Need help from advanced reefers...

[popsock]

I have a 250 gallon system, with algae sump, skimmer, ozone, two banks of 8 T5 lights. There's no UV running. I use carbon, purigen, iron-based phos remover in bags and also in reactor. I am running Biopellets in another reactor.

Readings are usually: cal 420 Alk 3.0 Mag 1350 Nitrate 0 Nitrite <0.02 Ammonia 0.0 phosphate <0.015 Sg 1.026. Temp 26-27 C.

The tank is heavily stock mainly with SPS colonies that are all growing well. Plenty of LPS too all growing and looking good, although Torch coral is never fully inflated looking.

Let's get to my weird problem...

Pretty much any new coral that goes into the tank DIES. Frags; colonies; newly bought stuff; corals that have been alive in other people tanks for years or months - they pretty much all die!!! They go in... 24 hours later they're 100% pure white. It's become the best place to study RTN in the world! The flesh ups and leaves in a hurry.

You'd think there was something obviously very wrong with this tank, except NOTHING that's been there for a while has any issues. And this is what makes this strange. It seems that there's something very different from my system from everybody else's. What, I don't know.

Please give this some thought, I've run through everything in my head and simply can't think of a reason for this.

Fire away!!

 

[jimsplace]

First thought; ozone by products. Are you running the effluent from ozone through carbon before it returns to your tank? Randy had a good article on ozone in one of the stickys.

 

[popsock]

Yes, the ozone has a long way to go before it gets returned to tank, almost no chance of it getting to main tank. Damage from ozone in the tank would be indescriminate, and not just affect new arrivals. Thanks for replying.

 

[TheFishMan65]

What about light? Is that 16 bulbs across the whole tank or 8 per side. I wonder it you are having light acclimation issue.

 

[popsock]

Yes I've considered that, I'm concerned that it could be UV or Infra Red. The last time I added acros I put them across the bottom of the tank, but had the same result. The PAR readings are very comparable with the systems that these corals are coming from, as all the tanks are the same design.

It's 8x39w T5s each side. I thought it couldn't be UV or IR because the corals at the top of the tanks would be surely be affected!?!?!

Thanks for writing.

 

[Sk8r]

Suspect the most successful coral in your tank...or that sulking torch. I have the Hammer That Ate New York, and it scarfs up so much food it has made it hard on the fish; it gets the best position---it grows rapidly into it. It covers everything. And while most aggressive stony just reaches out and touches someone, I'm not well-informed whether it may also spit as softies do. I strongly suspect torch of exerting an inhibiting effect on other corals. My tank has been so much happier since I got rid of mine, even if it's a euphyllia dominated (to say the least!) tank.

 

[popsock]

Thanks Sk8r, ALLl corals in the tank are doing brilliantly with excellent colour and growth, I'm taking frags regularly from Porites, Montiporas etc. so it's only affected new arrivals. Even the torch that looks deflated is growing quite well, just looks a bit rubbish.

Something else that could be a clue here is that two weeks ago, a perfectly healthy light-loving gorgonian stripped over a 2 days period. Now completely dead. Another did the same a few days later but only half dead, and hasn't got worse since. I suspect this is unrelated as these gorgs have been in the tank for over a year. Almost every coral added in the past 12 months has died within 24 hours.

Crazy tank isn't it!

 

[Sk8r]

Source the same for all deceased corals? Or varied?
Species of live corals that thrive?
Species of deceased corals?

 

[popsock]

It's not a source issue as the corals have come from many sources, and nobody else has had any issues with them.

Species that thrive - Acropora sp. Seriatopora hystrix, various Montipora sp., Porites porites, Mycedium, Oxypora, tons of others really.

Species that have failed - Acropora sp. Seriatopora hystrix, various Montipora... you get the idea?

It's a bizarre thing this. Oh, I've just had an idea...

I've been using Seachem's Reef Buffer, which I think uses Boron to raise pH, or Borate maybe!? I wonder if it's possible that somehow that has built up to a very high level, and doesn't show on any alkalinity test kit?! Might be possible.

Thanks for taking the time to get stuck into this, it's an interesting and frustrating problem.

 

[popsock]

also, 4 zoanthid colonies are perfect, really nice, but three colonies of discosoma are always curled up, never extended.

 

[dahenley]

who has tanks like yours? with Bio pellets/gfo/carbon.........

all those things strip the water making it SUPER clean.
if you get corals from tanks that are clean, but nothing like yours, when you introduce them, then they can be shocked from lack of nutrients. most of your corals are fince becausee they have grown into being ok. (your torch doesn't like as clean of water, but since it has adapted, its fine)

find someone that runs GFO/Bio pellets..... and try a coral from them. light has a lot to do with it, but the water has more.

if you know someone that runs Zeo, it might help, because those tanks are ususally extreme low nutrient tanks as well.

 

[popsock]

Hi, thanks for posting. I have two other tanks pretty much identifcal to this one, with none of the issues. A friend of mine has a set up very similar too. All three "other" systems use GFO, bio pellets and carbon, and two of them use purigen too.

And these are the systems that I am taking the corals from. Interestingly my wife pointed out that corals taken from my system have no problems at all in the other systems, although they do usually lose their colour a little, and look less impressive.

So... I think you could be correct that this one system is somehow 'too pure' compared the others, it does have higher quantities of carbon, gfo, pellets, purigen in it. Having said that PAR readings are comparable, and calibrated ORP readings are not particularly high either.

hmmmmmm!

 

[BluespotLady]

How do you acclimate your new corals?

 

[popsock]

Hi Blue Spot Lady (you can get a cream for that now),
I've tried all ways - slow drip; 20 minutes in bag; straight in etc. none make any difference. All four systems that these corals come from are kept with pretty much identical parameters and filtration.

 

[BluespotLady]

Any treatment/dip?

 

[TheFishMan65]

What happens if you put your frags in their tanks? Maybe that will be a clue.

 

[popsock]

no treatment or dip - these are clean corals from established tanks. It is possible they could have some ailment but I can't find any, there's no sign of disease or bugs etc. on any coral in any tank.

Putting my frags into the other systems is interesting - they usually get duller in colour, but have 100% survival rate.

 

[hedgedrew]

kent makes a heavy metal sponge media try it and see if it works

 

[jimsplace]

I think dahenley is on to something. You might try backing off on nutrient export and see if that helps. I had a similar problem and when I took the BP rx off line things improved. I just run gfo & carbon now.

 

[popsock]

Thanks for all your ideas.