Need Help: Corals Dying, no clues...

Thank everyone for their responses and suggestions. All offerings are taken into consideration. However, I have to apologize for leaving out important information. Regarding the SG, yesterdays results were taken by refractometer. Today's by floating hydrometer. Thanks to Seattlerob bringing it to my attention, I tested the refractometer and found it .002 too high. So that would make yesterdays SG 1.024 instead of 1.026. I'll have to test my saltwater mix for beginning results. Having the alk go up doesn't make sense to me either when I only dosed the calcium part a few days ago.

I am using a Carbon block and UV light water treatment system called E-Spring. It's the drinking water system I use for the house (or apt as it be). I did get the skimmer back up and running this evening so hopefully it will help. Also, there is only the return and one SEIO M620 that criss-cross streams at the center of the tank.

I am using Salifert Kits for Nitrate, Ca and Alk. As far as flow I should be around 250g/h according to the head calc of a Mag 5 at 5'.
 
So you use the water that runs through this Carbon/UV light treatment...Its a whole house [apartment] unit? I am assuming its yours and not what runs to the other units in your building:confused:
When is the last time you changed the carbon and UV Bulbs [or whatever]?? I would look at your water source
 
I presume you use artificial salt water how do you filter fresh water to make up salt water (resin or ro unit)? Also add top up water at night with kallkwisser try increasing water flow and add calcium supplement to boost up to 450 ppm.
Also are you sure nothing foreign objects has got into system (check for copper)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8133385#post8133385 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BTTRFLYGRL
So you use the water that runs through this Carbon/UV light treatment...Its a whole house [apartment] unit? I am assuming its yours and not what runs to the other units in your building:confused:
When is the last time you changed the carbon and UV Bulbs [or whatever]?? I would look at your water source
Click to expand...
Yes, its a faucet filter system not whole house or apt complex. Just mine. The carbon filter is rated for 1300g or 1yr which neither has yet been reached. I have tested my water change water for phosphates, but not for other results. I will do that later in the week.
 
We need to know what you're dosing for Ca and alk. IMO it's important to improve the parameters ASAP, a few water changes in a row is a good start, then start dosing CaCl or another Ca-only additive if needed to raise Ca without raising alk. If Ca won't stay up, you may need to add a Mg supplement (MgSO4, epsom salts, will work).
 
although I am not familiar with salifert tests, I would check to see if they had expired. My old LFS was notrotious for selling out of date testkits and other drygoods. With the excepting of your alk, I would almost suspect cross contaimiation. I knew a guywho could not keep his hands out of the tank and he also had an excessive hand washing thing. His system was stressing out and im fairly sure his antibacterial soap was being introduced. He bough gloves after being tired of having wet hands and from the last i heard, his system is doing fine. there has to be something that is being introduced that isnt testible.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8133992#post8133992 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ACBlinky
We need to know what you're dosing for Ca and alk. IMO it's important to improve the parameters ASAP, a few water changes in a row is a good start, then start dosing CaCl or another Ca-only additive if needed to raise Ca without raising alk. If Ca won't stay up, you may need to add a Mg supplement (MgSO4, epsom salts, will work).
Click to expand...
I use B-Ionic for Calcium. 2part system. However, because my Alk is so high I only dosed the calcium part. I'll add another dose this evening and test on tomorrow.
 
Interesting test results

Interesting test results

I decided to do some make-up water tests this evening since I have to do a water change for my Qtank. Here are my results:

Tap Water
Alk: 4.5dKH
NO3: 5ppm

Post Filter
Alk: 4.2dKH
NO3: 5ppm

Make Up Water
Alk: 15 dKH
NO3: 5ppm

I am using Instant Ocean salt. I'll have to go back and read up on Alkalinity, but is this cause for concern? (the high level after adding salt)
 
I also use IO. IME, Alk is the fastest to deplete, and high Alk on new SW works out fine. I target 9 dKH and typically run between 7-9 dKH. I do approx 10%/week water change. 10% of 15 dKH new SW mixed in with 90% of old SW doesn't change the overall much.

