myagi tort went white

[ben&bobbi]

so we get home last night and my wife asks what i did to the tank. I go look and my myagi tort that was happy and healthy monday night is pure white.

everything else is very happy and colorful?

What in the world would casue this?

I don't have all the chemical specs, didn't have time to check them. I did check the alk this past weekend and it needed a slight adjustment. I would think if it was something in the water, the colors would be fading on more. Hopefully nothing more tonight!

Haven't changed anything in the tank. water changed a few weeks ago.

 

[waterfaller1]

Is it still showing polyps? Did you have this shipped..or where did you get it? How long have you had it, and how old is the tank? Knowing all of your parameters would really help. That is the first place to start..include alk & PO4. What lighting do you have, and what was it under before?

 

[ben&bobbi]

i didn't see any polyps, I looked this morning with the lights off.

I got it from jay a few months and about 1/2 size ago.

the tank is about 4 years old.

not home to check the parameters, but everything else is happy and deep colored.

Only thing i have noticed is that the ORA birdsnest has been looking a little pale for the past few weeks, but still neon green polyps. (been in there awhile)

 

[waterfaller1]

How old are your bulbs?

 

[ben&bobbi]

5 or 6 months

ckecked last week, the ph was around 8.4.

i am hoping this is a freak mishap!
but now i need another myagi!

 

[jay24k]

That sucks that happened. I'll frag another piece for you next time you are around if you want. No charge.

Jason

 

[waterfaller1]

No offense meant, but you don't really seem to want to figure out what happened and why it RTN'd. Corals do this sometimes, but if it were me I would want to be sure it was'nt anything with my parameters first. Figuring out what happened is a process of elimination. Anyone tells you different is just guessing.

 

[ben&bobbi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9129289#post9129289 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jay24k
That sucks that happened. I'll frag another piece for you next time you are around if you want. No charge.

Jason

Thanks, I will be heading your way for another piece, i really liked it! Hummm, what else do i need to get!?

But not for free, this definatly isn't your fault, but if you really feel generous, good size for a good price! this piece had doubled in size (tall and round) and got really branchy!

 

[ben&bobbi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9130546#post9130546 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by waterfaller1
No offense meant, but you don't really seem to want to figure out what happened and why it RTN'd. Corals do this sometimes, but if it were me I would want to be sure it was'nt anything with my parameters first. Figuring out what happened is a process of elimination. Anyone tells you different is just guessing.

i need to check the parameters.

the ph was 8.4?
the calcium was at 37 drops (555) and still not BLUE (purple) it turns blue after sitting a few minutes.

i STOPPED dosing OB for little over 2 months. i was getting over 40 drops (600) and still no blue before. I have been adding limewater everyother topoff for the past month to keep things up. Everything has been coloring up and all the caps have really visible poylps top and bottom (didn't have before). Till this happened.

just did the water change a few weeks ago.

 

[waterfaller1]

Here's another thought, is Jay allowing the cut frag to encrust, or is he cutting it and you took it soon after? That will do it right there.

 

[ben&bobbi]

most of the frags i get from jay are fresh cuts. However, this one has been in my tank, fully encrusted on the rock, very happy and healthy for a couple months.

If this is the wrong practice, then i don't know what Jay is doing, but his tank is awesome! and the rest of the stuff i got from him is spectacular!

just checked a couple more chemicals

phosphates - .5
ph - 7.73 (an hour ago - no lights on) 8.4-8.3 in evening
nitrates - <10 (still looking like clear water, not yellow tint. guess you would call this 0)
ammonia - didn't grab this kit.

the calcium was at 37 drops (555) and still not BLUE (purple) it turns blue after sitting a few minutes. - this one tested last night.

 

[waterfaller1]

CA & Alk?

 

[ben&bobbi]

added it to the post, it was up a post or 2 and sent you a pm.

 

[jay24k]

I do fresh cuts. I don't have the room to allow them to encrust. I also generally buy frags that are fresh cut and I honestly haven't seen a difference between the two. I prefer fresh cuts myself because I can glue it to where I want. I generally toss the encrusting portion away anyway. This is just my experience though. That Myagi is pretty cool how it is a plating tort.

 

[waterfaller1]

IME it is too much stress for a hard coral to be handled{you should be wearing gloves BTW, as not to touch the flesh and transfer bacteria},cut, and moved to a different tank with different parameters in one day.

 

[jay24k]

I wonder if that is the case though. I see alot of retailers do that. I've shipped probably 50 pieces out of my tank and only one DOA'd that I know of and I believe that was something with the frag. I've received probably about 30+ frags from different places and haven't had any issues.

The way I do it is place all the frags in a container and then from there, place them in a bag with water seperate. This gives time for any slime or nasty on it to be able to shake off. This is how I was told to do it by several people including the last orca president. I probably bought about 15 pieces from him and have never lost any.

Do you have any information out there that says this?

 

[waterfaller1]

There is a video by E. Borneman, I think we have it you know where. He & Steve Pro did presentations at IMAC 2006 & said this. And, the last Orca president told me this exact thing. I am sure there are articles as well. Lets go ask the real experts.
Ben&bobbi, am I blind because I still don't see where you posted the alk reading? Your CA is at over 500? If so your alk may be too low, which could also be a problem. PO4 needs to come down to 0 as well.

 

[ben&bobbi]

not blind, i am at work and don't have the vials to test the alk - i lost them (pm'ed you on that). I posted in the supporters forum asking if the alk and cal test samples were the same size.

How do you lower the phosphates? water changes is the best?

with the alk and using 2part or limewater, i thought Randy said these would pretty much stay in balance with each other?

i have the water here, and i believe you told me at the store before, that the water will still be good to test except for PH and temp.

 

[waterfaller1]

There is no way to know what your corals are taking in terms of elements daily without testing. It changes as corals grow, water changes are performed, corals are added, etc. Water changes are a good way to lower the PO4, but you need to know where it's coming from. When was the last time the RO/DI was checked for TDS, filters changed? How is the tank stocked as far as livestock. How much LR is there...how much flow...how is the skimmer performing? Do you have a refugium? How much substrate is in the tank? How big is this tank, and when was it set up? How is the temp, any swings lately?The list seems endless of questions..LOL.

 

[ben&bobbi]

that's something i didn't know - that i needed to test my water daily, this could get very expensive in test kits.

i usually wash my hands / arms in baking soda before messing in the tank. I have just reached in there to rescue a frag every now and then that fell into another.

you can see the tank in my little red house.

will check the RODI.

skimmer is a little week, but slowly working. there are only 4 fish in the 75. other than that, it's a mixed reef, more toward SPS. this is an established tank.

5 gal refugium

3-4" SB

temp usually with in 6 degrees from day to night. haven't been watching it through this little cold spell. probably more swing then you would prefer, but not worth the price of a chiller.

i know all these are factors in a healthy tank, but my original question was about the myagi that was fine the day before and bleached, gone the next. The rest of the tank looks fine.

i guess i was looking for more of general answers. If the whole tank starts bleaching out, then i will get real concerned. I didn't think the lights or the sand bed or the refugium or skimmer would target one coral. I know everyone wants all the specs of the water, but only thought that would be an issue if i couldn't keep anything.

Ben