I think. Kind of a fine line there and prolly safer to just dose as you're doing now.

 

[schwaggs]

Sorry it took so long to reply, been busy with some work and personal situations the last month.

No change in flow that would effect the LPS or birds nest.

I started carbon right after I posted this based on your recommendation. That really didn't help in the short term.

I performed a 30% water change near the end of May, before I left home for an extended period. Even though the water parameters are good, I figured it couldn't hurt.

Come back 3 weeks later and everything is back to normal except I lost a couple medium sized Acan colonies, both have been in the same spot for years.

Birdsnest is fully extended again. I need to trim out a couple dead tips but largely OK.

Must have been some sort of imbalance in the water or maybe the carbon took this long to work but either way, all good again! Thanks for the help guys!

 

[schwaggs]

Nitrates may read 0 but that's not the same thing as being nitrate deficient. If your corals are just using up all the nitrates your tank produces in a day and its enough for them... then being at 0 is acceptable. Being at 0 though and not producing enough for the corals is where you'll get in trouble I think. Kind of a fine line there and prolly safer to just dose as you're doing now.

Totally agree with this. I am feeding 4 cubes of frozen food each and every day. I am at the highest fish stocking levels I have ever kept in this system (3 tangs, 6 clown fish, many reef fish, ~30 total). There must be nirtates and phosphates in there, it's just that my system (live rock, sand, ??) consumes it very rapidly. I've never had a problem with high nitrates and phosphates. However, I have had nuisance algae issues, even with nitrates and phosphates at 0.00.

Might be the quantity of live rock in my system. 210 display fairly packed, 90 refugium and five 20 gallon holding tanks - medium packed.

 

[saltbubbles]

I was going to say, maybe something was sprayed or fell into your tank. When in doubt do water change?