Everything is slowly dying and I don't know why. Some help maybe?

[Vanquishxxxx]

So tank is about 8 months old now. Everything was growing great for the first 4 months. Was a tank transfer. Used some old rock and water. Been keeping reef for about 13 years now and have never had this problem. Used the same salt as the first 4 months. Tank is 37 gallon cube. Parameters are salinity 1.025-1.026, verified with two refractmeters and two different calibration fluids. ph fluctuates from 8.3-7.9. Alk I had steady at 10dkh then lowered to 8.8fkh after everything started to die. Calcium is always 425-450. Mag is always hovering around 1500. Phos is undetectable, been trying to raise but don't wanna over feed get algae on glass a little so there are some. Nitrates are around 2. I keep temp at 78. Temp been verified with two other thermometers. Feed love phyto and reef roids besides my sis and brine and krill. No corals are browning out, just slowly over the past two months loosing there skin and dying. Polyps are out on the parts that arnt dying. Only thing I can think of is switched from a 20k megachroms 250 de bulb at around 4-5 months and ordered a Phoenix 14k off amazon. I noticed at that time all algae died off and I bulb a old megachrome bulb back on about 4 weeks ago. And some of the soft corals are starting to grow again after receeding and algea has started coming back on glass. Sps are still dyeing maybe two late for them. Is it possible I got like a bad bulb or counterfeit bulb? I always had amazing growth and color with Phoenix.

 

[Sk8r]

WIth you, I strongly suspect a lighting issue. Change bulbs. And check your heater integrity, any risk of stray current?

 

[Vanquishxxxx]

It's a Finnex titanium heater. There is no shock when I put hand in the water. I have a grounding rod , maybe I'll throw that in. Do u think stray current can make it from the sump to the tank? As for bulbs I changed the Phoenix out about 4 weeks ago and put a 20k megahrome in. Not sure how old but from my understanding they only loose about 20% integrity even after a year of use. Just ordered another Phoenix from brs( reputable place) I'll try it again.

 

[rvareef]

Post a full tank shot, I havnt had corals die from bulbs that are old,usually they just shift colors as the spectrum changes, my guess is you're having alk problems

 

[Vanquishxxxx]

I test every day and dose. Using an apex. Keeps alk at 8.8dkh verified between two salifert test kits. Let me see how to post pictures been a long time since I did that.

 

[rvareef]

stop dosing and see if things improve

 

[Vanquishxxxx]

Then my alk and calcium will drop , wouldn't that hurt the corals even more. The tank is sucking up about 30 ml of soda ash a day to keep it at 8.8dkh

 

[Uncle99]

Note your mag is too high at 1500....should be 1350.....mag is your buffer of Alk and calcium... Your reading of Alk may be off due to high mag....lower mag..

 

[MCCOOL]

I agree with triple checking alk, why would your tank be using that much if the corals are dying and not growing. Where is it going?

 

[outssider]

I agree with triple checking alk, why would your tank be using that much if the corals are dying and not growing. Where is it going?

coralline algae can suck up a lot

 

[Vanquishxxxx]

Have a few soft corals which are starting to grow again a little and my clam eats up a lot also. What test kits do you guys recommend besides salifert which I'm using to test alk

 

[LX20000]

Where is the stray current straying to?

 

[Vanquishxxxx]

I don't think it can be stray current, no shock if I'm grounded or anything. I put a grounding probe in just incase.