coral necrosis newbie help fish death diatom algae everywhere

[champion6sigma]

Not sure if this is allowed. I submitted my first post in corals..

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2559587

If anyone could please help with my situation. I could use some help with figuring out what mistakes I'm making, what I need to change, how to keep my coral from dying, etc...

 

[Sk8r]

First off, the sticky up top with the red arrow. It's got advanced as well as novice advice in it. check off everything you've got that's not optimum. Water changes and carbon are where to go from where you are, for an immediate rescue. Deep water changes. 30% day one, 20% day 3 and again on day 5 if that huge change didn't stop the dieoff. THe change hopefully will hammer the nitrate down, which I suspect is one issue.

 

[champion6sigma]

Ill check that out sk8ter, thanks, its been a while since i read the stickies...

 

[champion6sigma]

I did a 20 gallon water change when I did the quarantine tank just about a week ago. Then I did the 5 gallon yesterday.

I'm going to get water tested, I'm buying more salt and RODI water tomorrow. I'll do some water changes. Reading on sticky that low PH is not good. I've never had it consistently in good range...will be making more effort to retain that reading. Also with the new RODI system, and DD salt..I'm hoping to have better and more consistent and more often water changes.

I'm also going to get my salinity closer to 1.25 rather than 1.20...now that I have a salinity probe in there I can tell more often whats going on with that..

 

[Sk8r]

Get your alkalinity in line and under normal circumstances the ph will trot right along behind. PH changes by the hour in a marine tank. Alk is your more reliable guide. If you can get your parameters close to mine in my sig line, that will give you at least water that is good for lps corals.

 

[champion6sigma]

is magnesium very low in salt water mix from LFS? I've never dosed it. I did order the DD magnesium plus salt so maybe that will help my situation...perhaps magnesium is why my ph will not stay up. I've never had alkalinity tested. I don't understand why the lFS people tell me its not important and just do my salinity ph nitrites nitrates...

No filters on your tank means no mechanical filters like spong material or filter socks?

To get alkalinity up immidiately...is that something you recommend dosing now...in the midst of the 30 percent and 20 percent water changes?

I'm going to purchase some tests. My problem is that I only have 5 containers...I usually keep two for RODI. I can't go to the LFS every other day... I'm hoping to make a batch of 25 gallons Friday or saturday when my spectrapure system comes in.

SK8R I've seen your posts many many times.

What are your thoughts on my actual tank setup....powerhead placements, flow patterns, are the brown diatoms I'm having...a water spec problem or is it i'm running my radeon wrong like others have said? Other people say I need more light....that corals need more flow....some say i have too much flow.

Is the absolute most important thing the water parameters....or am i killing my coral with my lights and placement in poor water flow? I'm not sure if these questions are too difficult to answer with the amt of knowledge I've provided.

Are you able to see the corals I linked to. Am I at the start of coral death in the two at the bottom of sand bed? Its hard to see with lighting but the areas where the polyp heads are whitish on the retracted areas.

I'm also wondering if maybe my cadlights skimmer is not working well at actually removing things. I seem to collect just dark water.

Is your opinion best not to add the biopellet reactor?

 

[Sk8r]

I'd start by fixing the water situation.
You need tests for alkalinity, calcium and magnesium. I use Salifert because it gives numbers.
You need reef salt, if you've been using anything else: Instant Ocean is good moderate level salt.
You need supplements for alk, cal, magnesium. I use Kent.
If your water is deficient in magnesium, start with that. Dose only so much as the instructions tell you, wait 8 hours for it to dissolve and work through the system, then dose again. When your mg (mag) is up to 1300, stop dosing that and test your alkalinity. Do the same routine until your alk is 8.3. Never mind the ph.
Then do the same thing with calcium, until it reads 420. DO IT IN THAT ORDER.
If you have stony coral, you will need a calcium supplement, because it will eat up more calcium than your salt mix has to offer.
RUn these tests weekly. If that's not enough, run them more frequently.
If your corals are taking more than a teaspoon of calcium supplement a week, you need to put kalk into your topoff, and you can ask about that when you need to.
YOur skimmer is SUPPOSED to pull black stuff. That's good.
If you can see white skeleton on any coral, that's not good.
Test your nitrate. If your nitrate is higher than .2 ---do water changes until you've lowered it at least below 20 and ideally to the point where you have to do the sensitive version of the nitrate test to detect it.

Before adding the biopellet reactor, ---try the water changes. They'll work much, much, much faster.

