Acros are very unhappy...and having some tissue loss!

hi guys... im at a bit of a loss here...a couple of my acros are constantly having their mesenthilial filaments extended trying to sting something that isnt around to sting... and its having some tissue loss on the tips? first thought was chemistry... but tested water and ph 8.2, po4 0, no2-2, alk 10.2, calc 425 salinity was a little low at 1.022 but brought it back up and back at 1.024 (test was tuesday and everything is stable but theyre still real unhappy)? Could it be stray current causing this? also had a midas blenny drop dead out of nowhere... 30 min after feeding and ate like normal no signs of disease either... now thinking the two may be related? anybody experienced this before? dont have a good cam but may be able to take some phone pics tomorrow...oh both acros are on seperate ends of the tank. any clues im baffled...and worried the one thats loosing the tissue on the tips is one of my favorites!!! but its nice and slow tissue loss... this has been goin on since monday. thinking its reversable if i can figure out the problem..hoping...

 

Showing a feeding response is not a bad thing. Mesenterial filaments are a feeding mechanism as well as defensive. You appear to be running a low nutrient system, perhaps consider feeding the corals directly or feeding the tank more.
Are you sure the white tips are not new growth?
Perhaps put up an image.

 

Stray current? Do you have a grounding probe? I know- controversial subject, but most people use them.

Make sure it's not getting blasted by flow also.

and FWIW, I have had a similar thing happening, only to have it stop and reverse.
I think my Phos was getting too high, even trhough my api said 0,

And I did several partial WC's.

Good luck

 

So many things it's hard to tell. Are you running carbon just in case?

 

When in doubt run carbon. I agree to check for voltage as well, and what are you using to test for po4?

 

This is true, all it means is that the corals may be sensing chemicals such as amino acids, or other organic chemicals in the water.

As for the salinity, 1.022 is more than a little low, that is about 17% lower than an typical average reef salinity of 1.0265, in the literature 10% lower than native salinity levels (may vary some from 1.0265 for a given coral, from a given location) for extended periods may be associated with high mortality. So, even 1.024 is pushing the lower end, at least if the coral is from a fairly average reef. I have no idea if it is related to the corals, but can say fish will not be effected by these levels.

My guess is that you may have a high organic load, which is not detectable by hobby test kits. This would explain the feeding response of the corals and would likely increase the bacterial count, so, the fish certainly could have died from a bacterial infection.

I would agree with Av8Bluewater and ingtar_shinowa and try running GAC in addition to testing for voltage.

 

Thanks guys I have some carbon could use refreshing... and il do a wc this weekend... No there's definately tissue coming off... Was growing but then this started.. I spit feed dr.g's Sps max once every other week and and broadcast feed zooplankton alternating with the sps max... Feeding once a week also dose fuel when I can remember bi weekend sometimes every third...how do I check for stray current?

 

I think if the corals are showing mesenterial filaments and/or polyp extension and are not pale in color, you probably do not need to feed more, especially, if you already have a high organic load. That could lead to more bacteria, and more chance of infection or bacterial induced coral tissue recession, such as stn/rtn may be.

The issue is saltwater, being ionic in nature may show voltage readings, just from magnetic fields, such as from a pump, or light ballast etc..
So, This is a hotly debated topic. The following is a good start, but if you find small voltage, it may not actually be an issue (what defines "small" is somewhat debatable). If you do find something though, try to trace it back to a device, as described. Clearly faulty devices should be replaced, ones that are "inducing" a current, may be inevitable though to some extent, but certainly don't want any large voltages. I really doubt that's the case though, as any large voltage, such as from a malfunctioning device will usually give you a shock if you put your hand in the tank. To me the whole "stray voltage" thing is a bit ridiculous and there isn't really much if any evidence that small currents are bad. IMO, there are "typical small currents" and "malfunctioning devices", the latter is the real issue, and not just because it may harm your fish, but also, it may harm you.

Identifying, Locating and Curing Stray Voltage in a Saltwater Aquarium

 

I'll do done reading on the stray current... I don't get a shock when putting gands/arms in tank however any cuts sting worse than do normally in sw... Should I do a coral Rex dip or a Bayer? I Bayer dip all corals since I had red bugs a couple mos ago... I'll keep everyone posted and try to get some pics this weekend