What is happening in my tank? I'm So scared !!!

[CoralBeauty13]

I have done water test, all good. Changed water, all good. I do not know what is going on. My beautiful Xenias are starting to wrinkle up and wither away. My Big Colt is splitting, and not in a nice way, meaning branches are shrinking and turning brown and grey, with white tips. Fish seems to be well, but i did notice my Turbo snails acting weird, falling off the glass unable to turn over. Never have they ever done that in the 7 months I've owned them. The only thing that has changed is I did add dry sand to my sump, not even one cup full. Yes i cleaned the crap out of it with RO/DI water. but with-in the three weeks I put it there, I have noticed crazy changes now. So worried. I will clean the sand out tomorrow and go to the LFS that sold me it and ask what could have happened.

My yellow tang jets across the tank as never before. Mushrooms are blooming beyond belief. There is a new one or two a day, so they are doing fine. Frogspawn, well, four out of five heads are ok. The sickly one is kinda stringy. My Zoa are starting to fold inward, or not open, and my yellow polyps are starting to shrink, my leathers are waxing over ...again. I've never had any problems until the sand. So So So worried. has this every happened to anyone ? What did you do. I have a lovely tank and don't want anything to happen .


Please help with any thing you know that could be wrong.... HELP ME !!!!

Amonia 0
nitrates 0
ph 8.2
nitrites 0
i'm so lost, everything else was good, just can't remember what I tested. I don't have a calcium or alk test kit though. could that be something bad ?

 

[Deinonych]

Can you post your water parameters?

 

[Tuton]

The fact that your fish are fine and the mushrooms are doing good leads me to believe that you have a nutrient problem....
If the dry sand is natural (i.e. meaning it came from the ocean somewhere) it could be leaching nitrates and phosphates....
What test kit are you using???

 

[CoralBeauty13]

I am using the API kit. I have ordered a massive test kit as a NewBY in this hobby I am learning different things I need to test for. BUt everything has been great until now. The sand was what they offered as the only other thing besides live sand. She sounded as she knew what she was talking about as she explained what the live sand could do. So I took her advice, but, to a point . I did ask all the questions as to what it would,could,should do as added. Even took her advice as to adding little at a time, and washing it very well. Just so scared right now.

 

[rlm2005]

It sounds like copper toxicity. Was the sand bagged? Was it previously used?

 

[whosurcaddie]

It sounds like copper toxicity. Was the sand bagged? Was it previously used?

I was just about to say this it sounds like copper poisoning you don't have any copper fittings on your tank do you?

 

[devimik]

I was thinking stray voltage maybe?

 

[CoralBeauty13]

I'm not sure of the sand, it was in a bin and scooped out. As far as voltage, I was also thinking of that as I read a lot of post here. Will have my husband test for that tomorrow. I am removing the sand tonight, but I feel bad for the population of pods that has grown in my sump. But to save the reef, I will do that is needed to be done. There are no copper fittings. Only a few as those that lead to the RO/DI unti. But nothing has ever happened with it being used for the last five months.

 

[Maxxumless]

I am using the API kit. I have ordered a massive test kit as a NewBY in this hobby I am learning different things I need to test for. BUt everything has been great until now. The sand was what they offered as the only other thing besides live sand. She sounded as she knew what she was talking about as she explained what the live sand could do. So I took her advice, but, to a point . I did ask all the questions as to what it would,could,should do as added. Even took her advice as to adding little at a time, and washing it very well. Just so scared right now.

It really could be many things, or nothing. I don't know what you have in your aquarium, so I couldn't venture an educated guess, but when some types of corals are stressed or dying they let off chemicals into the water. Some are irritants while others can be toxic. It could be heavy metal poisoning, but that wouldn't be my first guess. Sometimes kids will toss a penny into your aquarium and if the tank is small enough it will have a deleterious effect over time.

The first thing I'd do is put a POLY-FILTER into a high flow area and if you don't already, a bag of ChemiPure Elite too. Then, start getting a 20% water change ready (RO/DI, temp, salinity) for tomorrow. If you have something like BIO-Spira or Fritz Zyme 9 (these two are very good, no clue about others) I'd add a 1/4 dose to compensate for any bacteria that may be getting exported in the water changes. I'd also take that opportunity to change out the mechanical filtration.

The key is not to panic. If you think it's this sand, take it out. Look very closely at the sand bed for things that may have gotten into the tank (coins, etc). Were there any household cleaners used in the room like Lysol or an air freshener?

Just some ideas... hope it works out.

 

[Cdodge1]

It really could be many things, or nothing. I don't know what you have in your aquarium, so I couldn't venture an educated guess, but when some types of corals are stressed or dying they let off chemicals into the water. Some are irritants while others can be toxic. It could be heavy metal poisoning, but that wouldn't be my first guess. Sometimes kids will toss a penny into your aquarium and if the tank is small enough it will have a deleterious effect over time.

