I've lost the touch

[reefslugs]

I have been in the hobbie now for fourteen years. I am an addict. I have kept sps for many years. Last year I up graded from a 110g to a 200g. The new tank was doing fine. I only lost maybe two or three sps over the move. Well after six months of no problems my tank crashed. I lost tons. I never figured out what made the problem happen. So I said that I was done with sps. Not that I was done with the hobbie. I'll just do softies and lps. Now three months later, I coundn't handle it. I have got to get back with sps. My locale fish club SLASH had a coral swap last weekend. I brought home several peises. It's only been a week and the superman and my red monti cap are bleeching. The geen birds nest, pink milli, pink lemonade, and my crayola table look fine at this point. I don't know what the problem is. I'm completely frustrated. Help please!!!

PH=8.2
KH=9.6
CA=485
nitrate=.5
phosphate=0
MG=1250
temp=77-79
salt=1.025

I will take some pictures later tonight.

 

[kaserpick]

With Ca+ at 485 ppm, I would be pushing Mg around the mid 1400's. Just my thoughts, and I hope that helps.

 

[Logzor]

If everything else is constant (lighting, flow, feeding, water changes, etc) then I suspect that your parameters are not correct, what brand test kits are you using? Also, has you refractometer been calibrated recently?

Definitely try some different test kits to see if your numbers are correct.

 

[plancton]

Sometimes the test kits and instruments are not ok, there´s a guy in my city who has the best reef tank, and suddenly his colonies started to die and he didn´t know why, I told him to double check his refractometer and he said it was fine, then one day we went to his place and tested the salinity and it was at 1.018 or something like that, and he didn´t want to believe it, in fact he told me mine was wrong, until we bought 3 refractometers and they all tested that, so it just meant his wasn´t calibrated.

 

[reefslugs]

I only use Salifert test kits. I use a refractameter that I calibrate all the time and I also have one of those cheap plastic deep six test that I know when it says 1.025, its actually 1.024. Now hears two things that run through my head. I don't do water changes. I never have and never will. As long as my water test out good there's no reason. Number two I have a large skimmer and I have been running lots of carbon. So I'm thinking that maybe my problem is, I don't do wter changes, large Deltec AP702, and a phosband reactor full of carbon. Maybe I don't have any trace elements. Could this be my problem?

<a href="http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc160/reefsluge/?action=view&current=DSC07607.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc160/reefsluge/DSC07607.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc160/reefsluge/?action=view&current=DSC07624.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc160/reefsluge/DSC07624.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

My old tank

<a href="http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc160/reefsluge/?action=view&current=DSC02234.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc160/reefsluge/DSC02234.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[maharsreef]

Do yourself a favor and get a Hanna phosphate meter. you might have a phosphate problem that wont show up on those color test kits.

 

[OrrG]

[profanity] No water changes? I think thats your problem. How are you replenishing the trace elements that are being depleted? Look at any tank of the month with all of their crazy huge SPS colonies and most people are doing water changes a minimum of once a month, and most every one or two weeks!

 

[OrrG]

Guess I can't say [profanity]? Your old tank looks sweet and looks like you've had great luck without doing water changes in the past but I couldn't imagine not doing my weekly 10% change.

 

[Holyreefer]

I'd have to agree on the water change even if you were to do 10% a month which is what i would recommend for FO TANKS

 

[psteeleb]

i agree with water changes - also if have leathers run carbon 24/7 and change it often. there could be a build up of toxins from chemical warfare put off buy the softies

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Do yourself a favor and get a Hanna phosphate meter. you might have a phosphate problem that wont show up on those color test kits.

ditto that advice.
You didn't lose your touch- something in your aquarium has changed.
If you seriously want to get back into SPS I'd get rid of the (what appears to be) Sinularia (because of allelopathy) while implementing a routine water change schedule while sticking with running GAC.

FWIW both the new look and the old look are very nice. A little clean-up and your SPS will be thriving once again.

