anyone recognize this stuff

[psteeleb]

One of my tort tips started showing this brown stuff like an algea on it. At first I thought it was a burn mark from my new lights. It slowly spread about an inch over a month, so now I'm not sure what it is.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh283/psteeleb/burnedtort.jpg


I fragged the infected part but would like to know what it is and if there is any treatment for it.

[BLKTANG]

looks like ALK burn,but its hard to tell with the information you gave us.

I dont see any PE so im thinking parameters.

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12186127#post12186127 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BLKTANG
looks like ALK burn,but its hard to tell with the information you gave us.

I dont see any PE so im thinking parameters.

it could be alk burn, I was upping my dose to bring Alk up some and this is the branch that is closest to my return. The rest of the colony looks fine, this is a very isolate case

FWIW - I have also noticed some tissue resession on the bottom sections of a couple corals, I suspect that it is the results of AEFW that I've been battling with, but not clear as I havn't seen any bite marks, and the rest of the coral looks fine.

normal params

Ca = 500
Alk = 8 dkh
Mg = 1280-1320
Nitrates = 2-5 depending on test kit used
Phospahte - undectable on several test kits

I've also been doing a lot of rearranging and killing mojanos and rics in the tank. So I've had my hands in the tank more then normal and with the Ric killing I suspect there may be some chemical releases.

thanks

[BLKTANG]

your killing ricordia?

[BLKTANG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12186317#post12186317 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BLKTANG
your killing ricordia?


If you are take a look at this maybe you will start fragging instead.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?ddid=36950&siteid=20

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12186395#post12186395 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BLKTANG
If you are take a look at this maybe you will start fragging instead.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemDisplay.cfm?ddid=36950&siteid=20

I saw that, and think this may be a good deal at half the price :)
think I can get 300:)

it's on the botom of my tank, the picture is actually a top down refection off the front glass

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh283/psteeleb/ricreflectiontopdown.jpg

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12186317#post12186317 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BLKTANG
your killing ricordia?

yep - tried to cut them off with no luck. I wanted to clear this rock off so I can mount more sps to it. I injected about half of the rics 2 weeks ago with vinegar and the other half last week. Now there are just a couple left that I could see from the top. I also have a handfull of mini rics (or left overs) that I can scrape off.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh283/psteeleb/oldricrock.jpg

you can see a couple of the rics on the bottom of the picture. As you can see, they are nothing exciting, tan with purple edges, still my wife was still not happy with me killing them

The tort in question is in the upper left of the picture. the branch that got the brown stuff is the one on the far right. This picture was taken last week on 3/20. The first pic was taken on 2/27

[Harley-J]

Is getting rid of the rics a space thing..or are they harmful to sps??

[plu812]

I'm sure you could have trade those rics for sps's or even sold them for cash. I know the lfs ask for at least $20 per ric.

[BLKTANG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12187610#post12187610 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Harley-J
Is getting rid of the rics a space thing..or are they harmful to sps??


They will sting SPS.

[psteeleb]

BLKTANG is right, the Ric sting is very lethal to sps. I think the yumas are worse then the floridas IMO. The Rics where completly covering that rock and had stung the bottom of the Tort, they also stung and killed a branch of a nice prostrata. Since I want to put a couple more nice sps on that rock, the Rics had to go. With that said one of my new additions fell and landed on the two remaing Rics and killed about 1/4 of the sps, arrgg. I should have been more patient but I wanted to get that sps in it's place.

back to the original question, I'm leaning toward this being an Alk burn that is isolated due to high concetrations being near the main sump return.

I was reading on another thread that indicated sudden drops in Phosphate can cause the base tissue errosion thing. I did recently change out the media in both my phosphate reactors. Not that my phosphates were high but it could still contribute to some coral stress. So maybe that, coupled with the changes I'm making (lighiting, rearranging etc), more hands in the tank (polution) add in the flat worm (AEFW) issue and killing off Rics that may be releasing some toxins; add them all togehter and I'm sure the sps are thinking what the heck is going on here.

I'm convinced that there are a lot of sps issues we are still learning about and many of them are not brought on by single events. That's what makes this and other forums so handy as you can get the input from a lot of people.

[fuschia_red]

Is 500 ppm for calcium right? I thought the normal level is 400 to 450 ppm.

[BLKTANG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12188736#post12188736 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fuschia_red
Is 500 ppm for calcium right? I thought the normal level is 400 to 450 ppm.


Its a tad high,but nothing to be concerned about.Just let it come down a bit.I keep mine @ around 420-440

[psteeleb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12188736#post12188736 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fuschia_red
Is 500 ppm for calcium right? I thought the normal level is 400 to 450 ppm.

yep it's that high, but I'm droping it slowly. It's probalby closer to 480-490 range. There's a long story behind it, more on it here
http://www.dfwmas.org/pdf_files/Test%20Kit%20Analysis.pdf

the short version is I though that my test readings were wrong based some lab results I had run. But, the lab results ended up being misleading and had me adding more Ca then I needed.

I don't think it caused any problems, at least I've never seen anyone having issues with CA in the 500 range.

To let it drop I just skip the Ca portion of my 2 part additive, once and a while.