I do, however, dose new IO mix with Ca. I use 40ml of Randy's DIY for every 5g of IO mix to get approx 425ppm. I test each new bucket & write on the side the results & what I want to dose for that bucket to achieve 425ppm. I don't do that for Alk (I know it runs high, which works fine IME).

hth,
rob
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8141542#post8141542 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by seattlerob
I use 40ml of Randy's DIY for every 5g of IO mix to get approx 425ppm.
Click to expand...
Randy's DIY :confused:
 
1. I would solve the problem the calcium like everyone else said here. I had calcium drop once to 240ppm (and 11 dKH)due to my lack of maintaince and had hair algae growing everywhere instead. What I did was 10% water change everyweek & add only Kent calcium chloride double amount every morning and evening. After everything back in balance then I start dripping Kalkwasser every night. Balance here i would say calcium ~400 and 8 dKH

2. Try to be simple about your filteration as much as possible. I recommend running only BioChem Zorb and Polyfilter. Be careful of using some carbon because some brand could leach phosphate & possible irritate the coral. I also recommend changing those every 2 weeks for the start.

3. Cyano is the problem of High Organic load, Not enough water flow, and Low oxygen level. These factors also affect how your corals look. So you have to correct all of these at once. Polyfilter and Protein skimmer will help with organic load & phosphate & what ever heavy metal you may have in the tank. You never mention about the water turn over rate but I suggest at the minimum 10x of water volume. Corals need high water flow (movement) to survive and to feed. Specially star polyp needs extremely strong water current aound them otherwise they won't open. If you don't have airstone/airpump I suggest you get one. You don't know how much it help with aeration and water circulation specially when oxygen drop at night once the photosyntesis period stop.

4. Have you mention about feeding coral? I would care it at last though since you have cyano problem. So there is for sure some water imbalance here. If u do feed, feed at the very minimum. Those corals you mention are mainly consume only zooplankton so I recommend feed DT Oyster egg once a week again feed at the bare minimum to keep them survive.

5. What lighting do you use? I personally recommend T-5 lighting since coral respond to these light better.

6. last for now is be patient. Don't get panic. Things can be solved but it takes time.
 
As I asked before how are you filtering fresh water (top up and for mixing salt ) you need either RO or resin . fresh water can add stuff thats test kits do not pick up.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8147602#post8147602 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kevan
As I asked before how are you filtering fresh water (top up and for mixing salt ) you need either RO or resin . fresh water can add stuff thats test kits do not pick up.
Click to expand...
I use a carbon block and UV filtering system called Espring. I don't use straight tap water. Not even for top off.
 
Thanks. I may look into that down the road but I've been filtering water with this system since I've been in the hobby (3 Years) and have never had this problem. Granted I've moved, which makes me wonder about the piping at this apt complex.

Well, it seems that most of my efforts from here out will mostly be academic as most of my corals have withered away. I haven't witnessed any small critter activity at all and it seems even my snails are starting to succumb too. Whatever it is just doesn't seem to be coming up on any tests I have. I'll be preparing to do a major cyano cleaning this weekend. While at it, I guess I should do diligence and see if I can find anything hidden in the tank that may have caused the problem. I'll definitely be reluctant to add anything from this point until I move from here. Any other thoughts or suggestions are still welcomed. Thanks to all for your input and help.
 
Cyano is toxic and it affects your snails and coral. Snails probably won't look good or not even move for a while until things clear up. Just make sure you don't use the medication way to clear up cyano though. I had a horrible nightmare before. I just don't want to see the same thing happen again.
 
Update

Update

It appears that things are turning back around to live-able conditions in my tank. Most of my livestock have all but withered away, however I am seeing life in a few scattered areas of xenia, zoos and even saw a small worm milling about. Except for all the unsightly algae and growing bubble algae things are beginning to look up.

In trying to think about what caused all of this, I recalled the last thing that I did in the tank was fragged a lot of Xenia in the display to sell back to my LFS. Seeing that a lot of people use Xenia for Nitrate export, do you think when I did this that I unleashed all that is unholy?? I also used a new pair of stainless steel scissors to do the fragging (after rinsing of course). It's not like I left them sitting in the tank or really expect it to be the culprit, but its always those things that we never expect that lend a hand to the destruction.
 
Re: Interesting test results

Re: Interesting test results

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8141173#post8141173 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bguile
I decided to do some make-up water tests this evening since I have to do a water change for my Qtank. Here are my results:

Tap Water
Alk: 4.5dKH
NO3: 5ppm

Post Filter
Alk: 4.2dKH
NO3: 5ppm

Make Up Water
Alk: 15 dKH
NO3: 5ppm

I am using Instant Ocean salt. I'll have to go back and read up on Alkalinity, but is this cause for concern? (the high level after adding salt)
Click to expand...

You shouldn't be getting 5ppm no3 post filtration. As suggested get yourself a different filtration system.
 
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