Okay what's the deal?

[findingnemo1]

You know just when you think you have figured it all out this hobby just spins you around some more :twised:

Okay here are the params

Calicum:450
Alk:11
Ntrate.Nitrite,ammonia:0
Mag 1100
Ph:8.1
Temp:78
Salinity:1.026

I have included some pics that you can kind of get the idea of what i am looking at.The lights are off so everything kinda looks a little sad:( And yes i know i need to clean the glass:lol:
Sooo 2 of my favorite corals on 2 opposite sides of the tank are losing flesh. One is the tips the other is the side of a branch.These are the only 2.
No polyp extension from the areas of where they are losing it. Nothing has changed in the last week or so.
No direct pounding flow.
Water is ro/di that is a tds of 0
Running phosphate and carbon 24/7

i Don't get it.

Any ideas?

Ist pic if you look on the right side you can see the stark white:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k208/hansonfam_2006/corals002.jpg


2nd pic we'll you can see the issue here:)
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k208/hansonfam_2006/corals001.jpg

[michika]

Any closer shots?

How old is your carbon?

[fishface]

there are quite a few people reporting instances of RTN from the use of phosban or other GFO's. how long have you been using GFO?

[Delphinus]

What test kits are you using for nitrate? I'm always a little skeptical when I see a zero value for NO3 (it's not impossible, but nitrates are one of the bane of my existence because I track it so religiously ... particularly when you have a fish load, it's very rarely really "zero")

Also are you testing for PO4? PO4 will interfere with calcification. What brand of PO4 sponge are you using and how old is it?

[untamed]

It is my experience that something that causes a rapid tissue loss and death can be viral or bacterial. I'm not saying that this is necessarily what is happening to you, but it is possible that the cause is not related to the water parameters you are measuring.

If the tissue loss continues, I would advocate a rapid fragging of remaining healthy area, followed by an iodine-based dip. Tissue loss can be very rapid and you can lose an entire coral in 24 hours or less.

[findingnemo1]

Let me see whati can do for pics Catherine.

Tony: I have used the salifert and the api both getting the same. I know i was a little skeptical as we'll but i think the 8 inches of sand is finally doing its part.
The po4 i don't have one of the "fancy smansy test things like you:wink:
So us regular folks just have to use salifert...lol
So no i don't trust it as i had that issue with the RO/Di not working properly and had the algae bloom form you know where as my tds was anywhere from 40-80. So i have a feeling the po4 is leaching out of my sand and rock:(
I am using reefpur phosure for removal. Although i have tried every brand out there and none of them seem to really work which is where the sand and rock leaching it i think comes in.


I don't know what the answer is. If its the phosphate what do i do now? As i don't want to lose the corals but the only other tank i have to put them in has the same issues with the water so that isn't going to help.

[michika]

What can you tell me about your flow? And how are the corals placed in respect to that flow?

[findingnemo1]

It is a randon flow. There are 4 koralia 4 powerheads in each corner of tank.Creating a whirl pool effect. Nothing is getting direct flow it is all indirect.
All the corals are kinf of randomly in the middle of it all.

[michika]

I doubt its your flow, and it sounds like your water quality is where it should be. Although I have to second the comment about GFO. There have been quite a few posts on Reef Central about it happening.

How long have you been running GFO and do you run the full recommended amount or something different?

When I put Rowaphos on my system, I was an idiot and put the full recommended dosage in my reactor. It caused some negative reactions; lessened polyp extension, faded colors, loss of some frags due to RTN.

Granted it may not be the cause of your troubles, you may want to look at curbing the amount of GFO you use.