not seeing the polyps in my SPS.

[WXB]

I have a skimmer going yes. It took me over a year of reading saving before i set this thing up. the main goal is for a clam. the wife has wanted a clam. I have wanted SPS so here we are. I have patience thats why i like SPS. the MH is on for 7 hrs. then 2 hrs before and after i have a refug light small t5s that i turn on to see the tank longer. I have been doing that the hole time with no problems at all. till my house sitter did somthing. What I dont know Hes not talking.

Carbon. For getting rid of my bronw hell thats going on right now. I have found a list of things that can be done all but one i know i can do. it is adding extra carbon to the tank. Would adding a carbon bag to it hurt what i have going on right now. I know somthing is out of balance some place. would adding this make things even worse or N/A??

 

[JustinM]

Just do your water changes and get everything stable again, proabably a few weeks or more. I wouldn't do anything else for now. Once it is stable do things one at a time and document like everyone else said, any change. So now if there is a problem it will be much easier to pinpoint.

You don't need a fancy spreadsheet, I use a cool reef calendar I got for xmas. Every Wednesday I test and write them on it. You will get it and have a bad A%$ acro in no time.

 

[WXB]

Is there anything that will stop the loss from getting worse?

 

[Grant W]

For dino you want to elevate your magnesium and start doing weekly 10- 15% water changes, for general health you want about 5x tank volume from your return pump and as much flow within the tank as you can get and not directed directly at the corals but a more indirect flow of at least 20-30 times tank volume. As far as testing you need to test for of course nitrates etc but mainly for alk, cal and mag aiming for approx alk 7-10, cal 420- 450, and mag 1250 -1350. To beat dino people have had good results by elevating mag to the range of approx 1600 for a few weeks and of course hand removal and water changes. In brief with sps you need the right parameters and conditions and have to keep them there or these beasties will let you know in a hurry. I hope this helps and good luck Grant

 

[laud]

It seems like your water tests are basic, run of the mill fresh water tests. What about PO4, silicates, Alkalinity, Calcium, Mg and TDS? Your local fish store won't test all your tests, just the basics.

Another thing I noticed is that you said "distilled" water. Try using RO/DI water.

BTW, I always count on losing 1 out of 5 new corals. Some to breaking off and disappearing into the rock work. Some to not digging my system. Forget about saving that particular coral and try to get your system as best as it can be. IMO

 

[dzhuo]

WXB,
When did you put the acro frag in and how long does it for the brown stuff to show up? I am fairly certain you are fighting the exact same thing I am struggling with. I have diagnosed this as lyngbya and a number of us are trying to understand what's the best way to deal with it here. If you look at the first 2 pictures I posted, it might not look exactly the same and that's just because of flow. The stronger the flower, the shorter this stuff grows. The weaker the flow, the longer it grows.

Carbon. For getting rid of my bronw hell thats going on right now.

FYI. I have been running ROX .8 and GFO very aggressively for 5 months now without success. A few of us notice it seems to drive in nutrient poor water. If you want to try carbon, give it a shot but I am not convince this will help you out.

In fact, I have recently took GFO off line to encourage other algae to grow in my tank hoping to out compete this crap. Brett has also asked Boyd to see if there is anything else we can do. Feel free to follow the thread there.

I feel sorry for your struggle and I wish I know more to help you but I don't. One of my frag had already lost 50% of the fresh because of it.

 

[Grant W]

Sry about the double post was reading a bit more carefully and realised the tank is probably too young to be stable yet, 6 months is a pretty short time for sps tank. I would start a tank this young with some montipora and less demanding corals and change up over time. Also just buy frags to start as they seem to acclimate better to new conditions than colonies and cost a lot less but don't buy every coral you see. Plan long term for each pieces growth pattern and shape as well as color mixing etc.

 

[laud]

I agree with the too young comment. There isn't even any coralline algae in the overflows. Patience and water clarity will set you free, not to mention flow and lighting.

 

[WXB]

I hear you on the system. I am more worried about that above all. I want to be able to save it as best as i can. out of the 6 things in there this is the only one not doing too well. I dont expect anything else going. I want to get this brown hell under control then i can get the rest stable. My LFS is not the typical store they are above and beyond the typical water test. They are a private shop that has been in operation since 1970. It is not a Petco.

