green star polyps dying off.

[nice1bruva]

for some strange reason my green star polyps withdrew...and have now started to disintergrate???



ammonia-0
nitrite-0
nitrate-slight trace
calcium-450-470
kh-12
phosphates-slight trace but near enough 0



wtf is going on??

:roll:

all sps clam and lps looking fine....nothing near it to attack it?
it has the only sofie in my tank and even thogh it has hardly grown in a year it had always seemed stable and healthy???
it's situated near the bottom of the tank off-centre of 250w metal halide.

any sujestions???

:roll:

 

[Anonymous]

How long have you had them in your tank?

 

[Anonymous]

Check your Ph. When my Ph ran high they seemed to hide more often.

 

[elpescado]

Stop and consider the main reasons for coral declines.

1) You ruled out NH, NO2, NO3, PO4, Ca2, and dKH

2) How old are the lights?

3) Any predatorial action (worms, snails, nudibranchs, fish, crabs, shrimp, etc.). Most predation happens at night. Don't rule out fish until you have observed the tank for a period of time after lights out for the night, and for a time durring the day.

4) Good water flow over the colony (Star polyps like a moderate to heavy pulsating current, but nothing to harsh at a constant rate)?

5) Water temperature?

6) Excess of a particular trace element ( iodine, potassium, zinc, iron, etc.).

7) Lack of a particular trace element ( iodine, potassium, zinc, iron, etc.).

All possibilities need to be reviewed and assesed. You will have to try different things until you find the answer.
If the colony never really grew, but was just there then there has always been a limiting factor affecting the colony. It just got worse over time and finally caused an adverse reaction in the colony.
I would personally look at current and trace elements first. Systematically rule things out.

 

[nice1bruva]

1.) i dont test for everything to be honest on those listed but my tank and the polyps have been extreemly healthy for the last 15 months or so.

2.) Guiesman 250w halide bulb replaced 3-4 weeks ago....previously running 150w after being ripped of by....a now closed....LFS who sold me the unmarked unit as a 250w model.

3.) no predation that i am aware of.i have yet to FIND a
nudi/fish/crab/shrimp that has troubled anything it the tank 18 months or evidence that i have anything to worry about.

4.) approx 15 X water turnover on a wave maker.

5.) temp between 25 and 26oC depending on time of day and halides.

6+7) i'm not a lover of additives. i only test for the things that i can test for with reliable results.....home test kits are not paticularly accurate for a lot of parameters.however water changes are done regularly with tropic marin pro reef salt....which some consider the best there is.



ph is fairly stable between 8 + 7.8...never been above 8.

 

[Anonymous]

Your PH should be at least an 8.1 and would be best at 8.2-8.4.

 

[nice1bruva]

Your PH should be at least an 8.1 and would be best at 8.2-8.4.

so what would you advise ato rectify this....cost minimal if possible!!
:?

 

[DaisyPolyp]

your Ph is a scale that shows balance... the lower end usually points to excess organics usually caused by overstocking or underskimming.

 

[DaisyPolyp]

your Ph is a scale that shows balance... the lower end usually points to excess organics usually caused by overstocking or underskimming.

...after reading that I guess that didn't really answer your question. The short-term answer is to add marine buffer to get back up to ~8.2, but you must find out the root of the problem or you will find it dropping again and again.

 

[Anonymous]

your Ph is a scale that shows balance... the lower end usually points to excess organics usually caused by overstocking or underskimming.

...after reading that I guess that didn't really answer your question. The short-term answer is to add marine buffer to get back up to ~8.2, but you must find out the root of the problem or you will find it dropping again and again.

Ditto.