Help: Sps skin peeling off 2 frags!

[reefiness]

Hello all, just came back from being away over the weekend and came back to notice 2 of my SPS frags have what appears to be skin peeling off of them. I will be uploading pics shortly, also will be doing water tests shortly to try to see if anything is off. Quick glance at the APEX log doesnt show any big swings in pH, temp, ORP, or conductivity during the time i was away.

the 2 pieces in question are both echinatas. one is a hawkings, and the other is some unknown greenish echinata.

Any help would be appreciated. Literally seems the skin has peeled, it does not appear bleached or bitten by a predator of sorts.

 

[reefiness]

Here are pics. top one if the unknown greenish echinata. Showing what seems to be a green pigmented skeleton (maybe). Hawkins on the bottom is showing complete peeling and a bare white skeleton

 

[reefiness]

water params are all normal for my tank.

Nitrate - 0
phosphate - 0.04
Calcium - 410
Magnesium - 1350
Alkalinity - 8.5

 

[piranhapat]

What test kits did you use ? Is your Nitrates always 0.. Are they new or any change of light.

 

[reefiness]

i use red sea for nitrate, hanna for phosphate, salifert for the other 3. My nitrate ranges from 0-2 which are the 1st 2 colors. Sometimes i see the slightest hint of pink in the vial and i will put down "trace" on my log. I vodka dose which is how im keeping 0 nitrates.

 

[reefiness]

but also, none of that is new. Started vodka dosing about a year ago and have been running that level for nitrate ever since then. The mag calcium and alkalinity have there gradual variations over time as i readjust dosers as needed.

 

[piranhapat]

Did you do any dip to Hawkins ? If you did Hawkins very sensitive to dip. Dipping would do that to that coral.

 

[aaron23]

Most likely alk spike that's my guess

 

[reefiness]

Did you do any dip to Hawkins ? If you did Hawkins very sensitive to dip. Dipping would do that to that coral.

This seems like it May be the cause. Did an h2o2 dip on several frags on Friday because of some algae growing on the plugs. Dipped about 2 dozen frags, and I believe these 2 pieces were included.

Any clue if they will recover, or Will this just progress to kill the whole piece?

 

[reefiness]

Most likely alk spike that's my guess

Def not an alk spike, would have seen the ph jump on my apex which I didnt

 

[Ryno]

I think you are right about the dip. I have read that echinata's don't tolerate any kind of dip very well. Something to do with them not producing as much slime as some other acros.

 

[brooklynreefers]

smooth skin acros are sensitive to dips and air i hear

 

[reefiness]

Thanks for the help guys, now i guess i just wait and hope it pulls through. I was considering dipping them last night because thats my go to 1st step cure all, but luckily i decided to delay a possible dip until today so i could determine if the peeling would continue or was possibly from something that happened earlier in the weekend and was now recovering.

 

[salpet]

unhealty frags?

 

[reefiness]

unhealty frags?

No, everything is thriving, as these 2 pieces have been for months. I think the dip definitely caused this. Just hoping all isnt lost yet and a part of ot lives.

 

[piranhapat]

After looking at your picture . I remember I dip my Hawkins and the next day it was just like yours that why I ask if you dip. My guy didn't make it it just lost all his tissue. I used revive that did me in. At least you know your water par is good. They are a few SPS that are very sensitive to dips. Ice and fire is another be careful with.

 

[theMeat]

what are you using to dose mag?

 

[reefiness]

now that i think of it, i may have used revive as a secondary dip after coming out of the h2o2 that day. Anyway, fragged off 4 tips of the hawkins, hopefully at least 1 of them makes it otherwise ill be looking for another piece at the swap.

 

[reefiness]

what are you using to dose mag?

CA, ALK, and MAG are all BRS supplements i use.

 

[bklynreef]

Just came across this post as i just received 4 days ago 22 frags from someone shipped perfectly. I acclimated them aka float bag style for temp then opened the bags and dipped them all. Every coral was fine except for 2 which were sensitive to the dip and started peeling away. I turned the lights off not to stress it anymore than it was and then a day later only put the MH light on for just 2 hours a day. One seems like its coming through and the other remains to be seen yet. I wonder if anyone had this experience with these certain corals that are sensitive and what do you dip with then if not CoralRX, Bayer, ect. Also what did you do after it started peeling and did it ever recover?