LPS looks terrible after water chage!

[CJerome21]

I did a water change in my 2.5 gallon yesterday afternoon, changing about a gallon of water (my normal).

Post change my LPS in the tank look terrible, the small open brain is all receded into it skeleton, the galaxy coral the same I can see the whole skeleton with the heads all pulled in, one other small LPS forget the name is all pulled in, the Candy Cane which I just moved in to this tank did not look that good to begin with but it looks worse now and is also receded. The leather was not extending its polyps and most pallys and zoos were closed. Mushrooms all shrunken up, and tube worm not coming out all the way. The hermit, snails, emerald crab, pep shrimp seem to be acting normally.

As of this morning and today at lunch the leather is extending its polyps but sloughing off a layer of that junk, most of the zoos and pallys are open, mushrooms still not extended, LPS looking the same or worse! Critters seems to be alright.

Changes I made around the water change maintaince time
1 gallon or so water change
pulled some algae out, bubble and some wire like dark stuff I have a patch of

*I mixed up come kalk paste to kill some GSP that was in an area of my rock I did not want it. The rock was out of the water after I siphoned the tank so I put the paste on let it do its work then I scraped off as much as I could and then pipeted a little water onto it and sucked that water off the rock did this a few times then wiped with a paper towel and added the new water back in.

I moved in a few small frags from my frag tank including: a 1 sq inch rock of GSP, Candy Cane, small pally rock
Added tiny neon goby but with no water from LFS.

Switched light hood from 70wMH to my 2x13 watt hood in anticiapation of moving the tank to my desk at work! I dont think this could or would cause stress like I am seeing right away.

Other info
I mixed the water for 12+ hours with power head and heater and usual, tested the RO/DI water at 19ppm(need to replace pre filters and DI)

This is a rewish bag of Instant Ocean Salt. I have used salt from this bag once before on this tank and twice before on my frag tank. Last time on the frag tank the largest leather did not respond well to the water change but some of this I think is b/c my clowns are trying to host in it.

I did some tests on the water this morning, so far PH, Amonia, Nitrate are normal, will finish tests and post results after work.

Tank is a AGA 2.5 gallon with 2x13 PCs, AC HOB and small power head in tank for added flow, and heater.

I was thinking of adding carbon right after work. I really am not sure what is causing this, I was thinking maybe its related to the Kalk, but I have used dots of past with the tank full and not had a problem, so I reall dont know.

So, what are your ideas about what could be causing this response from the LPS? What should I do? I really like these nano specimines I have so saving them is very important to me!

Thanks for taking the time to read and for your ideas

C. Jerome

 

[Jefe12234]

How long has this tank been set up, and have you done many water changes on it before? It sounds like you matched the temperature of the new water to the tank. Did you check the salinity of the tank and the new water?

 

[CJerome21]

The tank has been set up for two and a half years. I normally do one gallon water changes and keep tank water and water change water close to 1.026. The tank water fluctuates a bit because of the size but my auto top off keeps it close.

 

[CJerome21]

I finished my water tests and all was normal, the water is at 1.025 and I have been done water changes similar to this. I tried to coax them out by feeding a bit but had no luck. I guess I need to wait, I will add carbon in the morning, I need to mend my media bag.

 

[Jefe12234]

Sounds like you did everything right. Only thing I can think of is to get those filters replaced on your RO/DI unit. The DI will allow a small percentage of impurities through when it's exhausted (probably what you're seeing), and the carbon prefilter(s) when exhausted can allow chlorine through which will destroy the RO membrane. Probably takes a while for that to happen, though.

 

[CJerome21]

Thats what I dont get, I did just about everything the same. I was thinking maybe there is something weird in the salt or the bucket. I just dont know, but the brain is looking very bad. I am upset it was a nice and unique specimine I got as a hitchhiker on a rock and perfect size for the nano, I have never seen another one so small.
My TDS from the RO/DI is 20ppm, so the filters need to be changed, when the filters were new I think it was close to 5ppm.
I am going to see if a local reefer can watch the galaxy and bring it back in a larger more stable system.

 

[Mental1]

You know when you do something wrong, and the consequences are clear, you can kick yourself. But there's nothing worse than not being able to figure out what has gone wrong. Was there anything that could have been on your hands? Any fumes in the room? Any other way something could have affected water quality that you are not measuring for?

 

[CJerome21]

I have been trying to think of what I could have done different, it must be something obvious I am over looking or maybe it was not anything and I just changed too much water and they reacted.
Normally I wear gloves if I am putting my hands in the water but since i was moving stuff around after I took the water out I did not, but I had washed my hands before I started and I feel like if I did get something in the water it should have hurt something else, would the LPS be the most sensitive? I did pick up a infection in my little finger though, i had a small tear in my cuticle I did not notice and I must not have washed well enough afterward. It was getting pretty swolen but luckily this afternoon it looks to be going down, I was calling the doctor tomorrow if it got worse.
I have had a 2.5 gallon for 4 years now and not had a problem like this, at one point I had a 6 head candy cane in there that was thriving, I guess it was just a mater of time until I tiped it just out of ballance. Hopefully things will be back in line soon.

 

[theop]

If your RO prefilter (carbon block) is too old, your filter may let through chlorine and/or chloramines. That may have been the problem.

I think this is what happened to me when I upgraded my tank and had 30+ gal of new water and ended up with "unexplained" loss of a few of my LPS.

I'd definitely run carbon if you haven't already and add a water conditioner like Prime.

 

[CJerome21]

I have a bag of carbon running now in the hang on filter and will be ordering new pre filters and DI media.

 

[Serioussnaps]

2.5 gallon is your problem

 

[LPSkeeper]

i wonder if it could be the shock of everything you did all adding up? not sure but remember 1 gallon in your tank is a 40 percent water change. then messing around in the tank that much and adding a fish at the same time. everytime you add a fish the tank has to go thru a small cycle and i know in my nano everything that is no big deal in a larger tank is multiplied. sounds kind of like you just shocked them. are they looking better now that it has been 2 days?