SPS Melting away

[strike2867]

It looks like the SPS growth spots are melting away. I put in a Leng-sy montipora cap and saw a lot of the white/purple growth spots melt away. When I was cleaning my sump, which has a good build up of detritus, my new pink Millipora had its growth spots melting away. My older SPS are showing ok growth, nothing amazing. With possibly the exception of two Pink Montipora Caps. My Nitrates are at 10, and climbing down from slowly increasing Vodka dosing. I'll keep checking them and increase Vodka dosing(done twice a day on a timer) until they're down to 0 or so. With the exception of 1 daily feeding, I've automated everything in the tank. I use Kalk + 2, but nothing for Alkalinity. Any suggestions? Has anybody seen this?


Ph flunctuates 7.88 to 8.04 on a controller.
Temperature fluctuations are 79-79.6
Phosphates unsure, but can test if needed.
Alkalinity is good according to strip test, but I can get exact number. Likely 8-9.
Magnesium unsure

Tank is 90 gallons with 2x 250 MH's on for 5.5 hours a day. 4x Stunner strips on for 11 hours a day. If it helps increasing the time MH's are on makes Corals do worse. I'm not running GFO now. I have an Octopus XP 2000 Skimmer. I try to stay away from making any changes whatsoever, hence everything is on a timer.

I've posted this on the general interest thread, wanted to also post it here.

[buy_baff]

I realy don't know what you mean when you say " growth spots " And melting away " ??

[kcooley]

what is your calcium at and what is your alk exactly?

[strike2867]

Calcium I can get a reading on tomorrow. Alkalinity tonight. When I say melting away, I mean I could see white strands coming off the SPS into the water.

[coralreefhq]

Well that sucks, have you checked your akalinity? That's usually the cause of it if it's too high for it to quickly adjust to.

[strike2867]

API Alkalinity test yielded 9Kh

[neoalchemist74]

whats your po4? and are you dosing any becteria along with the vodka?

[Lyfey]

Are you sure its not slime from digested food? When the coral feeds, it digests the food and poo's it out, for lack of better terminology.

-Chris

[strike2867]

I'll test the PO4 tonight. I don't use any bacteria. Should I be? Is there a picture of SPS exuding food I can compare to?

[ryansreef_26]

2, 250w MH and 4 strips is a bit powerful for a 90g, try leaving the MH on for 4 hours a day instead of 6.

[strike2867]

Originally Posted by ryansreef_26

2, 250w MH and 4 strips is a bit powerful for a 90g, try leaving the MH on for 4 hours a day instead of 6.

I've been slowly working it up from 5 hours. About 10 minutes a week. The 4 strips are half actinic half ultraviolet. I can move the time back down.

[neoalchemist74]

I would scale back the vodka just a little until you can monitor your nutrients more closely. you really need to keep a very close eye on things when you use any pro-biotic methoods like vodka, and when your nutrient levels get very low you absolutely have to keep your levels very close to natural seawater.
alk7.5
cal450
mag1350
potassium I think around 350 but you should chek on that.

[rigleautomotive]

Quit dosing everything and go back to basics.(weekly water changes and good husbandry)I had issues with vodka very similar to yours the several times I tried it..I believe unhealthy bacteria are just as easy to grow as beneficial ones and you may have a strain that eats coral(flesh eating bacteria).Or you are reaching the 0 phosphate level which IMO is not beneficial to corals long term and they will develop stn or rtn if kept at this level too long.of course,IMO

[coralreefhq]

Must be from something being dosed into the system. Like Rigleautomotive says, just stick with the basics and cut out all the dosing. Let the tank stabilize before making further advancements.

[strike2867]

I'm dosing Kalk and Vodka. I can cut out the Vodka, but one of the reasons I'm doing it is because I'm not really set up to do 10% water changes. While I can, it is a pain, so I'd like to avoid it if at all possible. Can anyone second on decreasing the lights? I am seeing slightly worse response since I've raised it up to 5.5 from 5, but I'd really like a second opinion on that. So many people keep their MH's on for 7+ hours and I don't understand why I should be going down to 4.

[scottwhitson]

Sorry to say but I feel there is no real substitution for water changes. They are the best thing you can do for your tank. Your lighting shouldnt be an issue either I rum 2x400 for 11 hrs a day on a 75 and don't have any problems.

[strike2867]

Originally Posted by scottwhitson

Sorry to say but I feel there is no real substitution for water changes. They are the best thing you can do for your tank. Your lighting shouldnt be an issue either I rum 2x400 for 11 hrs a day on a 75 and don't have any problems.

Are they 20k? Mine are 14k Phoenixes. Since I've slowed down my water changes. I've seen an improvement. If I'm going to start again, I'll pretest all the water going in. My current feeling is that I have a lot of deitrius sitting in my fuge that is getting stirred up during the changes and is hurting the tank. Yes I'm using an RO DI and have a TDS tester.

[smokenax]

how old is the tank?

[strike2867]

Originally Posted by smokenax

how old is the tank?

Closing in on 8 months.

[rigleautomotive]

Originally Posted by strike2867

Are they 20k? Mine are 14k Phoenixes. Since I've slowed down my water changes. I've seen an improvement. If I'm going to start again, I'll pretest all the water going in. My current feeling is that I have a lot of deitrius sitting in my fuge that is getting stirred up during the changes and is hurting the tank. Yes I'm using an RO DI and have a TDS tester.

Clean all settled particulates from sump on your next WC
Make sure your RODI is 0 TDS and your prefilters are new enough to be sure the chlorine,chloramine is being removed.

[strike2867]

My Montis have been bleaching a little, so I assumed it was a Potassium problem. I tried to dose one of my supplements which had Potassium and it happened again. This was the best picture I could get. I also dosed some calcium yesterday(SeaChem). I haven't changed anything else, I wanted to formulate a full plan beforehand. The corals are growing, so I don't want to change too much. I've also found out there is a problem with my Octopus XP 2000. The pump has a timer issue, so the bubbles aren't fine enough. It was under warranty and the new pump is arriving in 2 days.

[ChicagoReefOne]

Originally Posted by strike2867

Calcium I can get a reading on tomorrow. Alkalinity tonight. When I say melting away, I mean I could see white strands coming off the SPS into the water.

That sounds and looks like (from what I can make out) mesenterial filaments. It's a defense response from a coral that is stressed.

Do you have softies or LPS in your tank? How far are the corals apart? Running carbon? I have a coral doing the same thing because another piece is too close.

[strike2867]

Originally Posted by ChicagoReefOne

That sounds and looks like (from what I can make out) mesenterial filaments. It's a defense response from a coral that is stressed.

Do you have softies or LPS in your tank? How far are the corals apart? Running carbon? I have a coral doing the same thing because another piece is too close.

Yup that's exactly what it looks like. I found this thread, and there is a chance the reaction is feeding. I have a lot of Ricordeas and several nice size LPS in my tank. I've stopped running Carbon. Thought it wasn't beneficial when Vodka dosing. I'm ordering Salifert Mg, Ca, NO3 and Phosphate tests soon.

[ChicagoReefOne]

I would restart up running carbon, that stopped my mesentrial filaments almost immediately. And yes you're right apparently the reaction can be for feeding too.