 

[champion6sigma]

I'd start by fixing the water situation.
You need tests for alkalinity, calcium and magnesium. I use Salifert because it gives numbers.
You need reef salt, if you've been using anything else: Instant Ocean is good moderate level salt.
You need supplements for alk, cal, magnesium. I use Kent.
If your water is deficient in magnesium, start with that. Dose only so much as the instructions tell you, wait 8 hours for it to dissolve and work through the system, then dose again. When your mg (mag) is up to 1300, stop dosing that and test your alkalinity. Do the same routine until your alk is 8.3. Never mind the ph.
Then do the same thing with calcium, until it reads 420. DO IT IN THAT ORDER.
If you have stony coral, you will need a calcium supplement, because it will eat up more calcium than your salt mix has to offer.
RUn these tests weekly. If that's not enough, run them more frequently.
If your corals are taking more than a teaspoon of calcium supplement a week, you need to put kalk into your topoff, and you can ask about that when you need to.
YOur skimmer is SUPPOSED to pull black stuff. That's good.
If you can see white skeleton on any coral, that's not good.
Test your nitrate. If your nitrate is higher than .2 ---do water changes until you've lowered it at least below 20 and ideally to the point where you have to do the sensitive version of the nitrate test to detect it.

Before adding the biopellet reactor, ---try the water changes. They'll work much, much, much faster.

I'm going to follow the water change directions, dosing instructions, hold off on the reactor.

this is the salt i bought
http://www.marinedepot.com/D_D_H2Oc...Reef_Salt_Mix-D_D_H2Ocean-DD2211-FISM-vi.html

on salifert do you mean it gives you number readings rather than having to match up colors?

I looked them up on bulk reef i didn't see a complete set just individual tests. I did find a red sea complete set for ca mg and Alk

OK found a test on marinedepot for reef by salifert.

 

[Sk8r]

Don't buy test sets, ime---they run out at different rates, and there you, a 2 year supply of one and none of two others.
Yes, Salifert gives a numerical result, no colors on the alk, mg, cal.
Your salt is ok, a little high on the alk, but generally ok. It is a reef salt, which is good.

 

[champion6sigma]

Thank u for the assistance. I shall get the teating done locally tomorrow. If the have the individual tests of salifert of said 3 components, I'll buy. If not I'll order them online. I'm once again getting excited about the future of our tiny reef. I will not be adding any livestock until I can get the water parameters stable, algae is under control, tank looks clean, and my overall life stress goes down.

Sk8er ur first post states water changes and carbon. Doing the 1st 3rd and 5th day changes. By carbon do u mean add some to sump, I do have carbon pellet looking things...they were cheap and do not come in bag, I was told to add to filter sock. Do u recommend putting carbon in my filter sock...and if so, for how long?

What reef salt do you use?

I'll look for the Kent line of additives at the lfs as well.

 

[Sk8r]

Put a carbon pellet bag (never loose carbon!!!!!!!!!!!!) in sump. Not a filter sock---a ladies kneehigh nylon tied off at top will do. Never leave any carbon bag in more than 2 weeks: they can start collecting detritus and being a problem on their own. Small bags often are better than big bag that gets forgotten.

 

[champion6sigma]

I had filter sock in silter holder under down drain. Nothing loose. I'll get an acrivated carbon pouch to put in sump. Lfs doesn't sell selifert here. I just got a speeding ticket coming across town for water. My large clown died this morning. Life sucks again.

 

[Sk8r]

So sorry. For Salifert, try Amazon.
Things will get better.

 

[ijnoj09]

I think you're trying to do too many things at once too quickly without the tank parameters stabilized. One important key in this hobby is patience. Once you're water is tested, we'll have a better idea of what's going on in your tank. Your nitrate levels are most likely high. How many times a day are you feeding the tank? Are you just dropping the cube in there all at once? Hold off on adding anything new, keep doing large water changes and make sure your vacuuming/stirring the sand bed regularly.

 

[CStrickland]

That sucks man, rough week
I agree that it sounds like you're spread a little thin. From skimming your diff threads it sounds like basically something got out of whack, or was set up incorrectly in the first place. This is a complicated hobby at first, there's a lot of moving parts. But it's totally worth it in the end.

I'm awfully sorry your fish died, and I hope it's the last one you lose. Same with coral, but that's not such a kicker. Almost everyone has lost fish, it happens. Usually when tanks go south there are some losses, and it takes longer to get on track than it did to go sideways. You'll get the diff issues sorted one at a time, reading the stickies and tweaking this or that. One day this rough patch will be a bad memory. Don't put too much pressure on yourself, get the water right, then tweak the lights, then tweak the other little things, then dust yourself off and start buying more pets. As much as possible try to keep your expectations realistic, it really helps make the ride more enjoyable.

 

[champion6sigma]

Thanks guys. i guess when it rains, it sometimes pours. My 1 year old has been sick this week, I've been getting a sore throat. i'm unable to fight sickness. Shes doing better.

ijnoj....been feeding once a day only...one cube only...i also add some phytoplankton every other day or every few days for the electric scallop and anemone. i was doing the reef roids once a week for the coral.

