Help Acro's dying!

Wooa Wooa Woooa. Lets slow down here.. Vermetid snails passing pathogens. There is a TON of things that should be ruled out first before we go looking for the most complex and unique reason for problems with an sps tank.

99% of the time w/reef tanks the simplest answers is the solution.

When something like this happens you need to go down a check list.

1) How long as my tank been setup? Was it ready for acros?
2) How long have these corals been in my tank?
3) Have I added anything recently?
4) Do I have some sort of Pest? AEFW, Red Bugs?
5) What other changes have I noticed in the tank? (increased algae, decreased algae, change in algae type, dying fish?)
5) Did I change anything recently? Salt boxes, brands, media, new bulbs?
6) If you have been doing water changes, have things been getting better or worse? If worse test batch of new saltwater.
7) Is my RO/DI working correct low TDS?
8) Are all my parameters are the proper levels?
9) Have my parameters been swinging or at all (even if they are at the proper levels now?)
10) Are all my test kits current and correctly calibrated (I don't know how many times, I've replaced a test kit with a new one and had different results when testing back to back. Refractos need re-calibration, and those swing arms are often junk)
11) Has my routine changed recently? More water changes, less water changes? More time with hands in the tank (Maybe moved a frag that fell over after doing an oil change without thinking, or with soap on your hands?)
12) Is all my equipment in good working order? No cracks in my heaters, no sketchy old rio pump leaking volts, no temp probe leaking copper, or mag that I left in my tank when I should remove it after use rusting, no sponges clogged? Lights aren't old?, UV shield on bulbs isn't cracked leaking or broken?
13) Do I have kids? If so.. can they have tossed anything in the tank?
14) Have any elements around my house changed? Fumigation, painting, recent power failures, increased c02 due to closing up your house for the winter, etc.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, there are so many other little things that are easy to overlook or forget to check. I notice you don't have your salinity listed as a parmater, you'd be surprised at how quickly things can die if that gets out of sorts. We often take it for granted to, but refractometers are easily uncalibrated, and swing arms are often inaccurate.

The last thing I would do is rip apart your tank and start over, adding stress to a stressed out system his how we loose entire tanks. Start out simple, don't over react, and when it doubt do a water change.

1 The tanks is 3 yrs old.
2 Been trying to grow Sps for about 2yrs 9months.
3 Bought some new acros 3 weeks ago.
4 Didn't see any red bugs, but treated the system with interceptor 2months ago, so I thought I would try some acros again 3 weeks ago.
5 Media, I was running carbon and GFO in 2 seperate reactors and have since stopped. The PO4 is always in the .003 range
6 Water changes every other week. Water parameters are really good. I'm frustrated.
7 RO/DI TDS 0 before I start collecting it.
8 Today, cal 420, alk 9.3, PO4 .003, mag 1300, ammonia 0, nitrates0.nitrites0, PH 8.0-8.2 during photo period, temp 78.0-80.8 slightly higher in the summer never above 83
9 About 6 months ago added red mangroves to my fuge and it dropped my mag. but I dosed alittle mag each day til the tank was back to around 1300.
10 yes test kits are all with exp dates. And I just bought a digital salinity meter. because I was concerned my refractor was the culprit.
11 Salinity 1.025
 
1 The tanks is 3 yrs old.
2 Been trying to grow Sps for about 2yrs 9months.
3 Bought some new acros 3 weeks ago.
4 Didn't see any red bugs, but treated the system with interceptor 2months ago, so I thought I would try some acros again 3 weeks ago.
5 Media, I was running carbon and GFO in 2 seperate reactors and have since stopped. The PO4 is always in the .003 range
6 Water changes every other week. Water parameters are really good. I'm frustrated.
7 RO/DI TDS 0 before I start collecting it.
8 Today, cal 420, alk 9.3, PO4 .003, mag 1300, ammonia 0, nitrates0.nitrites0, PH 8.0-8.2 during photo period, temp 78.0-80.8 slightly higher in the summer never above 83
9 About 6 months ago added red mangroves to my fuge and it dropped my mag. but I dosed alittle mag each day til the tank was back to around 1300.
10 yes test kits are all with exp dates. And I just bought a digital salinity meter. because I was concerned my refractor was the culprit.
11 Salinity 1.025


I wouldn't worry about Red bugs. it's AEFW that are the killers. Pull a piece that is receding but not totally dead yet, and dip it/blast it, see what falls off.
 
No, the brittle stars are just eating the dead tissue or algae. Look up AEFW. Dip in something that has a white bottom. I did it with some pyrex cookware. Similar think happened to a guy from NC that had a beautiful reef, Kip. Frustrated him so much I think it drove him out of the hobby. He lost giant colonies one by one. I would consider him and expert and I don't think he ever figured it out. Good luck
 
the first thing I saw was a small brittle starfish came off the coral as soon as I dippped it. Could they be the problem?

The little black and white ones are no harm to corals... Least I have never seen them do anything.

You really need to retrace everything you have done in the past 3 weeks... Learn to keep a journal, DOCUMENT EVERYTHING...

It sounds as if you corals are stressing hard... There is an answer to why but without knowing what you have done and every aspect of the tank... Its almost not going to be fortold over the forums... I would frag back the good tissue that you have left before they completely fry and go back to the basics for another six months..
 
Test your alkalinity every day at the same time for about a week. I did this and was amazed to find it bouncing up and down. I never knew until I tested daily. It took me a while to find the reason. My top off goes through a kalk reactor. On warmer days, more evaporation = more kalk saturated top off = increase alk. Then it would fall if the evaporation lessened. Now if I need more volume in the sump, instead of increasing the topoff through the kalk reactor, I add RO/DI.
So try testing daily for a week and see what you get.
 
Test your alkalinity every day at the same time for about a week. I did this and was amazed to find it bouncing up and down. I never knew until I tested daily. It took me a while to find the reason. My top off goes through a kalk reactor. On warmer days, more evaporation = more kalk saturated top off = increase alk. Then it would fall if the evaporation lessened. Now if I need more volume in the sump, instead of increasing the topoff through the kalk reactor, I add RO/DI.
So try testing daily for a week and see what you get.

My system is over 200 gals. and I would say the tanks evaporation rate is between 1.5 and 2 gals a day depending on the weather.
Looks like I need to try Kalk. Thanks Jim
 
I have been dealing with the same issue you are. No bugs found. I have had AEFW i the past and this is not the culprit. My sps are STN'ing at about 1/4 of an inch a day. Some sps pcs are alittle more slow but nevertheless. My alk is stable with a 3 stage doser. All other parameters are in check.

I'm guessing something bacterial. Several wks ago I bought 2 wild caught acro mini colonies and that seemed to be the thing that statred the symptoms. Wierd thing is the 2 wld caught pcs are doing better than the rest.

The rest of my corals are doing well including acans, montis, and xenia. I figure whatever survives will be stronger...but it sucks.
 
Back
Top