Biopellet burn?

SO... ive finally hit a snag in my set-up the past few days ive noticed a pretty large number of my sps with burning tips, i shut down my biopellet reactor, and hoping it will help with my problem, all my parameters are in check, and everything is fine!! so im thinking the corals were competing with the reactor for food, but im not sure, any suggestions on a way to bounce back from this? should i cut the tips that are dead, and hope for regrowth? throw them out? i know 2 peices are goners. but some advice would be great please, im not sure what i should do at this point.. everything was going great and growing fantastic but all of a sudden nothing. and couldnt pin point it.

 

What is your alk? It seems as though an Alk above 8dKH will burn sps tips.

 

That is what I have read also. The fewer nutrients in the system the lower your alk needs to be.

 

yea my alk was at 10 the entire time and steady, i think that was my problem, whats a good solution to bounce back from this? i guess lesson learned but id like to save my corals if at all possible, b/c frankly if i cant ill have to shut my system down until i get my house built, it'll be done in 6 months and wouldnt make sense to start all over again.

 

If you are dosing 2-part, stop dosing alk until your alk hits 7. Then put the reactor back online. Everything should come back in time.

 

Alright, so i shouldnt cut tips or do water changes or anything? everything will just come back? do you know what they use to make the tips/bases burn like that? everything got hit except a monti-cap, and my red planet.. thank god on the red planet.. its my favorite lol

 

The coral will grow over the tips. Just let everything be for now. Once your alk gets to 7 put your reactor back online and start dosing like you normally would. Really nothing to worry about. Just sucks that it occured, but now you know.

 

It has also been suggested that once the pellets really kick in, that not only the drop in nutrients can have an effect to your system, but that your water is cleaner and clearer, which could effect the intensity of your lights. where these corals up near the top of the tank?

 

There are a few theories about ULNS and high alk... but right now that is all they are. Nobody knows the real mechanisim or if it is even high alk.

But for right now... slow your roll. The last thing you want to do is swing your alk... that is more disruptive than anything and right now the last thing your stressed corals need is more stress.

Do not lower alk with water changes. what ever your dosing is, SLOWLY lower it and do your regular water changes if you do. Leave your bio pellets off for now until you get your alk lowered. It is not the pellets fault, but it was their introduction that caused the problem. If you want to run pellets anyway... then remove half of them.

When something goes wrong, people want to jump in a force a fix. Go easy. Your corals will come back, just don't stress them anymore.

 

I totally agree with you Powerman, and I think taking half the pellets out is better than shutting them off completely. If you take them offline, then all the bacteria will die off. At least with just half running you lessen the bacteria, but still have it there to seed the rest of the pellets when you add them back.