 

[reefslugs]

ditto that advice.
You didn't lose your touch- something in your aquarium has changed.
If you seriously want to get back into SPS I'd get rid of the (what appears to be) Sinularia (because of allelopathy) while implementing a routine water change schedule while sticking with running GAC.

FWIW both the new look and the old look are very nice. A little clean-up and your SPS will be thriving once again.

I don't know what this is or what your talking about. Please explain.

(what appears to be) Sinularia (because of allelopathy) while implementing a routine water change schedule while sticking with running GAC.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Sinularia?

It's a family of soft corals.
Think Acropora only softy with toxic metabolites.

GAC= granular activated carbon

 

[DARKSILENTTYPE]

I left you a message on your phone. I have a Hanna meter you can use if you want .

DST

 

[rbnice1]

slug whats your lighting like? I cant remember off the top of my head.

Those caps can bleach of they where from say a lower light T-5 tank then go under 400watt halides.

 

[Logzor]

I bet you $50 that your Salifert DKH test is reading two 2DKH (or more) higher than it really is. A ton of people received these bad kits. This would put you below 8, where a small swing lower would cause the lightening in that montipora and other sps. I am quite sure this is the problem..

I had this identical problem around 6 months ago and almost lost a bunch of my stony corals.

Run out and buy an ELOS or some other DKh kit...immediately.

I only use Salifert test kits. I use a refractameter that I calibrate all the time and I also have one of those cheap plastic deep six test that I know when it says 1.025, its actually 1.024. Now hears two things that run through my head. I don't do water changes. I never have and never will. As long as my water test out good there's no reason. Number two I have a large skimmer and I have been running lots of carbon. So I'm thinking that maybe my problem is, I don't do wter changes, large Deltec AP702, and a phosband reactor full of carbon. Maybe I don't have any trace elements. Could this be my problem?

<a href="http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc160/reefsluge/?action=view&current=DSC07607.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc160/reefsluge/DSC07607.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc160/reefsluge/?action=view&current=DSC07624.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc160/reefsluge/DSC07624.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

My old tank

<a href="http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc160/reefsluge/?action=view&current=DSC02234.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc160/reefsluge/DSC02234.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[Husky_1]

Just food for thought, but I thought this was a common problem with DSB's...After a few years they need to be changed out, but the problem is that when disturbed they cause havoc.

My other guess would be the trace elements as well. You may just have some fancy saline solution there. Would doing a large water change really go against your beliefs?

 

[reefslugs]

I bet you $50 that your Salifert DKH test is reading two 2DKH (or more) higher than it really is. A ton of people received these bad kits. This would put you below 8, where a small swing lower would cause the lightening in that montipora and other sps. I am quite sure this is the problem..

I had this identical problem around 6 months ago and almost lost a bunch of my stony corals.

Run out and buy an ELOS or some other DKh kit...immediately.

You might be right. Tomarrow after work, I'll run by one of the fish stores and buy a different test kit. I have had the Salifert for probable six months now. Tomarrow night I post back and tell you what the reading is.

 

[reefslugs]

I bet you $50 that your Salifert DKH test is reading two 2DKH (or more) higher than it really is. A ton of people received these bad kits. This would put you below 8, where a small swing lower would cause the lightening in that montipora and other sps. I am quite sure this is the problem..

I had this identical problem around 6 months ago and almost lost a bunch of my stony corals.

Run out and buy an ELOS or some other DKh kit...immediately.

Well I think I owe you a bunch. After I got off work today. I went by one of my locale fish stores and got a new KH test kit. Not Salifert, but the basic Tetra test. When I tested it tonight the Tetra kit showed KH of 6. Then I tested it with the Salifert kit and it said 8.8. Then I took a water sample back to my locale fish store and let them test it. They came up with KH of 6.

I think you just saved my tank.

 

[Logzor]

You are welcome, I am glad I saw and replied to your post!

The only reason I was able to help is because I had this exact issue due to a bad salifert Dkh kit.