Corals going STN

[culdublvd]

Hi, lately I have been having corals go STN on me I think. Currently I have a pink acro that has been slowly bleaching over the past 4 days. Before that it was doing well and growing. My question is, does STN spread from 1 coral to another in our system? This is the third SPS to go STN in the last month. Is there anything I can do? These corals had all been in the tank for over a month. There have been no new additions in over a month. The tank is a 29 gal.

PH 8.2
Temp 78-80
Salinity 1.024
Nitrate 0-5ppm
Phos 0ppm
Alkh ??

Almost all of my topoff water is kalk dripped in slowly.

Thanks I hope this is enough info for you.

[culdublvd]

Oh yeah I forgot 175 MH with 110 pc actinic. Return is a mag7 thru a spraybar and there is a maxijet 900 with the maxijet mod on a wave timer.

[culdublvd]

Basically the problem usually starts at the bottom and works it way up but on the most recently affected specimen it is starting all over the main stalk and spreading out on the branches.

[Aged Salt]

cludublvd,really one needs to know the Ca/alk levels,Bob

[MiddletonMark]

I'd suspect water quality is affecting things. Not sure what it is ... but if it's #3 in a month, I'd guess water.

How long has the tank been set up?
How long did you have these corals? Wild, captive, source?

What other corals are in the system? Any softies?

Assumming this is the 29gallon?
Any changes in husbandry, equipment, etc in last few months?

[culdublvd]

This tank has been up for about 9 months. I have only had SPS in there for 2.5 months now. There are some green furry mushrooms on the sand, some xenia on the sand, and a tree coral on the sand. All are at least 6-7" away from these corals. Nothing has changed in since I started to put SPS in my tank. I do a 5 gallon water change once a month. All of the corals are frags from fellow reefers that were doing good in their tank and good in mine for at least 2-3 weeks. I mean one day they are growing and the next they started to bleach out. I understand that alk is important Bob. I guess I'll need to bite the bullet and buy one.

[culdublvd]

My tank also has a about a 6 gallon sump and an 8 gallon fuge.

[MiddletonMark]

The Alk test is a great one to have. Most of the time I just test Ca, Alk, and pH [weeklyish] ... though more time to time or whenever something looks odd. Get a good kit, it's worth it IMO.

Questions, questions ... they never end.

Do you use carbon?
What kind of skimmer?

I'd consider weekly water changes ... as long as temp and SG are well aligned, I've found them normally to be the easiest `good thing' I can do. Given there's a mix of corals, some having issues with others chemically ... you just never know.

But thus Alkalinity would be good to get ... really an `across the board' test as best can be done.
No idea if there's a good LFS near you, but I seem to be able to talk mine into LaMotte testing of my water a couple times a year. Normally $5 or something to run a half dozen ... but it's nice to be sure.
Just an idea, ignore it if you want.

[culdublvd]

Just a bunch of lame LFS here. I run carbon 3 days a month in the middle of the month about 1/2 way between water changes. I actually don't run a skimmer.

[culdublvd]

Went to the LFS this weekend and they tested my water. Alkh is low. How low I don't know their test just said it was low-normal but he said for a reef it's supposed to be in the high side. I also retested my calcium with my seachem test and it says calcium is at 300ppm not 400 ppm as my red sea test said. And he reccomended red sea tests..what a joke. So I guess I need to raise alkh and calc together. All of my makeup water is kalkwasser so I think I'm going to try to make my own 2-part additive with Randy's formula here on RC. ANyone got a better Idea??