SPS tip issue. Bacterial?

[Zoajohn]

So I’ve been having issues with one particular acro for a while. At one point the tips just stopped growing and seem to be shrinking in diameter/deforming. Doesn’t appear to be RTN or STN at all as the tip still has a polyp and it has been this way for weeks. I recall seeing a similar thread a while ago but can’t find it. Any ideas as to what is causing this?

I fragged the other two branches and those have healed over but not started growth

 

[StatelineReefer]

Have you tested your big three recently? Alk/Mag/Cal? If those parameters seem in order, are you starved for nutrients?

Changes in flow pattern or intensity?

 

[Troylee]

How’s your alk been?

 

[vetteguy53081]

So I’ve been having issues with one particular acro for a while. At one point the tips just stopped growing and seem to be shrinking in diameter/deforming. Doesn’t appear to be RTN or STN at all as the tip still has a polyp and it has been this way for weeks. I recall seeing a similar thread a while ago but can’t find it. Any ideas as to what is causing this?

I fragged the other two branches and those have healed over but not started growth

View attachment 3035430

These look like growth tip which mine produce often

 

[Zoajohn]

Have you tested your big three recently? Alk/Mag/Cal? If those parameters seem in order, are you starved for nutrients?

Changes in flow pattern or intensity?

All controlled by trident and stable at ~8/400/1270

I changed lighting last week but this has been going on much longer than that.

 

[Zoajohn]

These look like growth tip which mine produce often

Wish it was. This tip has remained the same length from base for 2+ months and has basically just shrunk/deformed. The other 2 main branches did the same, so I fragged them off to see if it would regrow normally and basically all it's done is just heal over and no growth.

 

[Troylee]

Do you have direct flow hitting it? I’ve only experienced that one time from strong flow blasting the tips.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Wish it was. This tip has remained the same length from base for 2+ months and has basically just shrunk/deformed. The other 2 main branches did the same, so I fragged them off to see if it would regrow normally and basically all it's done is just heal over and no growth.

Its not burnt nor diseased. have you done a manual test against your trident readings?

 

[StatelineReefer]

If I were you, I would be looking at changing up the flow pattern around, but not directly on that particular frag.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

Lol, when I saw your Pic, I laughed so hard. It looks like my ORA Voodoo Acropora. It's is a tough grower, it first started growing upwards a bit, then it started encrusting at the base, now it's branching outwards.

Mine is in a fairly direct line of flow. It has full PE and seems fine. I am going to move it and see how it does. If I were you, I would change yours as well. I don't think they like to be in the line of flow.

Very, very slow grower mine is. I can never get a good sideways shot of it, but here is a top down. One on the bottom of course.

 

[Zoajohn]

Lol, when I saw your Pic, I laughed so hard. It looks like my ORA Voodoo Acropora. It's is a tough grower, it first started growing upwards a bit, then it started encrusting at the base, now it's branching outwards.

Mine is in a fairly direct line of flow. It has full PE and seems fine. I am going to move it and see how it does. If I were you, I would change yours as well. I don't think they like to be in the line of flow.

Very, very slow grower mine is. I can never get a good sideways shot of it, but here is a top down. One on the bottom of course.

View attachment 3036474

My coral isn't in any direct flow of my vortech, but it does get quite a bit of indirect flow. I turned down one of them by about 15%, we'll see if that helps.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

If the tips you cut have healed over then I would cut all of the odd tips off. If the top branches are the ones you clipped the tips on it looks like they are growing new tips where it’s turning blue. The coral will regrow and probably faster if you cut the odd growth off. I would not change anything like flow or parameters.

 

[Zoajohn]

If the tips you cut have healed over then I would cut all of the odd tips off. If the top branches are the ones you clipped the tips on it looks like they are growing new tips where it’s turning blue. The coral will regrow and probably faster if you cut the odd growth off. I would not change anything like flow or parameters.

While they have healed over, that's literally it. But I will go ahead and clip that last odd tip off.

I kept one of the other tips on a frag plug and the same behavior is persisting though.

 

[Zoajohn]

Bumping this back up. I've notice small white bugs on some of the acros. These are definitely not red or black bugs, but from reading around it seems like there are some white copepods that can munch on acros. I've already sourced interceptor from a vet, think I should go ahead and nuke them in tank?

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

Bumping this back up. I've notice small white bugs on some of the acros. These are definitely not red or black bugs, but from reading around it seems like there are some white copepods that can munch on acros. I've already sourced interceptor from a vet, think I should go ahead and nuke them in tank?

Do you notice these in the daytime or at night with the lights out?

 

[Zoajohn]

Do you notice these in the daytime or at night with the lights out?

During the day. Haven’t tried looking at night yet