Kong's Restored BB (90g)
- Thread starter King-Kong
- Start date
King-Kong
New member
Thanks MO... I just wrapped up a 25g W/C, and have another 25g mixing....
If this doesnt fix the problem, then it tells me the issue is either going to be; disease, or not enough food (but I'm having a hard time swallowing that one, based on the improved tissue color/darkness ive had for some time now.
If this doesnt fix the problem, then it tells me the issue is either going to be; disease, or not enough food (but I'm having a hard time swallowing that one, based on the improved tissue color/darkness ive had for some time now.
Trigeek
Member
Kong,
Sorry to hear about this. Your tank is beautiful and you've put a lot of effort into researching etc. Thanks for sharing your problems, it's a help to all. Hopefully WE can help YOU with this. How are your pod/worm populations?
I've been working an idea over in my head for a BB set-up with a display refugium next to it (like a 30g breeder or 55 long) with a DSB, various types of macro and pieces of LR to aquascape and some interesting inverts. The idea here is to get a huge microfauna population going and allow them to breed profusely and fill the water column with their larva for a good food source for the corals. The refugium will provide a cool and interesting look aside the display and be a very important component for food source for sps corals. I would feed the 'fuge from the return (water post skimmer) and gravity feed back to the return. This is a long range plan for me, maybe a year or two out. But, if "food" is the issue then something like this may be a consideration for you.
If it is "disease," Have you thought of QTing the corals that are having the problems? You could QT, continue with water changes, run carbon and see what happens. Did you add anything (coral) new to the tank recently? Did that coral start looking bad, too?
Sorry, again. I'm sure you'll straighten this out.
Sorry to hear about this. Your tank is beautiful and you've put a lot of effort into researching etc. Thanks for sharing your problems, it's a help to all. Hopefully WE can help YOU with this. How are your pod/worm populations?
I've been working an idea over in my head for a BB set-up with a display refugium next to it (like a 30g breeder or 55 long) with a DSB, various types of macro and pieces of LR to aquascape and some interesting inverts. The idea here is to get a huge microfauna population going and allow them to breed profusely and fill the water column with their larva for a good food source for the corals. The refugium will provide a cool and interesting look aside the display and be a very important component for food source for sps corals. I would feed the 'fuge from the return (water post skimmer) and gravity feed back to the return. This is a long range plan for me, maybe a year or two out. But, if "food" is the issue then something like this may be a consideration for you.
If it is "disease," Have you thought of QTing the corals that are having the problems? You could QT, continue with water changes, run carbon and see what happens. Did you add anything (coral) new to the tank recently? Did that coral start looking bad, too?
Sorry, again. I'm sure you'll straighten this out.
King-Kong
New member
Thanks for the support Tri; my pod population has always been great, actually. When I dipped one of the smaller colonies in some Tropic Marin Pro Coral Cure (iodine and whatever else they may/may not use) I had many amphipods run out of a very small rock it had at it's base. They have no problem existing in my tank with little LR, lots of predation (couple wrasses) and tons of flow / skimming.
The pictures show you how I still have fair color on the tissue and especially on the polyps. Makes it hard to think overall nutrient levels in the water, but at this point, im willing to accept a lot.
I haven't added anything recently. In fact I have been doing the oposite. Getting rid of fish in prepation for a large shift in my fish population.. but that's STILL trying to happen (threadfin cardinals sure are hard to get in!)
Also, no corals. I hadnt bought any in some time before this mess started.. I was actually out of room and just focusing on fish.
Hop and Hulley: thanks for the kind words. If you have ANY suggestions or things to check for, etc., please dont hesitate. I wont be going anywhere, however.. I plan to ride this out and come out knowing more than before I started
Have you tried sending out frags to local reefers? For one, this gives you backup corals to replace yours with. Two, it'll tell you if the coral itself is permanently damaged, or if it can recover in another system. I had to do this with a large green cap recently. Several people successfully saved pieces, which is great since mine ended up dying 
plyle02
Active member
Kong,
Truly sorry to hear about some of the recent losses. I have also encountered something similair as I have my prize A. Gomezi, slowly stn'n from the base, moving up and dropping tissue. I have removed it to my 20 gallon sps tank, and hopefully it will come back. I have also had a stag do something similair, but it is getting better after it was also moved to the 20 gallon. I have noticed some tissue loss on 2 other corals as well, but they seem to be doing just fine now. I have to admit, after upgrading the skimmer, and all the mods to my tank, I think I have slacked a little on the W/C, from every 2 weeks, to every 3-4 weeks. I am starting to think about trace elements, as mentioned above, and plan on getting back to a 20% water change every 2 weeks. It is so sad when you see the declining health of your prizes, and cannot do much about it. I am sure you will get things back in-line, and we will all keep our fingers crossed. Take care.....
Perry
Truly sorry to hear about some of the recent losses. I have also encountered something similair as I have my prize A. Gomezi, slowly stn'n from the base, moving up and dropping tissue. I have removed it to my 20 gallon sps tank, and hopefully it will come back. I have also had a stag do something similair, but it is getting better after it was also moved to the 20 gallon. I have noticed some tissue loss on 2 other corals as well, but they seem to be doing just fine now. I have to admit, after upgrading the skimmer, and all the mods to my tank, I think I have slacked a little on the W/C, from every 2 weeks, to every 3-4 weeks. I am starting to think about trace elements, as mentioned above, and plan on getting back to a 20% water change every 2 weeks. It is so sad when you see the declining health of your prizes, and cannot do much about it. I am sure you will get things back in-line, and we will all keep our fingers crossed. Take care.....
