Help! What is wrong with my tank?

[djscrubba]

I went from a once stable parameter tank to one that has no idea what it should be doing. I was using Red Sea Pro salt for many many months and then decided to try the Aquaforest salt. With the RS, my alkalinity was around 7.5 and then when I switched the salt my alkalinity went up to 10+.

After turning off my calcium reactor for a few weeks, I was able to get the alkalinity to stabilize (at 8.5 now), but I am still losing my corals. The birdnests' are just about gone and my purple stylo is starting to fade. What am I doing wrong? :debi:

Tank Details= 90 Gal display with a 45 G refugium and a 100 G sump
Lighting= ATI LED + T5 Hybrid

 

[lynchmob3000]

You are riding out an alk spike. It may take a couple months for all the corals to heal or die if they are going to. Maybe a bigger than normal waterchange with matching alk would def help. But mainly when something like this happens it's a long slow process while watching some of your corals go bye bye. I just went through this myself. Good luck [emoji256]


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[Tripod1404]

It is strange... Alkalinity for RS coral pro (~12dKH) is much higher compared to the Aquaforest (~8dKH). So i cant see how switching to Aquaforest can raise alk. Can your reactor malfunctioned? Also, Did you measure the alk of fresh made Aquaforest saltwater. If it is unusually high, you might have a bad batch or the salt inside the bucket might be "uneven".

 

[djscrubba]

Strange indeed. The salts all tested properly, but once mixed in with the rest of the system, all else would change. I’ve checked the calc reactor and shut that down to get things to stabilize again. I’ll check things again before my next water change. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[chaudhry]

What is all this purple covering your rocks. Its not coralline for sure(too velvety).
Is it cyano, not sure!
Anyone? Please enlighten me!


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[outssider]

It's cyano....

 

[chaudhry]

Dang!!!
Thats a lot of cyano.


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[reefmutt]

You are riding out an alk spike. It may take a couple months for all the corals to heal or die if they are going to. Maybe a bigger than normal waterchange with matching alk would def help. But mainly when something like this happens it's a long slow process while watching some of your corals go bye bye. I just went through this myself. Good luck [emoji256]


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I agree with this 100%

But looking at those photos, you have other issues as well. The cyano is out of control and probably pulled your nutrients down to 0.. that would also stress the corals.
Maybe the change in salt caused a halt in coral growth which made alk spike..
I think my first step would be to siphone as much of the cyano out, do a good water change, dose for the cyano, do another sizable water change and than try to get parameters stable and then just observe.
That's a LOT of turmoil in the tank and there will be fallout that will make you want to try this and try that and make you crazy but as lynchmob mentioned, the effects of stress can take quite literally months to show up.
I think you have to reset things and then get stable and wait..

 

[kevin.st]

Getting rid of cyano--Complete 72 hour blackout. Cover with a tarp, blanket, cardboard, ect.

Make sure you skim heavily.

 

[djscrubba]

I’ve tried to get rid of the cyano, but it is like an old carpet glued to the floor. It cannot be sucked up in any way. I haven’t tried a full blackout, but at this point why not. Yes, my nutrients are non-existent. I once had caleurpa in the refugium, but that too has lost its life due to the lack of nutrients. To me, this issue of mine is a classic case of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[TheDeepEnd]

I've used something called Red Slime Stain Remover to get rid of cyano before. Might take more than one dose to kill it all.

 

[biecacka]

agreed on this! nutrients too low and upset the corals, which could have stopped growing causing a rise in ALK and caused a spike. I recently had a ALK drop and it has taken my corals months to start looking decent again. They were STNing and dead ends, that has apparently stopped and the corals are looking stable again, but not yet growing. Patience is my friend........:headwalls:


corey

 

[Sapelo]

What's the saying? Only bad things happen quickly in reefing? I agree with others that you will have to try to stabilize and wait it out. I've also been there (more than once). Good luck!

 

[pakirri]

I think your problems are because your tank has a lot of cyano.... Once things start to die, other things get affected by that (chain reaction). I had a similar experience with IO salt being bad.... I fixed it by I switching to EOV salt & used ultra-life red slime remover (double dose). My suggestion to you is to use the ultra-life red slime remover, turn off the lights for two days and do a massive water change (40%)