Need Help Isolating Reason For Crash

[Eric The Red]

Okay, about 3 months ago my tank started to crash, slowly. First I lost 2 large birdnest colonies. Then most of my acro's stared going. They would exhibit burnt tips and stn at the base for a couple weeks then RTN overnight. I basically ruled out everything I can think of that would cause a crash. It wasn't bugs, stray voltage, nutrients, alk swing, sg swing, ph, temp. Everything has always been stable and is monitored regularly. I started to think that it might have been the result of dosing too much of Red Sea's Potassium & Boron supplement. Before dosing, I tested with an Elos kit and it yielded a low level of K. So I spread out the amount Red Sea suggested to dose over a 3 day period, thinking I was being cautious. Within a couple weeks things started going downhill. I tested K again with a new Red Sea test kit. It now yielded a K level off the charts. I did many large wc's to try and bring it down. A couple weeks ago I sent a sample of water to AWT and the K is now low at 214. I use Tropic Marin and their distributor told me that the K is 400ppm in their salt...so I don't know how much confidence I'm putting in AWT's result.

Aside from that, I have done many large wc's in the last few months since this started and even if the K was high 3 months ago it shouldn't be anymore after so many wc's. That being said, I am still having issues with burnt tips and STN on what is left of my acro's. Now, in the last week all of my monti's burnt and died. I lost a cap, setosa, digitata and encrusting varieties. The cap has been in my tank for years and was "bullet proof", or so I thought.

So, back to the drawing board. I came across heavy metal contamination as the last thing I haven't ruled out. However, I can't find much on the topic in regards to symptoms. Also, I read an article about heavy metals being stored in the sand bed and I began wondering if the new diamond goby who sifted and stirred up sand from under rockwork where it hadn't been touched in years coulds have been the culprit? Around that same time I made a frame with mesh to cover the tank. I got the frame parts from Menards and they appear to be a painted aluminum. I noticed that they are often wet from mp40 waves and wonder if they could be dripping some contaminant into the tank.

So here's what I need help with;

1) Does anyone know if these symptoms sound like they could be from high levels of heavy metals?

2) Are there any other possible reasons that I overlooked that could be causing this prolonged crash?

I had a stable and thriving sps tank for 2 years before things started going downhill :sad2: and there were no signs of instability leading up to this event.

I have some ploy-filters on order to hopefully clear up the heavy metals, if there are any.

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[brad_G]

If you have a old deep sand bed and recently added something that sifts you need to search old tank syndrome. Its sulfur something (can't remember exactly) that gets released causing major problems.

 

[Eric The Red]

The sand bed is about 2-3" deep. Does that constitute a deep one? Thanks for the tip, I'll look into it.

Anyone else have a thought about this or the possibility of heavy metals?

 

[Eric The Red]

After some quick research, I see that dsb's are normally considered to be 3"+ and the release of hydrogen sulfide causes a drastic drop in pH. My pH remained stable throughout this experience fluctuating between 7.1 and 7.2 on average. Should I assume that this might not have been it?

 

[fraggin corals]

Is that a mistype on the pH? 7.1-7.2 is way too low for a saltwater aquarium.

 

[vette.tech]

wondering the same thing, i hope thats a typo

 

[Eric The Red]

oops, yes, I meant 8.1 to 8.2

 

[xtlosx]

Do you run carbon and or Gfo on a regular basis?

 

[Eric The Red]

I used to run carbon regularly but I don't anymore. I ran a lot of it after the crash started but am not presently running it. The acros were getting burnt tips (and stn) before they died. When I ran carbon after the crash it seems to increase the burnt tips so after running it heavy for a couple weeks I stopped. This woud have been about 2 months ago. I have always ran GFO and po4's range between 0.03 up to 0.08 and then I change it out.

BTW, Booyah told me yesterday to call you Giggity

 

[Eric The Red]

I also turned down my lights to try and reduce the burnt tips. Doing this only seemed to slow it down but not make it stop. It seemed to slow down the burnt tips on those that had it but the others that didn't started going brown so I increased the light a bit.