The sps was added almost 2 months ago. once the house sitter did what ever it was he did. the brown hell poped up about a week ago. I am on my way to buy some special blend to help me get rid of it. give it a try hope it works for all of us.

 

[dzhuo]

I am on my way to buy some special blend to help me get rid of it. give it a try hope it works for all of us.

I am confuse how you approach this and your plan to get rid of it. Have you already ID what you are fighting with? Did you get a chance to check out the thread I linked earlier? What blend are you plan to use?

The first thing that you need in order to solve any problem is to at least have a good idea of what you are dealing with. Anyhow, if you are certain the blend will work and won't do more damage (to the rest of your otherwise healthy corals), I guess give it a try.

 

[WXB]

i have figured out what it is. Special blend is all natural. It is one of thoes things that wont hurt anything by adding it. I love using this stuff. did a copy and past of what special blend is. I have been talking with some people and another person has exactly what i have. another person suggested what it might be and after doing a tone of reading and looking at pictures. THAT IS MY BROWN HELL. happy to have an ID. i am doing everthing i can to reduce it. another thing that can help is special blend. if anything it will help get my tank back into balance. its great stuff i have used it before.

I read and looked at your pictures. It is not quite what i have. If i am correct i had that about 5 years ago and it took me about 2 weeks to get it under control and GONE. the stuff i am dealing with has a lot longer strans.
"A complete eco-system in a bottle.


Features and other benefits:

•Dramatically reduces need for water changes.

•Reduces the frequency of cleaning.

•Good for salt and freshwater.

•Chemical free.

•A new tank starter for biological cycling and boosting.

•An organic waste degrader.

•Naturally stimulates plant growth.

•Lowers ammonia levels and biologically reduces nitrates.

•Removes odours and clears cloudy water.

•Biological maintainer for established tanks.

•Enhances ability of plants to utilize light, water and nutrients.

•Breaks down residue on gravel, plants, rocks, etc.

•Breaks down protein foam.


These bacteria are compatible with biological filters and UV lights. The UV light should be turned off for 48 to 72 hours after the introduction of this product. This will allow the bacteria to progress through their most active growth stage.

MICROBE-LIFT Special Blend can not neutralise chlorine, chloramines or heavy metals.

MICROBE-LIFT Special Blend works well with activated carbon and is compatible with copper based products.

Saltwater environments - the bacteria in this product will remain effective when used in marine environments with a specific gravity of 1.017 to 1.025. In marine tanks, add the aquarium salt mix and allow the water to circulate for 24 hours, then check and adjust the density. Add the bacteria after the new water has circulated for the 24-hour period.

Saltwater oceans are highly stable environment with very little fluctuation in pH. The ocean water dilute fish waste and organic matter. The bacteria in MICROBE-LIFT Special Blend provides the assistance needed to break down the decaying organic matter and cycle certain elements which may build up in your tank.118ml will treat a 30 gallon tank for up to 16 weeks.

473ml will treat a 65 gallon tank for up to 62 weeks.

 

[MammothReefer]

...snake oil isn't going to fix the problem. It's going to take good husbandry and a commitment to go the extra mile to make sure you are creating and maintaining an environment that is conducive to keeping sps.

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

don't try to reinvent the wheel...

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

...snake oil isn't going to fix the problem. It's going to take good husbandry and a commitment to go the extra mile to make sure you are creating and maintaining an environment that is conducive to keeping sps.

Ditto. I have seen dino way too many times. Time is something you cannot avoid. Adding supplements might help, might not. Time, manual removal, water changes, and skim well are your best options.

Did your LFS suggest that your use that supplement?

 

[evoi19]

WXB,

Perhaps you can hold off on that supplement for a few weeks and try our suggestions first. Doing too many things at once may get complicated and you may not know what is working and what isn't.

It's a good idea just to get your water changes going once a week and get your parameters in check. Get your alk, ca and mag to the proper levels and water changes will help reduce the phos and nitrates. Once you have your params right, wait a few weeks and if you see a difference, you're on the right track.

I'm sure you're a vet when it comes to reefing and i'm glad you're asking questions and having a concern over your sps. It's good that you're here posting so others can help you who have been in the game for awhile. Some may come down harder than others, but in the end we all want to see you succeed and start having great corals. With that, I believe the advice in this thread has been very good to get you started down a road of successful sps.