The first thing I'd do is put a POLY-FILTER into a high flow area and if you don't already, a bag of ChemiPure Elite too. Then, start getting a 20% water change ready (RO/DI, temp, salinity) for tomorrow. If you have something like BIO-Spira or Fritz Zyme 9 (these two are very good, no clue about others) I'd add a 1/4 dose to compensate for any bacteria that may be getting exported in the water changes. I'd also take that opportunity to change out the mechanical filtration.

The key is not to panic. If you think it's this sand, take it out. Look very closely at the sand bed for things that may have gotten into the tank (coins, etc). Were there any household cleaners used in the room like Lysol or an air freshener?

Just some ideas... hope it works out.

+1, listen to this guy. He knows what he's talking about.

 

[justthewife]

What are all the inhabitants in the tank just out of curiosity?

 

[CoralBeauty13]

Ok here goes.

1-blue hippo
2 yellow tang
4 cardinals
1 wrasse
1 coral beauty
1 scooter blenny
3 clowns
4 chromis
1 6 head frods spawn
2 flower pots
1 large colt,(splittng weird, looks damaged, onlt last two days)
1 fiji leather
1 devils finger leather
1 lrg, toadstool (14" X12") still healthy
a few zoas
1 ducan
3 different mushrooms
a few snails
a few hermits
4 turbo snail
3 reg.snail
pod of xenias
they are in a 180gl. large skimmer that has been working over time in the last few days. (????)
I don't feed differently than any other week, that is why I'm so confused as to what is happening. Like said, The only change was the sand....when thinking about it, I had a bad feeling when putting it in...should have listen to my gut. Can't say that is what it is, but thats the only different thing I've done lately. There are no kids on the house, nor have any ventured in in the last few weeks. Could any shinny like material in the sand mean anything....I did see a few shinny particals when putting it in there.

 

[justthewife]

Hmmm, nothing in there seems unusual or overly toxic as far as inhabitants. I would also definitely listen to Maxxumless.

 

[Maxxumless]

You really cannot appreciate the amount of life in a tank until you start counting and naming them

Off the top of my head, and I may be wrong or over-base....

Are the leathers or toadstool near the colt? Can you take a photo tomorrow morning (before your daily duties begin). Soft corals can let go of some types of toxins that are specifically harmful to LPS and SPS. I'll have to dig up one of my old textbooks to find out which (don't trust google ) or maybe someone else can chime in.

Is the colt on the rockwork? Perhaps phosphates are causing this. Just spitballing here If you would QT that colt it would remove it from the equation, which would be great. If it was the colt ChemiPure would remove the toxins (if they are in fact strong enough, which I cannot remember) within 24hrs.

In this hobby, always listen to your gut and ignore the impulses!

 

[triggreef]

Sometimes xenias & colts do this before they explode into more. Also leathers sometimes get glossy or slough off some tissue when they grow. The issue with the one head of frogspawn could be completely unrelated. Anything near it that could have stung it?

 

[Cymonous]

Sand should not have anything "shiny". I would definitely get the sand out and do what Maxxum suggested.

 

[justthewife]

Those pictures look pretty! I use the Chemi Pure Elite in my tank as recommended by Cymonous a long while back. I have used it ever since in a high flow area in my sump. Works great!

 

[Salty Dog24]

You said earlier, "I'm not sure of the sand, it was in a bin and scooped out". That would make me nervous about using sand from a bin that is exposed like that. Get the chemipure, remove the sand, then breathe.

 

[Sk8r]

THe sand statement makes me nervous too. Get some Polyfilter, run it and see if it turns any color but brown (organics) ---it's great for diagnosing a metal contaminant, and it also removes same from the system. Meanwhile run carbon, do some water changes and check for stray voltage---ask your lfs for a tester. Heaters are a PITA about this.

 

[jdthomas24]

to be honest, i wasn't going to chime in because everyone has done a great job....... For me, i would remove sand as stated. The addition could have started a chain reaction with the softies....The sand may be nothing...but removing it from the equation will not result in quick fixes.
We really need to know the Cal, ALk, and possible MAg levels but mag isnt as important as the other 2.
You could have leached out ALK, or Calcium from the new sand, If could have sucked up ALk, some dry rocks from some areas tend to do that.

Lets say you had an ALK drop, rapid... the Calcium can become unbalanced in relation to the ALK. The ALK could be high, throwing the Calcium low... Its a seesaw affect. one up and one down....Mag kept at a proper level will help challenge this rule.

Now from my personal experience. I have had a ALK drop in the past when the tank was new and softies didn't care but everything else did. I have had the exact reverse with a spike,,,, everything hated it.

So remove the sand,, do a water change.......2 days later... another water change.....2 days later another water change...This will do 2 things... help balance the ALK, Calcium, and mag levels.... help to remove an toxins in the water... As you do this... run the ChemPure in a sock from the return. Results will not be quick but you will see some positive patterns forming in the tank.