Can't keep sps after tank crash

[quantim0]

My tank crashed on vacation over a month ago due to my apex failing and leaving my lights on for 4 days, raising the temp to 87. Lost about 30 frags and small colonies.

I started to add new sps 3 weeks ago and everything has died within 2 weeks. The biggest cause has been rtn, but also burnt tips and base recession. I have lost Monti and acros. I have 7 acro frags from Saturday, one is having base recession, one burnt tips, and one with both. A Monti digitata is showing no polyp extension and is looking rough.

Parameters and tank info:
80 gal 48x24x16 w/ 30 gal sump
8 bulb tek light
Salonity: 35 ppt
Alk: 8.5
Ca: 450
Mg: 1380
NO3: 5
PO4: not sure, Hannah checker being replaced under warranty. I have some nuisance algae so I'm sure there's some.
- Water change 15 gal every 2 weeks
- Carbon in filter sock changed every 2 weeks
- 2 mp40 for water flow
- vertex omega 150

My numbers have been solid since last week, no swings. My alk tests within 1 ppm every time and I've tested every day. I've double checked with a salifert kit vs my Hannah checker. I don't understand what's happening. Burnt tips means high alk and low nutrients based on everything I can find. Obviously that's not my issue. Base recession means alk dropping, not my problem. I have every conceivable sps problem at once but I can't pinpoint a cause. No equipment or maintenance has changed since all my sps were doing well before the crash.

Any insight on where I can look to fix this? It's driving me crazy and I'm about over the tank at the moment.

 

[GroktheCube]

I know it sounds a bit too obvious, but have you double checked temp with a second thermometer and made sure your refractometer is properly calibrated?

Otherwise, I got nothing. You could try poly-filter to see if it pulls any metals out of the water.

Letting the tank go without new additions for a couple months is also an option.

 

[quantim0]

I do calibrate my refractometer before I use it. I can double check temp but it feels close enough just from experience. I'll see if I can find a poly filter over the weekend. I'm don't know where metals would be coming from, but at this point I'll try anything.

I'm wondering if something is up with my ro. I changed the filters a few months ago and I'm not sure what could have gone wrong between then and now.

 

[GroktheCube]

Do you have a TDS meter for it? As long as it's reading 0, you should be fine.

 

[quantim0]

Yes it reads zero. I check it when I start it up

 

[muttley101]

What is your ph at?

 

[dunk373]

what did you do after the crash? large water change, remove all dead stuff? Maybe it just needs more time? I'm not sure if high temps kill all the good small stuff too maybe it has to recycle. Have you tested ammonia and nitrite?

 

[quantim0]

What is your ph at?

pH goes from about 8.1 in the morning to 8.35 max at night. It really depends on if I have the windows open or closed. Now that it's summer it will go lower at night and not as high at lights out.

 

[quantim0]

what did you do after the crash? large water change, remove all dead stuff? Maybe it just needs more time? I'm not sure if high temps kill all the good small stuff too maybe it has to recycle. Have you tested ammonia and nitrite?

Pulled all the dead stuff, did weekly 15 gal water changes for 3 weeks. Ran carbon.

It may just need more time, but I'm not really sure what would be left in the tank that's killing my corals now. I haven't check ammonia or anything as my clams, fish and other inverts are going strong.

 

[dunk373]

good luck with it i'm sure it will return to normal soon all your numbers look great thats the numbers (give or take) that i maintain or try to lol

 

[muttley101]

Yeah, your numbers look good.. Anything changes in the last few weeks? Did you paint any rooms?

 

[quantim0]

No changes in the area that would even remotely effect the tank. No equipment changes, no changes to my house. Only thing I can say changed is my ac is on now due to "spring" here in Florida. Before my windows were open 24/7.

It stopped for a day or two, but now it's back with a vengeance. I'm in the midst of losing two more pieces. Only 2 left unharmed from my purchase 10 days ago.

 

[Art13]

Well, i don't know if it would help you, but it might be worth a try, I had the issue you are describing, burnt tips, rtn from the top down and also some at the base. Little to no PE. I had a feeling ever since i read somewhere that salt has a shelf life that i might be missing things in the water, so i dosed some trace and amino acids. The turn around was within a day or two and they all colored back up, PE is coming in nice, i'm convinced it was something that my water was missing that those bottles filled in. This drove me crazy for the last month in my previous tank to the point where i started fresh with a new tank, when i started seeing it come in again is when i figured the only common thing here is the water i'm using.

 

[quantim0]

I just got some acropower in, I will be using that starting today I'll update if anything works.

 

[Art13]

I think the amino helped them color up nicely, but i think i was missing or low on some trace elements causing my problem. Then again, i have no idea if low amino acids can cause this as well.

 

[quantim0]

1 piece rtn while I was at work today. One more started to rtn, one that was unaffected now has slightly burnt tips and base recession.

This is right on track to my "nothing can last 2 weeks"

 

[Pife]

Did you lose everything in the crash? If it's only been 6 weeks since your crash I would think that your tank is cycling.

 

[quantim0]

Nothing but corals. At this point I'm pretty much done. I can't keep throwing money at this tank. It will be fish only for the foreseeable future.

 

[ssscuz]

Really until u get a phosphate reading u are wasting your time trying to diagnose. Some nuisance algae could mean u have 0.3 or 0.06 phosphate.

Get the Hanna egg back before u give up.

Rtn for me has always been a direct result of phosphate issue or an alk issue.

 

[chessmanmark]

You stated that your tank crashed a month ago and you are trying to restock. Your alk, calcium and mag all look good, however this was the result of one test. Keep testing. Burnt tips sound like an alk swing.

How fast did you add SPS when you first started? Your tank is cycling again. I would suggest trying to stock up on pods and being patient if you really want to rebuild. It's going to take time. I went through a crash, lost everything when I moved, and then another crash due to hurricane Katrina. It was tough to start again, but by using what you have learned you can rebuild better than ever.

Start back up slowly. Establish a few corals before you start stocking up again. This is the first cycle. I predict algae is coming your way in the next few months. By proceeding slowly you will rebuild better than before.