Struggling ORA Red Planet
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: SPS
Forum Description: This is the place to ask questions SPS corals.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=71971
Printed Date: November 21 2024 at 10:54am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Struggling ORA Red Planet
Posted By: aceofspadeskb
Subject: Struggling ORA Red Planet
Date Posted: June 27 2014 at 10:51am
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I have a piece of ORA red planet that is losing its flesh at the tips. I'm really not sure what's going on. I've had the piece for 3 months, it started receeding 3 weeks ago. I only have 2 acros in the tank, the red planet and a green slimer. The slimer is doing excellent! ph: 8 phosphates: Hanna checker says 0 but I am battling a bit of algae Nitrates: 0 - 5 ppm Ammonia: 0 Nitrites: 0 Alk: 9.2 dkh Calcium: 430 ppm Magnesium: 1400 I noticed the tips starting to receed three weeks ago when I was maintaining alk at 10.5 dkh. I did some internet research(always conflicting) and thought it might be being caused by high alk so I slowly lowered it to 9.2. Lighting is LEDs. 90 Gallon display with 30 gallon sump(refugium with chaeto). Manually dosing BRS 2-part: alk in the mornings(about 25 ml) and calcium at night(about 20 ml). Jebao wp40 on w1 s2(standing wave) and wp25 on else. The coral is not directly hit by either powerhead. Sorry Mark, no full tank shot or even a shot of the piece.  I'll get them up when I get home from work.Thanks in advance for the help! I'd really like to save this coral! |
Replies:
Posted By: boysty
Date Posted: July 04 2014 at 12:17am
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Pic? ------------- Time waits on no one |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: July 04 2014 at 6:18am
 thoughts, in order of likelihood:1 - downstream from a coral with stronger allelopathy? Solution: Move one or the other coral ASAP 2 - change in lighting? Answer: Reduce lighting or move coral deeper. 3 - coral is downstream from a patch of nuisance algae? Solution: Get more herbivores to eat the algae. Physically place hermits and snails on the patch of algae. scrub the patch with a toothbrush(in the tank) 4 - other chemical change in the system like a bad chemical accidentally introduced or even a new supplement/additive? Answer: Add/Change AC making sure water is flowing past the bag/pellets/granules and/or stop using that new additive. IME, the reason for most nuisance algae problems is that the hobbyist has not maintained the population of herbivores(snails), has been overfeeding and has been doing water changes more frequent or larger than 10% monthly. Alkalinity most likely is not nor never was the problem. 8-14 dKH is an acceptable range. FYI, Alk and Ca supplements can be added within 30 seconds of each other so long as they are poured in to a dispersing current. It's not a big deal. If they are added too close together, a harmless "snow" forms and quickly disperses. Just wait a few seconds longer. Aloha  |
Posted By: aceofspadeskb
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 8:40am
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Sorry, I forgot I had posted this. I got advice elsewhere that aligns with Mark's #1. It was a frag I had on a frag rack with 2 other pieces. I moved it and it has been doing a bit better(better polyp extension). Still keeping an eye on it. In the meantime, should I cut off the dead tips or leave them? Conflicting information on the interwebs... Mark, Curious, what is it about water changes that causes nuisance algae problems? I perform 10% weekly water changes. I don't have a serious problem with nuisance algae, just a single patch of GHA on a single rock in the tank about 4" in diameter. |
Posted By: Bryce
Date Posted: July 07 2014 at 11:32am
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You sure its not just new white growth tips? My red planet tips look bone white when growing. ------------- 65g Reef |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: July 08 2014 at 12:41am
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Yeah, don't cut the tips. Many of the SPS have white growing tips. If on the other hand, the white is bare skeleton due to allelopathy, the flesh will eventually grow back over the tips. Just like all organisms, algae feeds on the nutrients introduced into the tank via new salt water. I'm not talking N compounds, rather I'm speaking of the numerous trace elements that are important to growth. For my systems, water changes are only 10% every month or two, but I am religious about making sure Alk and Ca are within range. I have noticed that the only situation where more frequent or larger water changes make a difference in tank health is where the tank is overpopulated with fish or where the biofiltration is underdeveloped. A hair algae patch like that is sending out countless zygotes that are attempting to colonize other areas of the tank. I use snails, hermits and urchins to eat it up as explained in item #3 in my earlier post. The crazy thing about hair algae is that it can quickly grow unnoticed in some other area of the tank and before the hobbyist is aware it has bloomed out of control. A 4" patch of hair algae is not allowed in my systems. Aloha |
Posted By: aceofspadeskb
Date Posted: July 08 2014 at 11:01am
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What's your recommended GHA removal method? The rock it is on is in the middle of the structure and would be hard/impossible to remove without major aquascape changes. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: July 09 2014 at 12:35am
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May we see a pic of that hair algae patch in relation to the entire rockwork? Are you already using PO4 removal media? The algae may be eating some of the PO4 before the media can remove it, so keep running the media and replace when it becomes saturated. How many Snails and Hermits are in the display? Is the Refugium Chaetomorpha doubling in size every month or two, such that it requires harvesting? Aloha |
Posted By: aceofspadeskb
Date Posted: July 09 2014 at 8:23am
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I don't have a pic(at work right now). I am running GFO at 3/4 recommended usage in a fluidized reactor. I have ~40 nessaurus(sp?) snails, ~18 astreas, 2 trochus, and ~20 hermits of mixed type. Chaeto in the fuge doubles in size about every 6 weeks. I haven't been very vigilant in cleaning detritus off of the bottom of the sump. I'm planning to get rid of that this weekend and add sand to the fuge chamber and a few nessaurus snails as well. |