Nothing works overnight, it takes time and good habits. Without struggle there is no progress...

 

[WXB]

So i did everthing you guys suggested to do. Started a testing chart on this tank. Already did a water change the night prior. the only thing i was trying to do as well as getting this SPS to turn arround was get rid of a dinoflagellats problem. All i did was add some special blend that has nothing to do with my SPS going down hill. it will not save or hurt it. So the comment "dont reinvent the wheel" for trying to get dinoflagellats problem taken care of as well as trying to save my SPS. I dont know why I was getting the 3 degree for doing what you guys suggested?

I have asked minor question here before but i would have to say this was the least helpful of them all. I did not need a lession in how to own a fish tank.

Everthing that was suggested was already done or I did it. like start a chart.
I did it all. The one thing i was asking for was how to SAVE key word here SAVE the SPS. the only thing I heard was to frag it out if it gets too bad to save as much as i can.

Well this morning a noticed a hermit munching away on it. I would have to say its not going to make it. I fraged off what i could so I will see what happens.

Evoi good god thank you. The only problem i have is the SPS is going and going fast i was not asking for a quick fix that doesnt exist. I know this but being new to SPS i know there has to be some trick someone has used in the past. I spent HRS reading on what i can or could do to save or turn it around. I found nothing SO i came here to ask a simple question. out of them all only 3 people helped. If you dont have anything to say that will help dont say anything.

 

[MammothReefer]

There is only one way to turn things around w/sps and that's to put them in an environment that is conducive to sps. Everybody here was trying to help you create that environment as well as maintain it. Yes you can try fragging it, super gluing the dead areas ect ect.. but none of that will mater unless you find the REASON it's doing poorly in the first place. We can't help you do that unless you can give us the correct information needed. Only then can we attempt to give you our best guesstimate at a diagnoses, of which then you most likely will receive 10 different opinions from 5 different people... or is it 5 different opinions from 10 different people.

 

[dzhuo]

Sorry for the lost WXB! I know how you feel because I just lost one of my frag for the exact same reason. And a couple of my other frags which were healthy before are following the same slow death.

Many people who's struggling with cyano / dino are sometimes unsure why because these organisms are able 'fix' dissolved nitrogen gas, and take advantage of whatever trace phosphate there is. This is one reason why they grow on the acros: they extract the phosphate directly out from where they attached. The funny thing is once the acro is dead so will the cyano because there will be no nutrient left in the dead acro. This is the same reason why they grow on the sand and rock even when your N & P appear to be very low. You will be scratching your head trying to reduce N & P and at the end, it might just starve the acro more and accelerate its dead. Your case can certainly be a nutrient problem but I was trying to point out there are multiple causes when it comes to cyano and dino so you need to be well aware of what you are dealing with before taking action. That's why I am somewhat against using the special blend. It normally doesn't help or it only helps temporarily. I have taking a different approach to this problem. Instead of trying to lower my nutrient (I have been running ROX and GFO for +5 months aggressively without success), I am actually trying to increase my nutrient level and hope 2 things:

1. Another kind of algae or micro organism will out compete this pest by nutrient and space.
2. The acro can "feed" more which would lead to healthier and stronger corals so they can fight off this pest.

If I know more or have better success in the following weeks, I will sure to let you know.

I know this but being new to SPS i know there has to be some trick someone has used in the past.

The best trick is to just understand how a closed system works. The chemistry and the biology. Once you gain the basis knowledge of keeping SPS such as flow, lighting and various other major parameters, you should have some level of success. After that, it's more or less all about observation and detect problem early. I feel like you are going very fast (for the lack of a better word). It seems like you are always in a rush looking for answer and taking actions. For example, at one point you said you are going to run carbon and then later you said you know exactly what this is and special blend is going to help and now the acro is dead. It's just the impression that you seem to expect things would turn around easily and there is some sort of switch that you can turn on and off.

Oh, the stuff you have is exact same thing I have. It doesn't matter it's long or short. Yours is short because you don't have strong flow (judging by the picture). If you have a lot of flow, this stuff will grow very short (as in my case).