2 year old tank keeps withering away
- Thread starter naglfar
- Start date
NaH2Ofreak
Premium Member
Relax. Sometimes corals go thru funky phases. Slow down on the water changes and the micro managing of the tank. I know that's all part of the fun of the hobby but sometimes, ya gotta just sit back and admire the tank. See if it can work itself out.
Dennis
Dennis
frnkynlop
New member
hey naglfar,
I'm going throught the same thing, but I think I might finally have under control. My problem was that in my 3yr old tank all my torches, hammers and frogspawns were shriveling up and dying and even had some heads bail out of there skeleton. I tested for everything and everything checked out normal. Till I posted here and someone suggested to get a second opinon, so I took a sample of my water to a my lfs and found that nitrates and phos were out of wack. appearently my test kits were bad. nitrates were in 60ish, phos was at 1ppm. So I went into panic mode and statred doing large water changes every 3days, which I think made thing worse. I slowed down on the water changes and things are finally getting back in order (I hope). My suggestion would be test get a second opinon on all parameters just to give you a piece a mind.
Quick questions, are your bta just deflated or are they showing any other signs of stress. here's a good site that give alot of good info on bta. http://www.karensroseanemones.net/.
what's the ph and salanity on your tank? and what mixed seafood are you feeding. Is it seafood you buy from the store and how are you preparing it? Sorry for the long post, I just want to help.
I'm going throught the same thing, but I think I might finally have under control. My problem was that in my 3yr old tank all my torches, hammers and frogspawns were shriveling up and dying and even had some heads bail out of there skeleton. I tested for everything and everything checked out normal. Till I posted here and someone suggested to get a second opinon, so I took a sample of my water to a my lfs and found that nitrates and phos were out of wack. appearently my test kits were bad. nitrates were in 60ish, phos was at 1ppm. So I went into panic mode and statred doing large water changes every 3days, which I think made thing worse. I slowed down on the water changes and things are finally getting back in order (I hope). My suggestion would be test get a second opinon on all parameters just to give you a piece a mind.
Quick questions, are your bta just deflated or are they showing any other signs of stress. here's a good site that give alot of good info on bta. http://www.karensroseanemones.net/.
what's the ph and salanity on your tank? and what mixed seafood are you feeding. Is it seafood you buy from the store and how are you preparing it? Sorry for the long post, I just want to help.
The one rose bta is deflated and has been for almost a week. I've had it for about a year and its always deflated for a day tops and then perked back up. It is showing signs of stress but nothing bad like misenterial filaments. I know they deflate normally and that purging their interior water is a normal process but something is not right.
ph was 8.3 last time i checked it but any tank will have swings throughout the day.
I keep my salinity at 1.025
the mixed sea food is basically a large bag of assorted meat intended for larger fish like lionfish. I forget the brand but it is essentially krill, clam, etc. I simply take a small piece and thaw it in rodi.
Not to sound too pessimistic but i've been sitting back and letting the tank take it's course to work things out on it's own for two years. I dont want you kind people who are looking to help me think that i have my hands in the tank frantically changing things to figure out whats wrong. I simply do my water changes, change my carbon here and there, clean my skimmer, and suck detritus out when i do the water changes. it's a good routine and all the pieces are there, but for some reason nothing develops.
ph was 8.3 last time i checked it but any tank will have swings throughout the day.
I keep my salinity at 1.025
the mixed sea food is basically a large bag of assorted meat intended for larger fish like lionfish. I forget the brand but it is essentially krill, clam, etc. I simply take a small piece and thaw it in rodi.
Not to sound too pessimistic but i've been sitting back and letting the tank take it's course to work things out on it's own for two years. I dont want you kind people who are looking to help me think that i have my hands in the tank frantically changing things to figure out whats wrong. I simply do my water changes, change my carbon here and there, clean my skimmer, and suck detritus out when i do the water changes. it's a good routine and all the pieces are there, but for some reason nothing develops.
shaggss
Active member
+2 test for copper/stray voltage
+1 for reducing WC to 5%/week
Are you using too much GFO? can cause problems.
Raise your lights.
2nd opinion on your water tests.
And like others have said, nothing good in a reef tank happens quickly. Let the tank stabilize for a while ans see what happens.
I wish you good fortune!
cheers:beer:
+1 for reducing WC to 5%/week
Are you using too much GFO? can cause problems.
Raise your lights.
2nd opinion on your water tests.
And like others have said, nothing good in a reef tank happens quickly. Let the tank stabilize for a while ans see what happens.
I wish you good fortune!
cheers:beer:
How many fish do you have and what is your feeding schedule for them?
My guess is too sterile of a tank.
I had the same problem with my first tank. Lps would encounter slow tissue recession, then finally die. Sps would explode at first, but within 3-4 weeks would grey out, loose polyp extention, and die...
Have you tried using aminos?
My guess is too sterile of a tank.
I had the same problem with my first tank. Lps would encounter slow tissue recession, then finally die. Sps would explode at first, but within 3-4 weeks would grey out, loose polyp extention, and die...
Have you tried using aminos?
Lynnmw1208
New member
I would say it could be the water changes also. I do a 30% change once a month and everything is super happy in my tank. In a tank that size 20% weekly water changes can take all the good stuff out of the water and on top of that the skimmer is skimming away stuff too. I would try to hold off on water changes and see what happens. Your parameters look fine to me and I also use red sea coral pro salt and kits. My alk is frequently at 10 and my corals don't seem to mind (LPS, zoa, SPS, mushrooms).
