Tank problems need help
- Thread starter thysrof
- Start date
Reef Bass
colors and textures
Sorry to hear that Bob. Let's see if we all can't put our heads together and get this solved for you.
Magnesium comes to mind. Have you had a chance to test for that recently?
You don't mention your ph but I doubt that's the problem.
I believe you changed out your sandbed relatively recently, no? (so old sandbed wouldn't be the culprit)
If you had detritus accumulating somewhere, I would expect elevated nitrate or phosphate levels.
Do you feed your corals? Any chance they are not getting sufficient non light nutrition?
If it were just sps having issues, I would suggest some kind of parasite / pest, but with both sps and lps not performing, I'm not aware of a pest which would take out both of those.
Magnesium comes to mind. Have you had a chance to test for that recently?
You don't mention your ph but I doubt that's the problem.
I believe you changed out your sandbed relatively recently, no? (so old sandbed wouldn't be the culprit)
If you had detritus accumulating somewhere, I would expect elevated nitrate or phosphate levels.
Do you feed your corals? Any chance they are not getting sufficient non light nutrition?
If it were just sps having issues, I would suggest some kind of parasite / pest, but with both sps and lps not performing, I'm not aware of a pest which would take out both of those.
Reef Bass
colors and textures
Been giving it a bit more thought. At the meeting I believe I heard you mention you were going to remove your 2nd carbon reactor? Did you get a chance to do that? Do you think it might be worth trying removing all carbon?
Any stray voltage? Though probably clams and zoos wouldn't be happy if there were.
Any stray voltage? Though probably clams and zoos wouldn't be happy if there were.
Ken,
tank PH is not a problem. Mag I will test for but I run dolomite in my CA reactor so that shouldn't be a problem.
yes I did actually shut off both Carbon reactors and GFO reactor. I turned one carbon and the GFO back on for a few days at a time.
As you had mentioned it's strange that it's effecting both SPS and LPS.
i was also wondering if it has something to do with removel of the deep sand bed 4 or 5 months ago or the addition of the lace rock. Although i think Tom and Shane would be having a problem if it we're the lace rock.
i did realize that my heater went out thar was controlled by my AC3,but checking the graph the temp really didn't drop below 66.5. I have an old heater in the tank until I get my new aqua-medic heating element.
I just feel there must be something I'm not thinking of
tank PH is not a problem. Mag I will test for but I run dolomite in my CA reactor so that shouldn't be a problem.
yes I did actually shut off both Carbon reactors and GFO reactor. I turned one carbon and the GFO back on for a few days at a time.
As you had mentioned it's strange that it's effecting both SPS and LPS.
i was also wondering if it has something to do with removel of the deep sand bed 4 or 5 months ago or the addition of the lace rock. Although i think Tom and Shane would be having a problem if it we're the lace rock.
i did realize that my heater went out thar was controlled by my AC3,but checking the graph the temp really didn't drop below 66.5. I have an old heater in the tank until I get my new aqua-medic heating element.
I just feel there must be something I'm not thinking of
As the keeper of what used to be The Tank of Death, I realize my two cents may only be worth a single penny in this conversation, but...
How long was your temp down at 66.5˚? I've definitely noticed that if temp gets out of "acceptable" ranges for too long a period, corals in particular seem to take it pretty hard (and sometimes don't recover).
Also, if you got a vibrant 'fuge, feeding probably isn't the issue... but I'm pretty sure at least one of my rounds of die-off a few years ago was due to the fact that the corals were simply undernourished… and they all reached that "starving" point at roughly the same time. Do you feed them at all, or just rely on "fish poop and the 'fuge"?
Either way, as someone who has witnessed widespread die-off, I know how frustrating it can be.
Many of my corals are (finally!) getting large enough to frag, and I'd be happy to share some pieces with you once you get your tank dialed in again.
Good luck!
How long was your temp down at 66.5˚? I've definitely noticed that if temp gets out of "acceptable" ranges for too long a period, corals in particular seem to take it pretty hard (and sometimes don't recover).
Also, if you got a vibrant 'fuge, feeding probably isn't the issue... but I'm pretty sure at least one of my rounds of die-off a few years ago was due to the fact that the corals were simply undernourished… and they all reached that "starving" point at roughly the same time. Do you feed them at all, or just rely on "fish poop and the 'fuge"?
Either way, as someone who has witnessed widespread die-off, I know how frustrating it can be.
Many of my corals are (finally!) getting large enough to frag, and I'd be happy to share some pieces with you once you get your tank dialed in again.
Good luck!
crispyreef
New member
I have a couple questions. What fish is your tank stocked with? How are the sps dying off, from the base up or the tips? How about the lps? Do you loose color first, then they start to die? Do they die fast or slow?
