SPS Death? No idea why!

[stroid]

With all the red bugs discussion it seems I have been hit by something over the past 3-4 days I have lost 3 corals. 1 Millie, 2 Digitata, 1 purple branching acro. I think I see little red things but at the same time they are really freaking tiny. Also my large frogspawn colony is not doing so hot. Please see if you can help somehow. All level are fine salinity, barely any bioload, ph, I will retest soon but everything seems fine.

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

alt="" />

 

[cameron]

Retest with a new kit or borrow someone elses. It is possible one of your kits is giving you incorrect results.

 

[burdundi]

Yeah, I would try a different test kit. What are your Alk and Calcium readings?

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Eeven your zoas seemed annoyed. It is something other than SPS parasite for sure. Calcium, ALk, temp, salinity?

 

[FutureInterest]

There are few things that effect that many different types of corals so suddenly.

My first guess would be temperature, as that is the easiest thing to fluctuate rapidly and can cause this type of near-instantaneous coral death. Double or triple check your temperature with different probes from your other 2 tanks... Considering that we've been getting cold snaps lately, even though your temperature is fine right now... It may be that you're getting temperature spikes throughout the night or day.

When in doubt... do a water change. You'll prolly do that anyways considering all that die off...

 

[stroid]

dawgdude;97982 wrote: Have you changed your bulbs recently.

Just got a new bulb 2 weeks ago and everything was looking great especially the branching acro. Zoas just look like that because the lights had just turned on they will open soon. Being honest I never test for Alk and Calcium mainly because I just got into SPS but I better start testing for that I suppose. I really think the frogspawn die off is contributing to my problem. I am going to frag of anything that looks dead tonight.

 

[jetchris]

sorry ziad about your loss, i know it is frustrating. Unfortunatly I cant offer any other advice that has already been given.

 

[darren24]

I doubt it is red bugs as all your corals looked stressed. I have seen frogspawns look like that when they are getting too much light. No answer on the rest.

 

[stroid]

Darren24;97995 wrote: I doubt it is red bugs as all your corals looked stressed. I have seen frogspawns look like that when they are getting too much light. No answer on the rest.

Yeah I feel as if the mh are melting the LPS but they came from a system that had stronger lighting then me. I have 175w mh 14k bulb I think the person i got it from had it under 250w and it was high in the tank. Makes no sense ill stick it under my pc to see if that makes a difference.

 

[stroid]

true that dawgdude this is really driving me nuts...gonna frag off dead frogspawn heads do a FW dip and move to a lower light system tonight to see if that helps at all. Otherwise may have to sell the frogspawn or put it in someones larger system until my 100g is up.

 

[stroid]

Before and after pictures of the frogspawn...you can visibly see the death of the frogspawn.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v206/Stroid/Frogspawn/IMG_3968.jpg?t=1194289991" alt="" />
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v206/Stroid/SPS%20Bleaching/053.jpg alt="" />

 

[ouling]

Lights will not cause RTN in most cases, it will usually cause slow bleaching instead.

Temp will cause bleaching also, not RTN-which is what you're dealing with.

Calcium do not cause seriously problem in reef tanks. People think it does because it is affected by alk levels.

<span style="color: black;">Alk is the problem in your case IMO. CHECK your alk and make sure it's not too low or high or swinging.</span>

 

[FutureInterest]

I severely doubt the light is the proximate cause of death. Too much lighting can cause similar looking symptoms but this type of die off is asymptomatic of that cause.

Just look at the pics, some of the corals are clearly dying from the base upwards. Also the fact that the lights were changed 2 weeks ago and the symptoms are only now appearing is further illustrates the point. You would see bleaching very quickly after the lighting change not 2 weeks later. The light may be indirectly related, but I don't believe they are the proximate cause of death.

Sometimes we only check our parameters when things go awry. I know I've been guilty of this in the past... this though is clearly one of those times. I bet either your alk, calcium, ph or all of the above are way below what they need to be. This is where the new bulb comes into play... as the demand for calc and alk prolly went up as the calcium and alk were being absorbed from the water column faster than they were with the old bulb. It could still be a myriad of things, but go test that water to eliminate some possibilities!

 

[stroid]

I will buy an alk and calcium test on the way home from work and post results later today. I dont know what RTN stands for..??

 

[FutureInterest]

Rapid tissue necrosis.

 

[stroid]

this is the closest place where I can get a test kit...will this work but I dont think it has Alk actually

 

[burdundi]

I've never heard anything good about AP test kits. I doubt you'll find salifert there, but I've had good luck with Seachem tests.

If you are near a LFS, they should offer to test your alk for free. I am not sure if they'll test calcium for you though.

-Andy

 

[purplegorilla]

Man, I could have tested all your parameters yesterday for you! But yeah, stay away from that AP test..I think Aquabuys carries Salifert at reasonable prices..If not, you will have to make a trip to Marine fish.

 

[glxtrix]

hey man, where in atl are you located? I might be able to swing by your place to do a test for you. Or if youre down to come out to Austell to see my tank, I'l let you borrow my salifert kits for a day.

 

[stroid]

I am right next to chamblee tucker rd of 285 and 85 (spagehetti junction)...I may just take a water sample up to Petland dunwoody and have them test it. I think that is the closest location to me...and Trinh things got worse after I got home yesterday otherwise I would have brought a water sample with me. This is really weird I am getting super stressed about my tank right now kinda like my child is sick or something (i dont have kids though). I talked to Porter and he is suggesting that it is Brown jelly on the LPS and that in some instances it can affect SPS as well although not as common. Brown Jelly seems appropriatte and he suggested a Iodine dip and to remove the dead heads of frogspawn. Looks like I have some work to do tonight!