coral death - what is going on???

[daisy]

take a look at these pictures: The first shows an area of LR that has clearly died. I have no idea why. There used to be a very thick mat of purple polyps all over the area that is now white.

The second picture is of a frag that until this morning (when I noticed the white area on the LR) was growing nicely - it, too, is dying - and it was nestled in the niche in the LR.

What could possibly be the cause of this death area?

And how do I keep it from spreading to the corals directly above the white area?!?

 

[rickb]

Looks like you have some cyano build up in the second pic around the rocks? Is that like a red/brown algae mat in the sand.

If thats the case do some double water changes asap, and it might explain pic#1 too.

 

[daisy]

By the end of each day I do have a cyano buildup; it is gone every morning. Am doing water changes (could always do more...)

But can that really be the cause of this localized dieoff?

 

[rickb]

I'm pretty sure it means your h2o is amiss. I've had my own battles and I think some corals are bothered while some dont care, so it might not be a localized vs its affecting specific corals.

Also it might be self propagating, so i you had some bad h2o and then that mat of purple polyps died then that makes your h20 worse.

I'm not positive though, maybe someone else can chime in.

 

[NYreefNoob]

tahl is the coraline algea dissapearing also ? looks like a patch line where that area is, also check ur alk

 

[rickb]

But water changes can do wrong.... thats fo sho'

 

[daisy]

Yeah - was planning on doing tests tonight - it's time for that anyway. There WAS coraline under the polyps, which, as you noticed, is also gone.

Sooo..... Will go test the water and get back to you. Keep troubleshooting and than you!

 

[prattreef]

After you run the tests you will either find something obviously amiss or you won't in which case the answer is the usual "reef gremlins". The gremlins seem to dislike large water changes, but this fairy tale is likely as close to a real answer to your question as you are going to get----- unless the test show someting obvious.

 

[Alex]

If your water parameters are good, what about the lifespan on your bulbs.

 

[prattreef]

Oh btw cyano shrinks away after the lights go out, so it is no surprise you don't see it 1st thing in the morning and it is there when you get home.

 

[tosiek]

+1 on the Reef Gremlins.

Keep us in the loop after you run your tests.

 

[daisy]

Mg 1350 (spot on)
dKH 8.9 (a little high)
Ca2 415 ppm (just fine)
Salinity - 1.027

Okay... Other ideas? I mean, other than the obvious reef gremlins?

Occam's razor, don't fail us now...

 

[anthony27]

red bugs, acro eating flat worms.

 

[Alex]

how old are your bulbs?

 

[daisy]

Red bugs don't cause death of the purpleblue cloves, and neither do aefw.

(at least not as far as I know....) Also, pretty sure I don't have either of those, as I've never seen an aefw in my tank, and I've treated for red bugs with no new bugs seen yet.... But they would not cause this kind of problem, as both of those affect ONLY acros - not coraline algae or clove-type corals.

 

[daisy]

hmmm... bulbs? That could cause death like this??? well, I have new bulbs and they need to be switched out - but I didn't think that would/could lead to this kind of problem... These bulbs are perhaps 8 mos old. And on the way out.

 

[anthony27]

I was talking about the sps in the 2nd picture, aefw dont always stay to acros.

 

[prattreef]

We need the PO4 and NO3 readingsas most of us are kind of banking on a high nutrient issue as your problem.

 

[daisy]

Nitrates are closer to 0 than to 2 but clearly not zero
Phosphates are closer to 0.03 than 0.1 but clearly not zero

On the other hand, both of these test kids are expired

Randy - Can I bring in a sample tomorrow?

 

[KathyC]

William of Ockham himself whispered this one in my ear..lol
(why am I forever looking stuff up when I talk to you??? lol)

My thoughts on this...if this were a water issue I think there would be similar damage/issues elsewhere in the tank and there doesn't appear to be any. Tough for me to tell but after looking at your Tank Thread pics, the tank looks happy.

As far as the coralline vanishing, if there was a thick mat of purple polyps there - and that piece of SPS, they would have killed off the coralline from lack of light long ago.

So...something killed the purple polyps and I think any damage to the SPS was collateral damage.

I'd be asking that huge Frogspawn in the corner if it decided to reach out and touch your purple polyps...