At a loss... thoughts, advice, etc?
- Thread starter elensius
- Start date
FreshReefer
New member
Have a read here:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2104096
Also, I would get 3 pack of polyfilters to try them out. I have had luck with them in the past for strange issues like this. It might be a band aid until you can figure out the real issue, but at least stuff might live and you won't get so frustrated.
I also think maybe water changes are exporting plenty of nutrients and you could stop carbon and gfo too.
Basically, back to bare essentials for what you put in your tank. Replace water only get rid of all other supplements, and slowly add back as/if needed.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2104096
Also, I would get 3 pack of polyfilters to try them out. I have had luck with them in the past for strange issues like this. It might be a band aid until you can figure out the real issue, but at least stuff might live and you won't get so frustrated.
I also think maybe water changes are exporting plenty of nutrients and you could stop carbon and gfo too.
Basically, back to bare essentials for what you put in your tank. Replace water only get rid of all other supplements, and slowly add back as/if needed.
latest update for those still reading along: Though the rate of die-off seems to be slowing down, I'm afraid that virtually all the corals that are still alive are still demonstrating the same "gradual fade" that has preceded the death of the others :-(
I have added some polyfilter to see if it helps, and I have acquired additional test kits to make sure I'm looking at "everything" (didn't have ammonia, nitrite, etc. before).
Though everything appears to be within acceptable ranges, I did notice something that *might* explain the situation - in particular, one of the test strips I bought tests for "general hardness" (GH) in addition to "carbonate hardness" (KH)... and though my KH seems to be fine (roughly 160ppm, or 9 KH), my GH is "off the charts" (highest color it shows on the comparison chart is dark blue/purple for 180ppm... and mine is darkdarkDARK blue/purple!).
I don't see much reference to GH in the forums I've looked at (KH seems to be the "biggie" to keep an eye on), but I'm wondering if anyone out there knows whether my coral die-off pattern is consistent with what one would expect to see if this number was, in fact, "too high"? or what would the expected impact on corals be if that number had crept up over time?
Anyhow, I haven't pulled ALL of my hair out yet, but I thought I'd pass along the info that with a new test kit came a new data point that might help explain things... thoughts? (and if high general hardness is, in fact, causing the type of die-off I'm seeing, what's the best way to bring it back down?)
Thanks a bunch!
I have added some polyfilter to see if it helps, and I have acquired additional test kits to make sure I'm looking at "everything" (didn't have ammonia, nitrite, etc. before).
Though everything appears to be within acceptable ranges, I did notice something that *might* explain the situation - in particular, one of the test strips I bought tests for "general hardness" (GH) in addition to "carbonate hardness" (KH)... and though my KH seems to be fine (roughly 160ppm, or 9 KH), my GH is "off the charts" (highest color it shows on the comparison chart is dark blue/purple for 180ppm... and mine is darkdarkDARK blue/purple!).
I don't see much reference to GH in the forums I've looked at (KH seems to be the "biggie" to keep an eye on), but I'm wondering if anyone out there knows whether my coral die-off pattern is consistent with what one would expect to see if this number was, in fact, "too high"? or what would the expected impact on corals be if that number had crept up over time?
Anyhow, I haven't pulled ALL of my hair out yet, but I thought I'd pass along the info that with a new test kit came a new data point that might help explain things... thoughts? (and if high general hardness is, in fact, causing the type of die-off I'm seeing, what's the best way to bring it back down?)
Thanks a bunch!
coralfarmer
Aquarist
Nate, No need to worry about GH for saltwater .
thanks, James... will rule that out then 
fwiw, here is not-so-great a pic of what the "fading" looks like on a montipora frag that was a very bright and robust green when I first got it (note that the completely pulled in polyps are another "symptom" observed in everything that has died/is dying... acro, monti, turbinaria, you name it, the polyps get pulled in and never come back out once they've vanished)...
fwiw, here is not-so-great a pic of what the "fading" looks like on a montipora frag that was a very bright and robust green when I first got it (note that the completely pulled in polyps are another "symptom" observed in everything that has died/is dying... acro, monti, turbinaria, you name it, the polyps get pulled in and never come back out once they've vanished)...
update for those who are interested:
The good news is that somewhere along the way, between increasing the amount of water being replaced during water changes, removing almost all the remaining sand from my tank, and scaling back the LED lighting even more, it looks like my tank *may* have finally stabilized and turned the corner!
The bad news is that while things have stopped dying... and in many cases are even starting to look healthy again (polyp extension! new growth too!)... I never did pinpoint the cause of the problem. Perhaps I've pulled enough bad stuff out of my tank, and it's gone for good... but perhaps I'm merely changing water fast enough to barely stay ahead of the buildup of whatever (if anything) is leeching out from a piece of hardware, etc. We'll see.
Anyhow, thanks so much to everyone who shared thoughts and suggestions along the way. It has not been a fun last two years, especially after attempting to restock the tank twice after thinking I had it "cleaned up," but knock on wood, perhaps it really is ready to become a reef tank again rather than just being a vat of warm, salty water to store rocks in!
I'm going to gradually scale back the water changes and see what happens... and if things stay healthy through that, the next step will be to start increasing the duration and intensity of the lights again. I'll keep you posted (and perhaps you'll even start seeing me at the meetings again one of these days )
Thanks again to everyone who tried to help along the way!
The good news is that somewhere along the way, between increasing the amount of water being replaced during water changes, removing almost all the remaining sand from my tank, and scaling back the LED lighting even more, it looks like my tank *may* have finally stabilized and turned the corner!
The bad news is that while things have stopped dying... and in many cases are even starting to look healthy again (polyp extension!
new growth too!)... I never did pinpoint the cause of the problem. Perhaps I've pulled enough bad stuff out of my tank, and it's gone for good... but perhaps I'm merely changing water fast enough to barely stay ahead of the buildup of whatever (if anything) is leeching out from a piece of hardware, etc. We'll see.Anyhow, thanks so much to everyone who shared thoughts and suggestions along the way. It has not been a fun last two years, especially after attempting to restock the tank twice after thinking I had it "cleaned up," but knock on wood, perhaps it really is ready to become a reef tank again rather than just being a vat of warm, salty water to store rocks in!
I'm going to gradually scale back the water changes and see what happens... and if things stay healthy through that, the next step will be to start increasing the duration and intensity of the lights again. I'll keep you posted (and perhaps you'll even start seeing me at the meetings again one of these days
)Thanks again to everyone who tried to help along the way!
