Declining Coral Health

[mcgdz86]

Let me start with my tank. It's a 29g biocube that's been running about 3 months. Almost 30lbs of live rock and 20lbs live sand. I run an aquatic life mini skimmer, kessil a160we lighting, small inTank fuge, chemi-pure and purigen filtration, stock return pump and Koralia 425.

Tank parameters
Temp 77
SG 1.023
PH 8
Amm 0
Trite 0
Trate 10
Phos 0
DKH 9
Cal 380
MG 1200+

Ive got an issue with a few of my corals that aren't doing so hot. My LFS wasn't able to help me much, except to say that it doesn't make much sense based on my water parameters.

I have one monitpora frag that has slowly and steadily been declining and turning more and more brown. My only thought is that it wasn't getting enough light, as I was running my kessil on acclimation mode because I kept buying new corals. I was told it could be phosphates but i have never had a phosphate reading.

The coral in the worst shape is my pink boobie chalice. This coral was a beautiful purple/pink with three green eyes. I started it off middle tank low flow, moved it to higher with moderate flow, and now it's sitting on the very bottom. It has been going downhill for a long time, at first the colors held and the tissue just started receding. Over the last week though it's lost all color and is a horrible brown/white now and I can't even tell where the eyes were

This last coral has just barely taken a turn for the worse. As little as 4 days ago my Acan looked fine. Middle tank low flow. But over the weekend it has started to recede on its self exposing more of the skeleton. I've moved it to a higher and moderate flow area.

I also have about 10 other corals that are doing fine. If anyone has any advice or recommendations I'd love to hear. Thanks

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Can a MOD please release this from the SPAM blocker.

Thanks

To the OP. There is a SPAM blocker that blocks some new members posts and attachments if they're any uploaded until a MOD can decide if it's spam or not. This happens all of the time. So once it's released we can try and help you out.

 

[billdogg]

Other than your salinity being a tad low (should be 1.024-.026) I really don't know what it could be. I would guess Allelopathy perhaps. What else is in your tank? If there are soft corals that could very well be the issue. Try changing out the carbon and see if that helps.

 

[mcgdz86]

Other than your salinity being a tad low (should be 1.024-.026) I really don't know what it could be. I would guess Allelopathy perhaps. What else is in your tank? If there are soft corals that could very well be the issue. Try changing out the carbon and see if that helps.

I've put salt water into my ATO to help slowly raise that salinity up a little higher. I could try changing the carbon but the chemi-pure elite has only been in there about two months... My original plan was to change it at the same time as the purigen and the purigen has not started changing color at all. I did just add a pad of Seachem Phosgaurd per advice from LFS. He suggested that there were extra phosphates but i never got a reading because they were being absorbed.

As far as other livestock:
Large hammer
Large finger leather
Torch frag
x3 Rock nem
x2 zoa frags
Galaxea frag
x2 mushroom frag
x1 duncan frag

None of the corals are within stinging distance of each other I keep them pretty spread out. I'm not familiar with the Allelotherapy but i did just look it up briefly. Do you think the low amount I have in there could really do that? Thanks for your advice!

 

[chefbill]

I would guess the finger leather is the problem. I was having some color issues as well and pulled out a sinularia was nearby and immediately the entire 90 gallon tank improved

Sent from my LGL52VL using Tapatalk

 

[pyithar]

i'd run carbon and phosphate removing media as suggested above. if you can, dipping those corals in some type of coral dip like revive for a couple of minutes might help as well.

 

[Sk8r]

Your calcium is too low. S/b 420; your salinity is too low--s/b 1.024; your mg is perhaps borderline.
Run carbon: leathers are not friendly to stony.
What lighting?

 

[CStrickland]

What is your water source, and how often are you changing water?

 

[mcgdz86]

I would guess the finger leather is the problem. I was having some color issues as well and pulled out a sinularia was nearby and immediately the entire 90 gallon tank improved

Sent from my LGL52VL using Tapatalk

I'm running chemi-pure elite shouldn't that take out any toxins that one finger leather might be adding?

 

[mcgdz86]

i'd run carbon and phosphate removing media as suggested above. if you can, dipping those corals in some type of coral dip like revive for a couple of minutes might help as well.

I run chemi-pure elite which has carbon and also purigen. I also used revive to dip every coral before going in the tank

 

[mcgdz86]

Your calcium is too low. S/b 420; your salinity is too low--s/b 1.024; your mg is perhaps borderline.
Run carbon: leathers are not friendly to stony.
What lighting?

Salinity is being addressed and I run chemi-pure for leather.
Kessil a160 about 12 inches over tank
I'll look into dosing

 

[mcgdz86]

What is your water source, and how often are you changing water?

I get premade water from the LFS and do 20% change a week. Once I have more live stock i planned on mixing my own water with instant ocean reef crystals

 

[chefbill]

I'm running chemi-pure elite shouldn't that take out any toxins that one finger leather might be adding?

Maybe...but it is releasing toxins, GAC/chemipure will help but it could still be a factor. Try moving the leather to QT.

Sent from my LGL52VL using Tapatalk

 

[Fish4udog]

your calcium is way low run mine at 450 & 1.025 salinity , do you check the water from your LFS Ca,Kh,Ph or salinity what are the levels in the water you get from them also check our coral pro salt use to use reef crystals like coral pro change water every 2 weeks check salinity daily and Ca ,Kh twice a week maintain Kh 9.3 Ca 450 with kalk prid

 

[uncleL]

If you have an ATO you need add kalkwasser