Inadvertantly killing my GSP

[jrw]

I know some of you want to get rid of your GSP and Kenya trees. I want mine, but They are not doing well. The GSP has been retracted for days and has a green algae on it. No where else is this algae, just on the stolon mat of the GSP. The lone Kenya tree looks bleached today and I don't know why.

My palythoas, zoas, candy cane coral, look fine. More weird is that my short tentacle sebae anemone has never looked better. GBTA looks OK, is feeding, and is not wandering. Fish look fine.

Params seem OK except maybe the Ca is a little high. Also a little high Nitrate but not out of the ordinary for my tank.

Temp: 79
Sal: 35ppt or 1.026 SG by refrac
ph: 8.4 at end of MH cycle
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite : 0
Nitrate: 10ppm NO3-N
Phosphate: <.02
Ca: 510ppm

90 gallon tank, approx 15 gallons in sump, Euroreef CS 8-1 skimmer,

Lights:
2- 150 Watt Metal halide and 2-130watt power compact actinics.

Light cycle: 0800-1000 power compacts
1000-1800 metal halide and power compacts
1800- 2000 power compacts
2000-0800 led moon lights.


I am really confused.

Any ideas from you experienced reefers?

Thanks,
J.R.

 

[jrw]

Oh yeah, and I noticed these baby snails on it. I mean maybe a millimeter in diameter shells. Saw at least 3 of them on the stolon.

 

[Electrobes]

What's your alk like? I am wondering if maybe it's a little out of whack causing your pH to fluctuate? That would definitely tick off soft corals.. but as far as killing them is a bit questionable.. especially if other organisms are present and living ok

 

[jrw]

Not sure about the alk yet.
On the way home I got to thinking of what could be wrong and I checked the temp from the tank (current digital thermomter is in the sump) with an instant read analog thermometer and it reads 84.

Could be this be a problem?

 

[jrw]

OMG! I just looked at the temp again (analog instant read) and I misread it the first time. NOT 84 but 88!!!!!!!! The digital in the sump read 79.

I have adjusted the heater and will let it cool slowly. What raised my suspicion was just the feel of the water. I discounted it initially but I think this is it.

Does everything else look OK?

 

[JmLee]

88 is pretty high. it would take a long time to kill anything.

 

[jrw]

I'm not sure anything is dead yet. The kenya tree is bleached but out. The GSP in two diff locations has not been out for days, the pink star polyp is retracted but trying to come out in places. Everything else looks good. I don't know how long it has been this way. Seems like maybe long enough.

 

[ACBlinky]

I'd say the temperature is your prime suspect at this point. Recently my heater broke and stuck on (thankfully it's only 150W in a 65g), taking the temperature up to nearly 90F. The only things that have suffered are a finger leather (bleached but otherwise okay) and a colt coral (base rotted, I fragged the healthy parts and they're recovering in another tank). Like you I was getting a false thermometer reading and had no idea - I have a feeling it was on for at least a few days before I caught it.

 

[jrw]

I'm just glad to find something. It was getting so frustrating seeing things decline and doing test after test with nothing to point to.

I hope it isn't too late. The weird thing is that the zoas seemed to actually grow more during this time. I'll remember this if I later have a propogation tank of zoas