Perry
King-Kong
New member
plyle; have you checked for flatworms?
The tissue on mine receded where flow was strongest, that's why youll see on some it was the tips, on others it was underneath... I didnt realize it at first, but now it's obvious; wherever the flow hits... which again, tells me something in the water.
The tissue on mine receded where flow was strongest, that's why youll see on some it was the tips, on others it was underneath... I didnt realize it at first, but now it's obvious; wherever the flow hits... which again, tells me something in the water.
boxfishpooalot
Active member
wow scary pics
fwiw, i cant help but think the largest thing in there is the bottom plastic. Maybee its leeching somthing, or trapping somthin.
Edit, an idea. Take some water sample to another friends place have them test it against your numbers. Or the lfs. Then you know for sure parameters are not out of wack. Just an idea.
fwiw, i cant help but think the largest thing in there is the bottom plastic. Maybee its leeching somthing, or trapping somthin.
Edit, an idea. Take some water sample to another friends place have them test it against your numbers. Or the lfs. Then you know for sure parameters are not out of wack. Just an idea.
boxfishpooalot
Active member
actually kong, if your really into some accuracy... I just found this in the chem forum. Not sure what it cost but they test it at the lab with spectrophotometers and stuff. I would do it on my tank, just to be sure theese test kits are not giving false readings.
Check it out
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1180164
Check it out
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1180164
King-Kong
New member
Welp, both of my 25g W/C's with brand new tropic marin salt and brand new RO/DI filters are done.
Figure that's pretty close to 50% of actual water volume...
I plan to take the GFO and carbon offline today, and then wait. I am eying my ORA blue mille the most, as it's one of the fastest growers in the tank.. just HOPING to see a little bit of new tissue SOMEWHERE.
If nothing changes next week, I'll look into sending my water out.
Oh, i'm also going to check my vortech pumps and algae magnet and be sure nothing is rusted out badly.
Figure that's pretty close to 50% of actual water volume...
I plan to take the GFO and carbon offline today, and then wait. I am eying my ORA blue mille the most, as it's one of the fastest growers in the tank.. just HOPING to see a little bit of new tissue SOMEWHERE.
If nothing changes next week, I'll look into sending my water out.
Oh, i'm also going to check my vortech pumps and algae magnet and be sure nothing is rusted out badly.
I'm just going to throw this crazy theory out there, but I have no idea how much validity there is behind it.
What do you think about the possibility of overskimming with your bubble master 250? I'm not sure how longs it been on there, but maybe without the frequent water changes there's been a depletion of trace elements, nutrients, etc.
Here's a little blurb from Bob Fenner, where he hints at it, but doesn't really seem worried about it. I found it on wetwebmedia.com:
"IMO (naturally), vigorous, efficient protein skimming. There are advocates of no-skimming or intermittent skimming with SPS’, and they are correct in asserting that skimming removes food/chemicals, bio-useful minerals and trace elements, but these essential materials should be replaced through feeding (see below), water changes, and live rock (and possibly sand) use."
The consensus seems to be that most people don't need to worry about the "overskimming" problem. But with a skimmer that could handle a 500g tank and with the lack of water changes.... eh just an idea.
Good luck with everything!
Nick
What do you think about the possibility of overskimming with your bubble master 250? I'm not sure how longs it been on there, but maybe without the frequent water changes there's been a depletion of trace elements, nutrients, etc.
Here's a little blurb from Bob Fenner, where he hints at it, but doesn't really seem worried about it. I found it on wetwebmedia.com:
"IMO (naturally), vigorous, efficient protein skimming. There are advocates of no-skimming or intermittent skimming with SPS’, and they are correct in asserting that skimming removes food/chemicals, bio-useful minerals and trace elements, but these essential materials should be replaced through feeding (see below), water changes, and live rock (and possibly sand) use."
The consensus seems to be that most people don't need to worry about the "overskimming" problem. But with a skimmer that could handle a 500g tank and with the lack of water changes.... eh just an idea.
Good luck with everything!
Nick
King-Kong
New member
Nick; the only issue is I have never seen any one actually document "trace minerals/elements" actually attaching to the side of a bubble and being removed in the same manner.
Now, I would replenish lost skimmate with an equal volume of freshly made up salt water (otherwise id be slowly letting my SG go down, and any other associated levels).
The issue about making the water "too clean", is a legit issue, however. The problem I have, however, is that the tissue and color on my SPS hasnt faded. They are still dark. If I had pastel colors then I would be in full agreement, but it seems to me there is no lack of nutrients in the water for zoo to stay dense inside the tissue of my SPS... it's just something else is causing that dark tissue to melt away / fall off... at least that's what im contending..
Now, I would replenish lost skimmate with an equal volume of freshly made up salt water (otherwise id be slowly letting my SG go down, and any other associated levels).
The issue about making the water "too clean", is a legit issue, however. The problem I have, however, is that the tissue and color on my SPS hasnt faded. They are still dark. If I had pastel colors then I would be in full agreement, but it seems to me there is no lack of nutrients in the water for zoo to stay dense inside the tissue of my SPS... it's just something else is causing that dark tissue to melt away / fall off... at least that's what im contending..
