Anyone ever seen anything like this before (sps death)?

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by MitchM

Well, if they've all been living together for a while now, they've all been growing, right?
Maybe your schedule of water changes and carbon renewal needs to be upped a bit to keep up?

Mitch

Perhaps, currently I do a 20% weekly waterchanges and well, yeah the carbon could be changed more often I think I do it every 3-4 weeks right now.

[Borderjumper]

What kind of carbon? There were some posts a while back about a certain carbon having iron chunks in it

[christyf5]

I'm using Kent carbon. I've done the magnet test and it seems ok (ie. not much stuck to the magnet, maybe a couple little pellets).

[MitchM]

That sounds like enough.
Maybe a larger quantity of carbon?
Maybe increase circulation around the SPS to help them process the toxins through?
Mind you, their tissues are probably fairly delicate being inflated like that.
Tough balance.

Mitch

[MitchM]

Here's a term for you:


Extracoelenteric Digestion:

Corals expel digestive filaments which contain cnidocytes (digestive fluids).

Cnidocytes can be expelled from the digestive track en masse (puking) onto a nearby coral, digesting it.

Sounds lovely....

Mitch

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by MitchM

Here's a term for you:


Extracoelenteric Digestion:

Corals expel digestive filaments which contain cnidocytes (digestive fluids).

Cnidocytes can be expelled from the digestive track en masse (puking) onto a nearby coral, digesting it.

Sounds lovely....

Mitch

Eew!!

I did notice yesterday at about 11 a completely different coral that was doing that white stringy thing quite excessively (it usually has some issues when I feed the fish mysis and I just figured it was excited about the extra nutrients in the water column) however at 11am I hadn't fed the fish. Everything else looked normal though. But on my return at 7, that green birdsnest was 1/4 white, 1/4 brown slurry and 1/2 normal. This morning at about 7am there were just the couple intact branches you see in the photo. The original coral that was doing the white stringy thing at 11 yesterday is completely fine and sans strings.

[Delphinus]

AI yi yi.

My biggest worry about this sort of thing, beyond the chemical warfare is if it could be a pathogen of some kind (baterial, viral, or protozoan). The real worry with that is that it's 1) impossible to verify or test for, 2) essentially impossible to treat for. It's sort of like a greenhouse with bugs and all you can do is hope they die out on their own or that the stock becomes resistent to it.

I hope that this is an isolated incident. Sorry, I realize I've said nothing helpful ... just that I sympathize (and empathize) and wish you good luck!!

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

AI yi yi.

My biggest worry about this sort of thing, beyond the chemical warfare is if it could be a pathogen of some kind (baterial, viral, or protozoan). The real worry with that is that it's 1) impossible to verify or test for, 2) essentially impossible to treat for. It's sort of like a greenhouse with bugs and all you can do is hope they die out on their own or that the stock becomes resistent to it.

I hope that this is an isolated incident. Sorry, I realize I've said nothing helpful ... just that I sympathize (and empathize) and wish you good luck!!

that was pretty much my worry as well, is it transmissible and what is it going to do to the rest of the tank? Guess there is nothing I can do but run more carbon and do a waterchange and hope for the best

[MitchM]

Great pictures of it BTW...

Maybe put it in the Corals Reference Library here.

Mitch

[Lance]

Holy Crap Christy you've had a run of bad luck lately!
IMO 20% weekly water changes and carbon changes every month are plenty adequate. Kent carbon is one of the better carbons as well. I don't think this is the problem. Something must have changed in the tank to trigger the chemical warfare. Have you moved any corals lately or even fragged some. Maybe that set off WWIII?