lost with my corals

[Joe0813]

I don't get it. my SPS are browning and some bleaching/dying, some of my soft corals like my trumpet are dying away and the rest of the LPS just aren't all the way open. I have no fish since I'm going through a fallow period for ich. but here are all my levels that I've checked and with what test kit.

ALK- 9.6 Hanna Checker
Calc- 460 RedSea
Mag- 1230 RedSea
Nitrate-0 RedSea
Phosphate- .01 Hanna URL
PH- 8.1 Apex
Temp 77-78 Apex and Hanna

Lightening- 3 Radion Gen four pro at 65% from 2pm until 10pm
Flow- Two mp40 on the sides at 60% and 2 Neptune wavs on the back at 40%

 

[FishAndPhysics]

1. What is the water source you are using?

2. What all are you dosing? Any possibility an ich med was introduced to the tank?

3. How often are water changes?

4. Broadly, what is your filtration? Filter sock, skimmer, algae scrubber, biopellets, etc. What chemical media are you running?

5. How long has the tank been fallow? Did all these issues start when the tank went fallow?

6. How long as the tank been established?

 

[Finland]

If your tank is fallow, are you feeding the corals? They need to eat.

 

[Joe0813]

1. What is the water source you are using?
RODI water with zero TDS

2. What all are you dosing? Any possibility an ich med was introduced to the tank?
Dose Calc and ALK... no ich meds at all

3. How often are water changes?
40 gallons every 2-3 weeks

4. Broadly, what is your filtration? Filter sock, skimmer, algae scrubber, biopellets, etc. What chemical media are you running?
mesh filter socks x3, skimmer and I run carbon

5. How long has the tank been fallow? Did all these issues start when the tank went fallow?
tank has been fallow now for 2 months. It does seem that since the fish have been gone its been very hard to keep the corals looking nice

6. How long as the tank been established?
tank has been going for 3 years now

 

[Joe0813]

If your tank is fallow, are you feeding the corals? They need to eat.

Ive been dropping in some frozen here and there but nothing major. I actually just bought the redsea energy A and B.

 

[FishAndPhysics]

I'm going to tend to agree with the nutrient theory. An autofeeder might be an easy solution to that problem. Although I'm sure fish poo has a wealth of nutrients that decomposing food just can't offer

If your tank has been fallow for 2 months, you're nearing the 72 or 76 or whatever it is these days period for ich, so maybe this problem will resolve itself when you reintroduce the fish.

 

[Joe0813]

hopefully the redsea energy I just started using tonight will start to turn things around for the time being

 

[Tripod1404]

Since you have no fish, your alk is probably too high with respect ti nutrients levels. I would drop alk slowly to around 7-7.5 dKH.

What is your daily alk consumption? If it stopped or significantly slowed, it would indicate coral starvation. I have very similar nutrient levels and I keep my alk at 6.5-6.8 dKH and daily alk consumption is around ~13dKH equivalent.

 

[Joe0813]

I forget what my daily consumption is. I can check it over the next few days. Im also going to turn my doser down and lower the alk a bit

 

[brian3]

Perhaps the lighting is too high. I did not have color until I lowered mine. Although not Radions I had my LEDs at 55% and went to 30% and now am getting great growth and color compared to when set higher. Too much is not necessarily a good thing.

 

[Uncle99]

You post nitrate at 0....
This is too low for corals.... should be 2-5ppm

 

[Joe0813]

I'm trying to get it up now... I've been adding redsea reef energy now for 3 days. Hopefully it will work

 

[Joe0813]

I can't get my nitrate or phosphate to rise. I've tried the redsea energy A+B, keeping my skimmer off and no water changes. Both are at zero still and my corals especially SPS are starting to die. Help

 

[murphreef]

Alk is too high for such low nutrients.....

Lower to 8dkh

 

[Joe0813]

I need to check ALK again. I've stopped dosing so im sure its lower now. don't think its 8 yet though

 

[Joe0813]

and im an idiot... I switched my alk doser back on.... still at 9.4. time to search how to lower it

 

[FishAndPhysics]

and im an idiot... I switched my alk doser back on.... still at 9.4. time to search how to lower it

If you mean lower your alk, water changes with a low alkalinity salt. Generally "reef" salts are going to have high alk.

 

[Joe0813]

im going to buy some instant ocean and do a 20 gallon water change. even with the high alk shouldn't the reef energy be helping the corals?

 

[CAPT_Dave]

My advice: slow down. Only bad things happen fast in a reef tank.

Your corals need stability more than anything else. If they've been under your lights and are aclimated to them, don't change. If they are acclimated to your alk, don't go chasing a new number because you stopped feeding the tank. You'll just have another stability problem when the fish come home and you start feeding again.

Instead, feed your tank. Reef Energy may help but they may also need some nutrients from real food. Try target feeding with Reef Chili or Reef Roids. If you have some meaty LPS, give them a squirt of mysis shrimp. And don't rinse the shrimp. Rinsing removes the nutrients that have fallen too low in your tank.

Coral aren't the only things left in your tank that need to eat. You also need to maintain a healthy bacterial population or you risk a cycle when you reintroduce all your fish (assuming they're in quarantine...if dead then I'm sorry).

Food is what changed when you took out the fish. Fix that first.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

 

[lionfish300]

I would follow CAPT Dave's advised. Take it slow