Help with receding candy cane coral

[reef-keeper]

From what I've read reef crystals have higher calcium and magnesium. Salt is designed for reefs. Also could it be your lighting?

[Reef Pilot]

Are any of your candy cane heads getting stung by sweeper tentacles from neighboring LPS? They come out at night, and can reach out pretty far sometimes.

[edikpok]

I bought a bucket of Reef Crystlas - will give this a try. Measured Mg today and it was quite low - 1100. With weekly water changes, one would think that no dosing is requried (and this was the case in the past). However, perhaps the IO batch that I used over the past 3 weeks had low Mg.

As for the lights, I change the CF bulbs every 6 months and these ones are only 4 months old.

Also noticed today that a few other corals started receding, so whatever the problem is, it is systemwide-hopfully the new salt will help it.

Anthony, I will PM you.

[Reef Pilot]

Well, if it spreading to other corals, that is serious. Your sg is a little low at 1.024, although not sure if that is enough to cause a problem. Are you using a refractometer?

[Nicole.]

Calibrate refractometer if using one.

[edikpok]

I use a good-old hydrometer.... Every now and then I bring it to the store to make sure the readings are correct...

[gregzz4]

Originally Posted by edikpok

I use a good-old hydrometer.... Every now and then I bring it to the store to make sure the readings are correct...

Ooooo, invest in a refractometer and some cal solution
Great money spent for sure

[input80]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

Ooooo, invest in a refractometer and some cal solution
Great money spent for sure

+1 for sure, using 3 different hydrometers & even checking with the LFS, they were actually set around 1.030.

[edikpok]

Thank you all for your input. Calibrated refractometer showed 1.025...

A quick update: did 2 20% water changes using reef crystals (on consecutive days), and changed the light bulbs just in case. No visible new tissue recession in non-trumpet corals. In fact, many of them opened more in the past 2 days than I've ever seen them before.

Candy canes seem to open quite a bit although tissue recession is still visible (not in all canes, but I have over 100 heads...). It definitely does not look like the trumpets with severe tissue necrosis will recover, but I am not sure if new trumpets are losing their tissue. I will probably do a 10% water change in a day or two...

Anything else that could possibly cause a quick tissue necrosis in a stable system? I don't think that I solved the mystery of what caused the quick tissue necrosis in the canes, but I think that the new salt might help it a little

Amonia, nitrite and nitrate are still at 0. pH=8.4, alkalinity=9 and calcium is at 400

[jordanc_17]

Originally Posted by edikpok

I use a good-old hydrometer.... Every now and then I bring it to the store to make sure the readings are correct...

There's your answer. Use another set of test kits (lfs, or a buddies) if you can.