 

[alessandro]

what is your alk level?

 

[xtlosx]

I used to run carbon regularly but I don't anymore. I ran a lot of it after the crash started but am not presently running it. The acros were getting burnt tips (and stn) before they died. When I ran carbon after the crash it seems to increase the burnt tips so after running it heavy for a couple weeks I stopped. This woud have been about 2 months ago. I have always ran GFO and po4's range between 0.03 up to 0.08 and then I change it out.

BTW, Booyah told me yesterday to call you Giggity

Nice.. sounds like Booyah indeed

So regarding the DSB, you'll get a variety of opinions on that, but I run a 3-4" bed and did in my old cube as well so I'm partial to the approach. When you read the different opinions and research from Dr. Shemick to Randy, it seems like no one can agree on anything entirely.

So what I would say is, running carbon\gfo should help take the brunt of the damage SHOULD it be hydrogen sulfide. In my bed, I keep nassarius snails, and actually I need to pick up another 50 or so to keep things on the top layer moving. I don't see or have any dark black spots visible. I did however have cyano colonies, but those are actually clearing up (long story).

Long story short, it seems like a lot of people in our area have had random SPS issues who otherwise have had very nice stable tanks. So not sure if there is something environmental happening either..

What do you keep your Alk\Calc at?

 

[brad_G]

Burnt tips sounds like high alk and low nutrients.

 

[plantastic]

I experimented with potassium dosing a few years back...before there was a "reliable" kit for testing it. I am sure I overdosed it, but there was no way for me to confirm it. The symptomology you describe is exactly what happened to my colonies.

Once it started, nothing reversed the condition. I fragged heavily, and started doing, roughly, 50% water changes weekly....it took a good 6 months or so, before the fragged colonies started to look right, and grow. Some of the colonies had to be pitched, because they did not stop declining.

Sorry to hear it...but I think you have the causation factor nailed.

 

[Eric The Red]

Nice.. sounds like Booyah indeed

So regarding the DSB, you'll get a variety of opinions on that, but I run a 3-4" bed and did in my old cube as well so I'm partial to the approach. When you read the different opinions and research from Dr. Shemick to Randy, it seems like no one can agree on anything entirely.

So what I would say is, running carbon\gfo should help take the brunt of the damage SHOULD it be hydrogen sulfide. In my bed, I keep nassarius snails, and actually I need to pick up another 50 or so to keep things on the top layer moving. I don't see or have any dark black spots visible. I did however have cyano colonies, but those are actually clearing up (long story).

Long story short, it seems like a lot of people in our area have had random SPS issues who otherwise have had very nice stable tanks. So not sure if there is something environmental happening either..

What do you keep your Alk\Calc at?

Thanks for the insight. I test my alk, usually twice a week, and it has fluctuated a little bit between 7-8 but that is it. Trying to get the dosing pump dialed in with 80% less sps and the remainders not growing. But there never was or has ever been a spike, certainly nothing over 8.25 in the last 6 months.

 

[Eric The Red]

Burnt tips sounds like high alk and low nutrients.

Ordinarily, yes, but not in this case. :spin2: That's what is driving me a bit crazy :headwalls:

 

[Eric The Red]

I experimented with potassium dosing a few years back...before there was a "reliable" kit for testing it. I am sure I overdosed it, but there was no way for me to confirm it. The symptomology you describe is exactly what happened to my colonies.

Once it started, nothing reversed the condition. I fragged heavily, and started doing, roughly, 50% water changes weekly....it took a good 6 months or so, before the fragged colonies started to look right, and grow. Some of the colonies had to be pitched, because they did not stop declining.

Sorry to hear it...but I think you have the causation factor nailed.

Well, I'm 3 months in so hopefully things will be back to normal within a few more months. I feel a bit better knowing that these symptoms are the same as yours were.