[Blacktip]

Hello,

I'm getting burnt tips on my acro's. From what I've read it's usually due to KH fluctuations. Do you think? I've tried raising the KH. It's gone from 8.8 where it normally is to 10 and back down again in a week or so. Do you think that would cause it? I usually keep it 8.8, seems to be where it likes to be. Do you think that is too low?

cheers

[Dave.I]

How are you raising alk and what are your nitrates and phosphates? Do you dose a carbon source like vodka,sugar,vinegar,bio-fuel etc?

[Social D]

Hows the flow around the tips it doesnt take much to burn the tips with a little flow, Ive had swings like that and never suffered tip burning, From what ive read it's normally swings from 8 to 13+ that cause tip burning.
8 isnt a bad place to have kh
Just a thought

[Blacktip]

Dave, NItrates are 5 and phosphates undetectable. I dont dose anything. I use bi-carb to raise KH and allow ca reactor to do rest.

Social D, I uped my flow cause I thought it might be a lack of flow. Now the flow is quite high. Not sure what the state of play is yet. How do you know what the right flow is?? I've got about 11000 liters in a 300 tank

I do admire you sps guys! Every time I sort something something else seems to be wrong!

Cheers

[Social D]

yeh thats always the case lol, Even a small amount of wrong flow over an SPS can cause it to burn turn white under 12 hours esp if its a stag/monti.

Always have indirect flow with Sps It keeps them happy, Might even be a fish/crab any chance of a pic?

[Dave.I]

8.8dkh isnt low as Tim says its not a bad place to be.I run my tank around 7.5 to 8.5 and never go over 9dkh.I do however run balling-lite with a dosing pump so the system is dosed every hour 24/7.It could be that your nutrients are very low and when you get your alk up into double figures you can get tip burn from that.Alot of guy's that dose vodka or run zeo etc or any kind of bacteria driven system will keep there alk between 6.5 and 8.5 for that very reason.
What stock do you have fish wise and what do you feed the tank on a daily basis?
In my experience dropping alk from 10 down to 8 in a week is nothing to worry about.I have let my system drop from 12 to 8 in a day naturaly and raised it from 6 to 9 in a day with no problems when i was getting my balling-lite dialed in.
A pic could be a real big help to us as Tim said.

Dave

[lindsay]

How many of your sps have burnt tips?,if its only one could well be down to position of the acro to flow.

[Blacktip]

Here are a few pics. I dont have a macro lens so these are taken a fair way away.

The first is the Nana which I think you can work out the white tips. Second is a healthy fire coral ant the third is unknown to me but also has the white tips.



cheers

[lindsay]

The white tips on the fire coral is normal,the acros are another matter,the growth looks a little stunted,could be water conditions,ie chemistry or flow,do you by any chance have angles in the tank as nipping looks also on the cards,often you will see a coral that is getting nipped polyp only deep within the coral where fish cant reach the polyps but on the above all the coral is reachable.Don't be fooled by a fish that does not appear to be nipping,have had customers swear their angles don't nip the corals,but after a visit and convincing them it was the fish they have taken them out and wow,growth and full polyping lol.

[Blacktip]

Thanks Lindsay.

Are you saying it could be nipping or nipping as well as some other factor?

Chemistry wise the testable chemistry is fine. Obviously other things could be going on.

Flow. The corals are in the corners of the tank so maybe the flow isn't great there. I have just beefed that up so I'll see what happens.

I do have a majestic. I know he pics my LPS so they have been sumped. I've not seen him nibble on the SPS but wouldn't put it past him, seems to nibble at everything else. Come to think of it I think growth has tailed off since putting him in. He's coming out in a few weeks when my new tank turns up.

Is there anything chemistry wise that leads to the white tips?

[Dave.I]

I had to remove a younge majestic due to nipping at sps.He wasnt even going for polyps but the flesh between,ripping it off to the skeleton! Nice fish but a bit of a turd in the end!

[Blacktip]

Hi Guys
I have got this tip burning again, anyone got any fresh ideas as to what this is?
Cheers

[lindsay]

Hi any chance of some pictures?.

[Blacktip]

Hi Mate,

A few pics. Not great shots, you'll have to show me how when I come down.

[Blacktip]

Bump

[dylan]

well the bottom picture is just growth top pic may well be aswell

[lindsay]

Its hard to say from the pictures,the green acro seems a bit quiet on the polyps in the area where tips look white,still think fish,have had tangs do this in the past.

[ANDYG]

As Linds has said it could be fish, we had this discussion on Saturday because I'd raised the same issue, as I'd had a couple of small acros with white tips. I said I hadn't seen the fish but yesterday I saw the yellow tang & vampire having a nip as they swam by. (little sods).

I'm trying to keep them occupied by feeding them extra Nori.