ID Pests found on SPS (pics of pests included)

[lost1317]

Thoes look more like red planaria than aefw. I would not say the issues pictured are from aefw that I can see. Anyways there are a few good ways to treat for them now. Alk spikes can weaken acros and future smaller spikes or fluctuations caN just make it worse. The acros look like they have been not growing right for a little while. No clue what the issue is but somethings off, will Uv sterilizer cause problems if thrown on and ran 24/7? Maybe the water got to clean to fast but that doesn’t explain the dying on the undersides. If you post details maybe someone can help.

That's what I thought for a long time too.Honestly, I'm just running out of ideas. The UV is less than a week old.

Here's how it all happened. Excuse the lengthy story but please read because I'm definitely in need of ideas.

60 cube - 2.5+ yrs old - bare bottom - mp40 - spacesaver 110 skimmer - radion gen3 pro - 2 t5 supplement blue plus

All sps was growing and thriving for about 1.5 years. About 6 months ago, my reverse super man started to turn gray and just die off. Not from the edges but from the old growth in the middle. In fact, the edges looked great and kept growing. Was told the problem might be from the wastewater from PE mysis. Didn't really think that it could be it but started to strain it anyways. Problem kept happening. Next recommendation was to dose Microbe lift special blend and run phosguard. Did that and things got worse so took the phosguard offline because I thought I was stripping my tank of too much nutrients. Around the same time, I also traded zoas for some frags (two montis) and from then on the SPS just started STN until now. It's crazy too because it's the slowest STN I've ever seen. In fact some of the Acros (Blue Tort, RR The Vinnh, and JF Sour Twist) are still dying slowly 2-3 months later. But my chips acro (until a couple days ago) a no named milli, bonsai and branching cyphastrea are fine. The craziest thing is that on my overflow where one of my reverse superman monti colonies was dying, the real super monti is right next to it and still just fine. That's why I was almost hoping that it was a pest to finally have an answer. I did treat for red bugs with interceptor at like the 5ish month mark but I definitely had red bugs and know how to identify them. Have dealt with them in other SPS dominant tanks before. My livestock consists of 2 clowns, pintail wrasse, possum wrasse, yellow assessor, 1.5"-2" Sailfin and fire/blood shrimp. Had two deaths within the bad period as well, geometrick pygmy hawk and brunneus wrasse. Not sure why either died. Tank is also pretty full of vermetid snails and don't know of they could cause these types of problems. All LPS and zoas grow and look great. In fact I frag zoas non stop.

Sorry for the run on but figured I'd just try to get everything in there. Please help!

 

[lost1317]

Some pics from when everything was still doing ok. Notice the reverse superman on the overflow with the dead spot and the one on the rock thriving near the bottom. Forgot to mention had a bad alk burn spike to about 10 from 7.8 about 4 - 5 months ago that burned some tips too.

 

[Whasmack]

I've you have inspected your colonies & pieces and cannot find any evidence of white circles / bites marks; your pictures look like a nutrition deficiency. If I had to pick, I would try Reef Energy over the Eco-Balance (judging from your picture #2). But know it can cause a nutrient bloom / algae.
Or do both.
But definitely try to rule out pests - AEFW's or red bugs. I've seen similar effects when those are present - but there are signs. Bites marks, or get the flashlight out when lights are off to look for bugs.
I hope this helps!

 

[Whasmack]

It's crazy too because it's the slowest STN I've ever seen

This also makes me believe it's nutrient related - use Reef Energy!
I had this going on for a few months before I found this solution for my issue.

 

[Whasmack]

Here's a couple more from that experience -
a Before / after of the PC Rainbow from dosing Red Sea Reef energy. You can see it's healing over the tissue loss.
Lost most of that Monti Cap- it dulled in color and kept receeding. (Recovered, growing like a weed)
And a Miyagi Tort - with all that 'random' tissue loss. (Recovered now & I can't give it away fast enough)
Looks very similar to me...

 

[Whasmack]

I couldn't find a good colony pic of the Miyagi, but here's a pic of that same Monti last month ( ~ 8 months later). It's been fragged several times, also.