I've been feeding mainly the fish with some arcti pods. i backed off the oyster feast because i was getting a little brown algae on the sand.
RTN on the SPS's was from the tips down. The prosylaporia. I hoped i spelled it right is from the bottom up,although it's still looking ok.
The chalices just start to melt away. The Acans loose the connective tissue between the polyps and started to fade.
Fish in tank.purple tang,blue tang,Six line wrasse,saddle back clown,flame back angel,and mandarin goby
temp down problem was a matter of 4 or 5 hours. I checked the data log on the
AC3.
Bye the way i took several pieces over to Jake's until i get the problem under control.
RTN on the SPS's was from the tips down. The prosylaporia. I hoped i spelled it right is from the bottom up,although it's still looking ok.
The chalices just start to melt away. The Acans loose the connective tissue between the polyps and started to fade.
Fish in tank.purple tang,blue tang,Six line wrasse,saddle back clown,flame back angel,and mandarin goby
temp down problem was a matter of 4 or 5 hours. I checked the data log on the
AC3.
Bye the way i took several pieces over to Jake's until i get the problem under control.
Grant W
New member
66.5 is pretty low and would probably be enough to stress both lps and sps plus a probable overdose on the carbon or just changing too many things at once. just my opinion but it seems like an awful lot changing at the same time. that is the only time I have had trouble when I'm trying to do too much at once.
northbay-reefer
New member
Bob, have you checked your salinity lately?
Reef Bass
colors and textures
Could be salinity or salt mix. Also, the addition of your lace rock does seem to coincide with your issues. Perhaps there is a subatance in / on the rock which may not be conducive to coral husbandry, though if that were the case, as you pointed, out Tom and Shane should be having issues too.
Ok Salinity is ok and always has been. I did change salt. I was using IO and Kent. I picked up a bucket of corallife at Caesar's and have been using it.
Mistake?
I just bought another one and was planning on using it. Wow could it be the salt?
Remember I'm very good at keeping track of my parameters. I test Alk and Calcium weekly. I've tested Phospates and nitrates.
As far as temp swing it hasn't been more than 2 degrees. I check the AC3 graph so I know for sure.it previously fluctuated about 1 1/2 dregees per day.
Thanks everyone and keep throwing out suggestions! it's gotta be something.
Mistake?
I just bought another one and was planning on using it. Wow could it be the salt?
Remember I'm very good at keeping track of my parameters. I test Alk and Calcium weekly. I've tested Phospates and nitrates.
As far as temp swing it hasn't been more than 2 degrees. I check the AC3 graph so I know for sure.it previously fluctuated about 1 1/2 dregees per day.
Thanks everyone and keep throwing out suggestions! it's gotta be something.
jedheuer
Member
You could test the mix for ca/alk/ph . It could be that it is off and making a water change is driving one or more of your parameters down. you test regularly so maybe they get driven down and your ca reactor brings the levels back up by the time you test?? but the swing is stressing the corals??
or there might be something toxic or out of whack with the new salt such as vitamins, amino acids, trace elements that is not test able that is shocking the corals.
or it may not be the salt at all...
but it would be up to you to try a water change with a different batch of salt. Might be worth a try being that salt is relatively cheap and a water change relatively easy and quick.
anyways just throwing things out there. good luck.
or there might be something toxic or out of whack with the new salt such as vitamins, amino acids, trace elements that is not test able that is shocking the corals.
or it may not be the salt at all...
but it would be up to you to try a water change with a different batch of salt. Might be worth a try being that salt is relatively cheap and a water change relatively easy and quick.
anyways just throwing things out there. good luck.
crispyreef
New member
Rtning from the top down tells me a swing in parameters, often alk. And you said the lps are loosing connective tissue which may be stront/moly deficiency. This all could be from a bad batch of salt and too many small swings.
northbay-reefer
New member
My corals were doing fine after the lace rocks, the only time when they stressed out is when I got busy and didn't do anything for the tank for 3 months, I didn't clean sock, skimmer, test, ect so some of my corals got stressed out. Now that am taking care of it again, the corals are coming back so it is more having to do with tank parameter stability than anything else.
New salt, GFO, reactor, and things like that tend to make the tank parameter swing up and down so that is when corals tend to get stressed.
New salt, GFO, reactor, and things like that tend to make the tank parameter swing up and down so that is when corals tend to get stressed.
northbay-reefer
New member
Bob, I used different salt all the time, the main thing is always check the salt parameter and make sure to adjust your make up water to almost match the tank before doing a water change and you will be ok. My water changes are never more than 10% so nothing changes dramatically even when I change salt. Another thing that I do Is I like to mix different salts so my tank never get use to one brand of salt. I have been mixing Kent and Seachem.