We now only have 3 fish. 2 chromis and 1 coral beauty. 6 coral. 1 anemone 1 electric red scallop. lots of snails but lots of empty shells...and ive been removing the white snail things on back wall of tank ...guess they are nerite eggs

My alkalinty was 20 plus(he said thats very bad). Calcium was at 200. Magnesium he didn't have a test for. Nitrates were low 0.X or near there he didn't say number but he mentioned insignificant, not a worry. I got impression he didn't really want to do more tests because he doesn't do dosing in his large coral tank. only water changes.

I told him about me dosing the seachem marine buffer for the PH. That my ph has not been consistent, it drops rapidly after dosing. He says that marine buffer is more than likely what caused the alkaline spiking...and this in turn is hurting my coral. He had no explanation for my two clown deaths except that maybe they did have ich and didn't survive or had another illness. Green mandarin may have died from starvation or due to fact they are hard to keep.

He says that calcium is low, possibility that magnesium is also low, but that it wouldn't cause coral necrosis....would just not allow full extension or growth...colorization.

I did the 30 percent water change today. I added carbon. I cleaned my two mp40's with vinegar / water solution early in day...by afternoon I was able to rinse and put back in tank but in unusual positioning. I now have one on right glass in rear and lower portion pointed right at my back rock. Its on the lower half of glass. I lowered the 2nd one from back glass top left to back glass low left so that it partially hits rock and can extend forward to tank. I want to change my nozzle to a dual nozzle return but my setup has chinese or alien plumbing and isn't locline compatible. Once i figure out the compatible brand I can put a dual and hit some other areas. Putting my mp40's into rocks...IMO seems like I can increase the output and have it hit the rock and disperse into various directions and get behind tank which was probably a haven for detritus and low movement.

I'm going to go to different store on Thursday for the additional water for the 20 percent change and also pick up water for the 10 percent change on saturday. I'll have them test my magnesium, calcium, everything basically to see what it looks like with the new water change. I will not be using seachem marine buffer. I wish I had known that it had negative effects from the get go. I've used half of their largest container they sell in about 2.5 months.

 

[champion6sigma]

I can't order from amazon. I was banned because of amt of returns.

I'm going to do much more reading and focus on the water. Once I can test things at home....make my own water....and the tank is established by end of year....i'm hoping for smooth sailing.

 

[champion6sigma]

heres some pics of changes. I moved the frag rack to front and center temporarily. Shows the new placement of powerheads. Shows the bubbles that are now on the frags in rack...I have these bubbles all over rock.
I need to do some sand cleaning still. I need to work on hair algae on back left rock.

Corals seems slightly better today, they aren't open and extended well but I don't see much white decay. Its actually still hard to see from these pics. I still need to make changes to lighting once i got some definitive support.

Reason i change water flow is because I didn't know if its good to have coral such as the leathers on right side....to be right infront of the powerhead...inches away.

 

[ijnoj09]

I would have them test the phosphate levels as well. The mp40's you have should provide more then enough water movement in your tank so I don't think you really need to split the return nozzle. I only have one mp40 on my 70 and it moves plenty of water.

Focus on understanding the water chemistry and how to get your parameters stabilized. Water changes go along way, try to do 5-10% a week at first until you get your tank stabilized enough. Once you get that under control the rest will start to fall into place and you can start tinkering with your other equipment and adding more livestock. Keep it simple and learn the basics.

We all were in your shoes when we started and made the same mistakes. Lost many fish and corals and got frustrated but it's how you learn.

 

[champion6sigma]

Salifert kH/Alkalinity Aquarium Test Kit
SKU: 205101 1 $13.99
Salifert Nitrate Aquarium Test Kit
SKU: 205104 1 $18.99
Salifert Phosphate Aquarium Test Kit
SKU: 205106 1 $18.99
Salifert Magnesium Aquarium Test Kit
SKU: 205102 1 $19.99
Salifert Calcium Aquarium Test Kit
SKU: 205100 1 $20.99

All SALIFERT tests went on sale today at BRS.
Ordered the ones above. Thanks for the tip sk8ter.

Things holding steady on tank, I think I got days mixed up from all the mayhem. I'll be doing the 20 percent water change tomorrow on friday. 10 percent on Sunday. The booster pump for the spectrapure RODI came in today. The rodi and salt should be in tomorrow. If I can figure it out, find placement, etc....I'd like to make my own batch this weekend.

How bad is the excessive bubbles showing on those frags? And the ones covering the rocks in DT? I'm trying not to over worry about them or my coral.

There is this black 3dimensional object looking thing on the green cabbage coral. I took some pictures that show it. Does this look like a parasite?

My salinity is slowing rising...I had it so low that my only thought is to let it rise through evaporation. I'll top off with salt water. PH is holding at 7.9.