Help: SPS bleaching and STN

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by ChizerBunoi

So I have even more bad news. I did a poor mans iodine dip for the one affected coral that had the dying tips and can confirm that I have AEFW.

I'm going to contact John (Rice Reef) for some help.

Aw jeez

I hope you get things under control easily

[Myka]

Originally Posted by ChizerBunoi

So I have even more bad news. I did a poor mans iodine dip for the one affected coral that had the dying tips and can confirm that I have AEFW.

Oh crap. That's terrible. AEFW don't affect all SPS, just Acros, so that's about the best news you're going to get out of this. (sigh)

[Myka]

Originally Posted by ChizerBunoi

The algae on the back wall is very short. I leave it on there for the lawnmower blenny and tail spot blenny to munch on. [...] I do wipe that wall down almost daily, using a sponge.

If you're wiping it down that much, then there is obviously nutrients within the system, so if you continue with your coral feedings in the evenings it sounds like you're on the right track there.

I started running barebottom about 3 months ago. Do you remember commenting on my build thread that I would hate Oolite sand? We'll I did.

Haha, I didn't remember who the comment was to, but I remember now.

Calcium (Salifert) - 475 ppm
Alkalinity (Hanna) - 7.8 dkH

I know they are not balanced. You had mentioned before. How do I get them balanced?

Part of the problem I think is that the salt mix is so high in it's levels

If you're doing a 10% or 15% waterchange it really doesn't change the values within the tank very much. Just skip dosing calcium (but continue dosing alkalinity) for a day or two to allow the value to drop.

Well I feel really silly. I ripped my tank apart and now it looks like a frag tank. Pretty much all the large rocks are outside baking in the sun. OH well, at least I can rebuild a nice bonsai tree like everyone else.

All colonies were pulled and mounted on travertine tiles. I haven't found any AEFW at all, nor any eggs. I must have confused and misidentified it with rotifiers or copepods? I saw two creatures jump out of the coral when it was in an iodine dip and die. Can flat worms run around really fast? yah!!!!!!

I believe the issue was not due to water quality but actually due to low alkalinity. I replaced the regent and it was way off. I'm hoping to run my ALK much higher now at about 9dKH to ensure I don't have these issues anymore. I'm assuming with the ALK at 6.2 dKH, the tips got burnt and the STN started.

I'm going to put all 6 banks on 6500K and just grow the coral out. Once they are large enough, i'll focus on coloring them up.

Originally Posted by Myka

If you're wiping it down that much, then there is obviously nutrients within the system, so if you continue with your coral feedings in the evenings it sounds like you're on the right track there.

I actually wipe it down daily only to prevent it from building up into coralline algae. I hate that stuff. Sounds strange but true. Anytime I see it on the glass (including floor), I scrape it up. I don't mind it on the rocks, but would prefer if the rocks stayed white looking.

Also, wiping daily involves a simple sponge and it's a 2 minute job. If I left it to build a film up, it takes longer to scrub.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by ChizerBunoi

Well I feel really silly. [...] All colonies were pulled and mounted on travertine tiles. I haven't found any AEFW at all, nor any eggs. I must have confused and misidentified it with rotifiers or copepods? I saw two creatures jump out of the coral when it was in an iodine dip and die. Can flat worms run around really fast? yah!!!!!!

AEFW are pretty big (like average 1/2" or so), other flatworms can be much smaller. All flatworms move pretty fast, but not like pods or rots.

I believe the issue was not due to water quality but actually due to low alkalinity. I replaced the regent and it was way off. I'm hoping to run my ALK much higher now at about 9dKH to ensure I don't have these issues anymore. I'm assuming with the ALK at 6.2 dKH, the tips got burnt and the STN started.

What are you using to test alkalinity? Maybe you said it already...I will go look through your thread again.

EDIT: Ah, Hanna Checker. You experienced a big difference with new reagents? That's not comforting. Do you know anyone with an Elos kit within expiry that could double check for you? Salifert reads about 1 dKH high.

[daniella3d]

Can low alkalinity burn tips? Mostly it is high alkalinity. Before I started dosing my alkalinity was often low, even lower than 6 and it never burnt any tips in my sps.

Burnt tips and STN are probably 2 different problems and that they happen at the same time probably means that there is something quite out of wack with your system, not sure what.

Originally Posted by ChizerBunoi

I'm assuming with the ALK at 6.2 dKH, the tips got burnt and the STN started.

I'm going to put all 6 banks on 6500K and just grow the coral out. Once they are large enough, i'll focus on coloring them up.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

Can low alkalinity burn tips? Mostly it is high alkalinity.

I was thinking the same thing, but OP wants to experiment.

[albert_dao]

Probiotics with a kH over 8.2 is just asking for it. Leave it between 7.0 and 8.0.

/experienced Zeovit user here.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by albert_dao

Probiotics with a kH over 8.2 is just asking for it. Leave it between 7.0 and 8.0.

/experienced Zeovit user here.

Albert, I assume you're referring to this:

Originally Posted by ChizerBunoi

I was dosing vodka at 1ML per day, but stopped it completely when cyano appeared. That was my only form of nutrient control. Only dosing Zeobac (bacteria) to help with the battle against cyano.

Just to elaborate for OP, it's not not the bacteria, but the carbon source. Using a carbon source with higher alkalinity will often cause STN or even RTN. Albert might be onto something though, did your STN and burned tips show up during your vodka dosing or before that or after that?