milky water!!

[55reeforlando]

so yesterday i look at my tank and it looks kinda milky. then this morning when i get up it is very milky and some of the lps has begun to die(its like snot and the skin coming off). i just did a water change at the beginning of the week (25 gallons on a 100 gallon system). im not really sure what caused this. i had a similar situation happen to me when i lost everything in my tank due to some caulerpa going sexual. however since then i only have chaeto in my fuge. is it possible that the cheato went sexual? if a cucumber dies in the tank could that have been enough to cause this milky water and dying corals sensation? im going to get the water tested at the LFS so i can pinpoint exactly what is going on so i can tell all of you so you can help me figure this out. while im at the LFS i plan on getting another 25 gallons of tropic marin to do another water change. please help. i want to save the corals that are still somewhat ok. thanks!

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

List your water parameters, please. Do you dose anything beyond Calcium and Alkalinity? If so, what are they? What have you had die recently in your tank? How old is your tank? There is a chance that the Chaetomorpha algae has gone sexual, but it most likley not.

Temperature
Specific Gravity
Ammonia
Nitrites
Nitrates
Phosphates
pH
Alkalinity
Calcium
Magnesium

 

[55reeforlando]

heading to the LFS now to do multiple water tests. i will let you know what they find. they only thing i add besides calcium and alk is magnesium.

 

[55reeforlando]

nothing has recently died in the tank. the tank has been running for over a year. i thought chaeto cant go sexual like caulerpa.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7699044#post7699044 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 55reeforlando
nothing has recently died in the tank. the tank has been running for over a year. i thought chaeto cant go sexual like caulerpa.

It can, but it rarely ever does.

 

[55reeforlando]

thanks everyone for the help. i did a 25 gallon water change yesterday and removed the dead corals. i left some in that were not that bad hoping they would come back. went to the LFS yesterday and we tested my water here is what we found:
ph= around 7.9-8 (but the water had been in my car most of the day)
calcium= 460
alk= 2.63
mag= 1380
ammonia= not detectable
phosphate= not detectable
salinity= 1.024-1.025
temp= 79 (chiller)

they (LFS) told me that the combination of the low ph and the low alkalinity relative to how stocked my tank is could cause the coral to die and start a chain reaction. i was surprised to see no ammonia or phosphate as i was almost certain that one of these was responsible. any ideas?

 

[Cord]

In your post you asked if a cucumber dying could cause this. Why did you mention this? A cucumber dying or being harrased or stuck in a power head could definitely cause this. It's called a "cuke nuke". If this happened, use copius carbon in your filter, large water changes.