My corals are dying

[ellebelle]

For the last month or so, I've been having a lot of problems with my tank. My corals have been dying slowly, starting with my montipora caps. I lost two orange cap colonies almost entirely. My purple one is bleaching. The yellow and green are browned out but hanging on. After that, I started losing a pink tipped digitata and a tan elkhorn monti and a purple polyped birdsnest colony. Now even MORE recently, I'm getting bleaching on the tips of my green slimer and I lost a head of blue candy cane. I also lost a huge blue turbinaria (not a pagoda cup - the kind like the scroll corals).

The candy cane is the only LPS to have been affected thus far. Some of the SPS haven't been affected - I have three different deepwater acros which are thriving. My tri color acro looks fantastic. My milliporas are fine, and my two other stags seem to be doing well. My two encrusting montis are doing okay (sunset and superman) and my palawensis (spelled wrong) monti is fine.

All fish and inverts are fine.

I have tested all of my levels, all with salifert kits:

SG: 1.025
pH: 8.0
dKh: 9
Calcium: 430ppm
Mg: 1250
phosphates: 0
nitrates: 0

I am running carbon, and two types of GFO. I am using 1 MH (which I switched about 3 weeks ago to a new bulb) for 7 hours/day.

I know I have a really bad flatworm infestation, though I've been trying siphon those out regularly. Is it possible I just have so many flatworms that as they are dying naturally, they are releasing toxins?

Any other ideas for what could be the problem based on the corals that have been affected?

 

[NYreefNoob]

elle you have blennies dont you ? reason i am asking is i catch my bi-color munching lately on my caps. and the caps are the only thing that has seem to went down hill lately

 

[jejton]

Could it be the new bulb?

 

[ming]

SG: 1.0025
phosphates: 0

I'm sure your SG is probably 10x higher
Your phosphates are definitely not 0, the salifert isn't very accurate, but if it tests 0, at least your phosphates too high/high enough to be registered by salifert which is a good start

Whats the temp of the tank in the morning/night? I'm wondering if the temp is too hot, or if the temp/PH are swinging too much between day and night for the corals to handle.

When was the last time you did a water change? Maybe its time for a large water change to reset everything which you can't/aren't testing for.

 

[ellebelle]

My tank is on a chiller. The highest it can get is 82 degrees before the chiller kicks in and lowers it to 79.

I know my phosphates probably aren't 0, but I figure if it says 0 on the salifert, that should be low enough for what I'm keeping.

What puzzles me is that the deepwater acros are fine. I thought they were supposed to be more sensitive...

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

I have your same problem loosing caps but other SPS are all doing OK in one of my tank

 

[Wes]

I know my phosphates probably aren't 0, but I figure if it says 0 on the salifert, that should be low enough for what I'm keeping.

Not necessarily "low enough" for sps. Although phosphates may not be the problem here. It could even be a lack of phosphates if you have pulled them down too low w/ your "2 types of GFO".

What do you calibrate your Refractometer with? IF you use RO/DI instead of the pinpoint calibration fluid it could be off a bit. In other words your salinity could be actually lower than 1.025 if you calibrate w/ RO/DI.

How much does your alkalinity swing? How do you replace calcium and alkalinity?

 

[ellebelle]

I actually use a hydrometer, not a refractometer (I know, I know - get thee to marine depot). But when I've checked it against other people's refractometers, it's been accurate.

I have been running Phosban and ultraphos as my GFO. I started running more than one when I had a horrible cyanobacteria outbreak earlier this year. I realize that for SPS my phosphates should be extremely low, but it seems like the SPS that are MORE tolerant of dirty water are the ones that are most heavily affected. I mean, I kept montis under my power compacts that look better than they do right now in my tank. It's frustrating.

I dose 2-part every morning to replace my Ca and Alk.

 

[Wes]

running that much GFO could be risky. Especially w/out a good PO4 measurement. It is possible to go remove too much phosphate. If it shows up as 0.00 on a hanna, i'd use less. Again, not saying this is necessarily your problem. Just thinking of potential problems.

Also, get a refractometer!! With pinpoint calibration fluid. Seems like a no brainer considering the amount of money you have invested in livestock.

 

[smcooler]

Most problems related to caps not growing are due to low K (potasium) what salt are you useing and how much water do you change. Seachem is high in K and will do well for your caps. If you have a scroll coral and it wont grow or is dieing a sure sigh your K is very low. Try changing 20% of your water per week.


stan

 

[ellebelle]

I'm using Reef Crystals and I've been doing about 10% weekly. I didn't realize that - I'll try doing a bigger water change and see if that fixes things.

 

[qy7400]

Have you checked for stray voltage, may have a PH not 100%.

The corals affected, anything common? Like all near the returns, in line with a PH? If so maybe when the chiller kicks on the return water temp is to drastic.

Also like Eric mention the new bulb, was this a swap or different brand/color; could have a defect as well. My orange caps bleached a little from new bulbs so it could be an issue.

I have a 65G thats loaded with red flatworms as well and have yet to have see any issues because of them.

 

[ihatefish]

82 is kinda high i keep mine anywhere from 76-79 and my corals are doing fine just something 2 think about

 

[ming]

82 isn't too high IMO. My tank has reached 82 everyday for the past month or two because of the heat and no problems. My lights turn off at 82.5 to prevent it from going higher.

 

[prattreef]

My 1st instinct says high salinity. My 2nd says low Alk. My 3rd says UV leaking from a cracked/ not properly shielded MH lamp. If you can rule these out, I'd move on to Wes and Stan's low PO4 and low K theories.

 

[ellebelle]

Well, my alk is definitely not low, and I just changed my bulb (same brand, same color) and the problem didn't go away (started with the old bulb).

I took one of the phosban reactors offline and did a 25% water change. We'll see if that makes a difference.

 

[ZZROCOOL]

My 1st instinct says high salinity. My 2nd says low Alk. My 3rd says UV leaking from a cracked/ not properly shielded MH lamp. If you can rule these out, I'd move on to Wes and Stan's low PO4 and low K theories.

That is not high Salinity!!!!! Most reefs in the wild are about 1.028/29/30
I keep mine at 1.028. Jason at Greenwich Aquaria keeps his show take at like 1.029 (if I remember correctly, but def. not a 1.025) I would try much larger water changes like 30%. Also not PO4 being to low?????
How is your coral growth before this started? If its mostly Monti Caps I bet Montipora eating Nudi's. ellebelle talk to Jason at GA! I had the same issue and Jason and Rob figured it out right away they eat on the underside not the top so you would never see them

 

[prattreef]

That is not high Salinity!!!!! Most reefs in the wild are about 1.028/29/30
I keep mine at 1.028. Jason at Greenwich Aquaria keeps his show take at like 1.029 (if I remember correctly, but def. not a 1.025) I would try much larger water changes like 30%. Also not PO4 being to low?????
How is your coral growth before this started? If its mostly Monti Caps I bet Montipora eating Nudi's. ellebelle talk to Jason at GA! I had the same issue and Jason and Rob figured it out right away they eat on the underside not the top so you would never see them

I never said her salinity as measured was high, just that the symptoms to me indicated that this might be the issue--- ie her hydrometer might be off, etc.

And yes, too much Phosban added too quickly can bring po4 down too low and corals sometimes have a negative reaction to it.

 

[jackson6745]

I would definitely check all montis at night for nudis. You'll see little white fuzzy nudis mostly on the underside. You might as well eliminate this possibility while you're at it.

 

[caad3]

Add a stray volt probe. For under $20 bucks you can a least eliminate one potential problem.