Melting Coral

[jameshetrick]

I have tried everything and even my LPS does'nt know whats going on. But all of the corals that I have put in my tank seem to be fine the first few weeks then they just melt away. I test my water every day and everything is fine. The corals I have tried Bottom Polyp, Spaghetti Finger Leather Coral, Colony Polyp.

 

If you have any ideas of what might be happening please let me know.

 

Tank Spec's:

 

10 Gallon

Skilter 250 Power filter/Skimmer

Retro-36Wcombo

20lb live sand

9.5lb Live rock

Tomato Clown

Sailfin Blenny

6-hermits

3-Astreas

 

Thanks for your time,

 

James

[Acoustic]

One thing I noticed is you didn't post you water specs. That is the MOST important.

 

Remember your reef should typically read like this:

 

Salinity = 1.025

Temp = 80 degrees

Nitrites and trates = 0

Calcium = 450

Alkalinty = 10 to 12 dkh (Ph will be ok if you maintain this)

Metals (Copper) = 0

Ammonia = 0

 

And you should be dosing regularly with Iodine, Molybdenum and Strontium, and Phytoplankton.

[tinyreef]

acou,

while i'm definitely a mega-doser i wouldn't say you'd necessarily have to dose phyto. if your rock and sand (and livestock, e.g. snails) have good bio-diversity then they should be able to contribute significantly to the plankton levels. if you see filter feeders slowly wasting away (i.e. starving) then you may consider supplementing phyto as the base of the food pyramid to 'chain reaction' the rest of the pyramid.

 

james,

the 'melting' sounds like a bacterial or viral infection. you may want to either add a uv ($$$) or dose some lugol's iodine. the free iodine in lugol's seems to be a very effective (ime) anti-bacterial agent. or do some massive water changes and try again. (i'd recommend some type of iodine like acou suggests tho)

 

the lineup you noted is unusual to be affected together. colonial polyps (i'm assuming zoanthids) usually don't succumb to the same thing that would attack a spaghetti finger coral (assuming sinularia), at least as i've seen.

 

is there a buildup of mucus-like coating when they die? or do they actually melt from inside out, like jelly? or do they partially disintegrate, piece-by-piece?

[jameshetrick]

First let me say thank you. Second is that I dose everything but the iodine,Phytoplankton. And when they melt they melt into a mucus-like coating ( just like you said).

 

Here is my water specs:

 

Salinity = 1.023

Temp = 78 degrees

Nitrites and trates = 0

Calcium = 440

Alkalinty = 9 dkh

Metals = 0

Ammonia = 0

[tinyreef]

even the colonial polyps melted like that? ???

 

i'm definitely thinking bacterial something that smothered the corals. the zoos usually don't get affected as they don't exude as much mucus (usually) which the bacteria feeds upon.

 

i'd hold off the phyto or any other foods as possible nutrient sources for the bacteria(?). get the lugol's and/or wc's to flush out the system.

 

how's your water flow/current? do yu have anything else besides the skilter in the tank? that may be a little low flow (altho the zoos shouldn't be bothered too much by that).

[jameshetrick]

Yes,they all melt into mucus piles on the floor. And I know it seems wired but it's happening and it's making me mad.:|

 

The Water flow seems to be ok,and no I dont have anything else.

Im going out today to buy the lugol's.

 

I'll keep you posted on what happens.

[Acoustic]

I'm thinking that maybe you should treat the tank with an antiviral or antibacterial agent. No clue just stabbing at the dark.