sps help

[Big_Als_London]

So last week I noticed a few of my sps frags in our show tank stopped pushing out their polyps. I have since moved them back to our coral system and the polyps are starting to come out again.  The only difference in the two systems is the lighting and the inhabitants in the tank. The frags have been in the tank for 3 months with no problems.  I did however last week add 3 bartlet anthias to the display tank.

I just ran few tests
Calicum 420
Nitrates are 0
Phosphates are .06
salinity is 1.026
Alk is 6.5-7 but it is the same in both tanks

Has anyone ever seen Anthias nip at sps? Its really the only thing that has changed and I was getting great growth on a couple of the pieces. 
Red Mille the one branch is all new growth


Here is the fire and ice.  It was doing awesome and the best grower in the tank

 

[jroovers]

I've never seen my lyretails nip. My guess is it is related more to the borderline low alk/high phosphates.  Doesn't explain why they are better in one system and not the other though if the parameters are similar... are the phosphates the same in both?

Typically with nipping only one piece or two pieces will be affected, usually isn't a widespread thing.

 

[CanadaCorals.com]

I would buffer up the alk a little and bring down the phosphates to 0.02.

If that does not help, something is bothering it. Could be bugs, could be fish.

 

[Big_Als_London]

Its funny because all the Montis I have on the back glass are all doing excellent with full polyp extention.  I also have a green a. florida or whatever it is and its doing great still.

 

[jroovers]

Now that you have posted pics, that fire and ice isn't quite right.  Looks like something has bothered it for sure, whether that is something nipping or eating from fish or other pest, not sure.  Definitely looks off though. 

 

[spyd]

Try dipping your acros and see if there are any pests. Maybe AEFW??? They like millis.

 

[jroovers]

Try dipping your acros and see if there are any pests. Maybe AEFW??? They like millis.

Hopefully not but the thought crossed my mind.  Seems weird that things would look great though and suddenly all of the pieces would show retracted polyps at the same time? These are mari-cultured pieces too right?  That makes it more unlikely IMO unless you have recently added something to the tank to bring them into the system (wild or mari piece). 

 

[Big_Als_London]

Try dipping your acros and see if there are any pests. Maybe AEFW??? They like millis.

If it was bugs would they have transfered over?  Within 24 hours of being in the tank the polyps are extending much better already.

 

[Big_Als_London]

[quote author=spyd link=topic=7663.msg79570#msg79570 date=1391530831]
Try dipping your acros and see if there are any pests. Maybe AEFW??? They like millis.

Hopefully not but the thought crossed my mind.  Seems weird that things would look great though and suddenly all of the pieces would show retracted polyps at the same time? These are mari-cultured pieces too right?  That makes it more unlikely IMO unless you have recently added something to the tank to bring them into the system (wild or mari piece). 
[/quote]Yep all maricultured and added roughly the same time about 3 months ago.  The only other suspect would be a disappearing wrasse that has been in the tank for about a month.

 

[Reef Hero]

I can't believe you didn't dip those before you put back in the other tank.... Do you ever dip?
Anyways, they definitely look bad for sure... You had mentioned the lighting is also different.... How so?
If you are looking for predators attacking the corals, then you most likely need to look at night when all the lights have been out for an hour or two. What is the entire livestock list in the tank that you know about?

 

[jroovers]

[quote author=spyd link=topic=7663.msg79570#msg79570 date=1391530831]
Try dipping your acros and see if there are any pests. Maybe AEFW??? They like millis.

If it was bugs would they have transfered over?  Within 24 hours of being in the tank the polyps are extending much better already.
[/quote]

Yes, that further probably is evidence against AEFW, unless you dipped them all and eradicated whatever was on them.

 

[Big_Als_London]

I can't believe you didn't dip those before you put back in the other tank.... Do you ever dip?
Anyways, they definitely look bad for sure... You had mentioned the lighting is also different.... How so?
If you are looking for predators attacking the corals, then you most likely need to look at night when all the lights have been out for an hour or two. What is the entire livestock list in the tank that you know about?

No I didn't dip them as It wasnt my thinking that it would be a pest like that.

Tank mates are
Purple tang
Bicolour blenny
PJ cardinal
disapperaing wrasse
bartlett anthias x 3
clown x 2

The lighting is LED on the show tank and T-5 on the coral sales tank.

They had been growing well under the LED so I don't think thats what it is but I am waiting for Phil to come over with his Par meter.

 

[Big_Als_London]

The two things I suspect most would be the anthias or the blenny.

Its really wierd how fast they started to come back in the main sales tank.

 

[jroovers]

Sorry, I meant to say your pieces are aqua cultured (i.e. frags from other tanks from other reefers), not mari cultured...

Maybe it is a crab or worm that is suddenly hungry or gotten the taste for SPS.  If you didn't dip them and they are open, AEFW seems highly unlikely now that they are open and seem happier. 

 

[Reef Hero]

Going from led to t5 can be a drastic change for many corals.... Ask anyone who experiments with sps in both situations but yet have the same water in both.... Many many experience serious issues.....

 

[jroovers]

The two things I suspect most would be the anthias or the blenny.

Its really wierd how fast they started to come back in the main sales tank.

Its that dang-ed LED lighting I tell you  >

 

[Big_Als_London]

Going from led to t5 can be a drastic change for many corals.... Ask anyone who experiments with sps in both situations but yet have the same water in both.... Many many experience serious issues.....

They went from t-5 to LED and now back to T-5

 

[sunnykita]

I had a lawnmower blenny that would take chunks out of the rockwork, I have no experience with the bi-colour blenny though. Just a thought

 

[Reef Hero]

The two things I suspect most would be the anthias or the blenny.

Its really wierd how fast they started to come back in the main sales tank.

It can very well be any fish or shrimp or crab or whatever nipping at them.... If you do your research you will soon find issues people have had with all different sorts of livestock.... To say anything is reef safe is never 100%....if they are causing that much damage then I'm sure you will see them attacking if you watch close enough....

 

[Big_Als_London]

[quote author=Big_Als_London link=topic=7663.msg79579#msg79579 date=1391532782]
The two things I suspect most would be the anthias or the blenny.

Its really wierd how fast they started to come back in the main sales tank.

Its that dang-ed LED lighting I tell you  >
[/quote]lol quiet you