SPS Bleaching

[paulsreef01]

I'm at a loss here because i can't figure out what went wrong. I've had my tank running for two years with no issue then over the past few weeks, SPS and other corals have not been happy. My SPS are bleaching, my Zoas won't open, etc. My anemone is even unhappy.

My lighting is Ecotech radions...i did recently change some of the colors but it wasn't drastic...5% variance.

The system volume is 100G and i've done 3 water changes over the past week in 15G increments to no avail.

I have noticed some more algae growth (browning on the rocks)...but overall I'm confused why my coral are dying. There was a lot of brown stuff collecting on the sand but i cleaned that up in the recent water change (now there are root like appendages coming out of the sand).

I stopped running carbon a couple months ago and that is the only thing i can think of that is causing this...there clearly is a water quality issue or something.

Any ideas?

Parameters:
PO4: 0 (hannah checker)
Cal: 445ppm
Alk: 179ppm (hannah checker)
MG 1500ppm
Nitrate: 0
PH: 8.1 (apex)
ORP: 310 (apex)
Sal: 35ppt (apex)

 

[stryker]

Not sure about the alk reading but others look ok.
I always try to look at what I did recently that may have upset the balance of the tank. Jodie you clean your brown sandbed? New carbon or phosphate media can stop water also.
Lighting changes can have a huge effect. Try to reverse any changes and see if your tank responds. Good luck.

 

[d3hree]

There's a chance that you have a contaminant that the carbon was removing. Stopping the carbon is allowing the contaminant to kill corals?...rusty jubilee clip?

Your alk is quite high iirc, is it stable?

 

[paulsreef01]

I stopped running carbon about 3 months ago...all the issues started cropping up a couple weeks ago. My ALK has been pretty stable - auto dosers hooked up. No clips under the water. I did recently change the Volutes on my skimmer and return pump but they are plastic. Could my jager heater be leaching something all the sudden?

My tank was thriving before then all the sudden corals start bleaching and other corals just plain unhappy. I only aded carbon after the symptoms started showing in an attempt to "clean" some of the water.

I'm starting to think it's something to do with the algae bloom or that could be indicative of something else. As I said, i'm getting brown algae on my rocks all the sudden along with other various types.