NaH2Ofreak
Premium Member
my40breeder
In Memoriam
I had similar issues going on in my tank. i couldn't keep anything alive anymore. i decided to tear my tank apart, take all of the rock and sand out and start over. When I did so, I found lots of fire worms in some of my rocks. I never saw them in the tank, even when i looked at night. I have no idea what they came in on. Now, my tank is doing fine again with new rock and new sand after it cycled. So you might have some pests that have gone undetected.
Thanks for the input everyone. Some really good points and exactly the first hand experience i was looking for. When i get around to it im going to buy some new test kits and install the ground probe when it comes in the mail.
I might also try some new foods and also let the tank go with less water changes (5-10%) for a few weeks to see what happens.
I might also try some new foods and also let the tank go with less water changes (5-10%) for a few weeks to see what happens.
csmfish
New member
I would get a QT tank, some IO (from experience) and make a new batch of .022 water. Airate heavy for at least 5 hours, temp match ONLY and move the really bad corals to the QT tank. Make sure the tank is by the window where sun will shine on it but not close enough it affects the water temp. get a small flow powerhead, nothing big. Even just a hang on filter to move water is enough. They will not get blown around so much and be more apt to open up, getting sun! My torch and frogs pump up like crazy with no flow and with some to juuuuuuuuust barley move the tentacles around, if being pumped up is good, I swear they are in such ecstasy they need cigarettes. If they get anywhere near vertical, they get what looks ****ed and thinnish. Now, they do stay open and alive in higher flow, but, for our/your instance, where trying to get them healthy, not see what they can take. I will bet if you a thousand dollars if you do this, your corals will perk up, and, if you have direct sun on them for at least 3 hours a day, they will look a LOT better. I have a QT tank I dont take care of too well other than fresh water I dump all my incoming corals in. They may look a little funky at first, but, corals open up in the sun like nobody's business.
Get what you can out of that main tank!
If you want to go an extra step, get a bucket of the same fresh salt water and rinse the corals before putting them in the QT tank just to rinse off the old stuff. As far as the anemone goes, I would just go at it slowly, ****ing it off or whatever and pluck it off its perch. It will absorb the sun whether it like it or not all ****ed off, but, at least it is getting sun and on its way to healthy land.
I have a torch, two types of frogs, a clam on the sand, xenia, xfilia(sp), dendros, toadstool in the 90 DT... """duncans, mushrooms, GSP, candy canes (in fresh QT saltwater)"". I do not dose and water changes are not in my vocabulary and they are all doing great. Not growing very fast, lol, but plump and healthy.
Get what you can out of that main tank!
If you want to go an extra step, get a bucket of the same fresh salt water and rinse the corals before putting them in the QT tank just to rinse off the old stuff. As far as the anemone goes, I would just go at it slowly, ****ing it off or whatever and pluck it off its perch. It will absorb the sun whether it like it or not all ****ed off, but, at least it is getting sun and on its way to healthy land.
I have a torch, two types of frogs, a clam on the sand, xenia, xfilia(sp), dendros, toadstool in the 90 DT... """duncans, mushrooms, GSP, candy canes (in fresh QT saltwater)"". I do not dose and water changes are not in my vocabulary and they are all doing great. Not growing very fast, lol, but plump and healthy.
fshaqrmman
New member
Not sure if you read my posts or not but I dont have corals in my tank, just anemones. Moving them to a QT tank would be exponentially more detrimental than letting them be. Best to leave them alone and target feed.
i'm not concerned about my anemone keeping practices, more about water chemistry and maintenance. I appreciate your help though, any ideas help.
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Urban Reefer
New member
This is just my 2cents. First of all I always try controlling the things that you can control.
1) You say you feed mixed seafood. When buying seafood you need to be very careful as to what is in the seafood. It is very common for seafood like Cod, Tilapia, Shrimp, Scallops to contain Tri-polyphosphates (to retain moisture), carbon monoxide (to retain color), etc. Just because you buy it from you fish department doesn’t mean you are safe. You need to always ask, if they can’t answer, then don’t buy it. Stay away from any mixed seafood sold in Asian markets, it is dipped for sure. Just because it doesn’t kill your fish doesn’t mean it is safe for your corals.
2) Keep your hands out of your tank for a while. The reason, you may be introducing toxins or pathogens into your system. Lotions, perfumes, soaps, dirt or contaminates, etc. from whatever you do all day.
All I am suggesting is these are two things that you can try without any expense and see if it makes a difference.
1) You say you feed mixed seafood. When buying seafood you need to be very careful as to what is in the seafood. It is very common for seafood like Cod, Tilapia, Shrimp, Scallops to contain Tri-polyphosphates (to retain moisture), carbon monoxide (to retain color), etc. Just because you buy it from you fish department doesn’t mean you are safe. You need to always ask, if they can’t answer, then don’t buy it. Stay away from any mixed seafood sold in Asian markets, it is dipped for sure. Just because it doesn’t kill your fish doesn’t mean it is safe for your corals.
2) Keep your hands out of your tank for a while. The reason, you may be introducing toxins or pathogens into your system. Lotions, perfumes, soaps, dirt or contaminates, etc. from whatever you do all day.
All I am suggesting is these are two things that you can try without any expense and see if it makes a difference.
The mixed seafood was not purchased from a market or even packaged for human consumption. It is a bulk fish food mix intended for large predator fish such as lionfish. The kind in the freezers at your LFS.
I put my hands in the tank only to feed and to do water changes. any other time the screen top stays on and nothing goes in. It's been this way for 2 years. mag float once a week keeps things sparkly.
Flippers4pups
Home made abyss
What method are you using to measure salinity? Hydrometer or Refractometer? Also, how are you measuring temperature? And last thing, how old is your sand?
