About to throw in the towel...

[150 Gallon Reef]

I have an IM 100 reef tank with reefbreeders photon v2 with 2 supplemental led strips, which I have not adjusted In many months. The tank is an upgrade from a 60 gallon. Moved over all the rock from the previous setup so it cycled in no time and began to flourish within months.

I first noticed some of my zoas closing up and eventually melting but the majority of them were fine.
For a few weeks now I have been battling issues with sps starting to lose color, then STN. It has been getting worse as of lately. Most of my sps are doing great, but it seems like one by one they are starting to lose PE then STN. I even had one acro randomly RTN overnight on me.

Recently a few of my favias began to lose tissue and a cyphastrea would lose polyp extension then start to bleach.

I am at my end with trying to figure out what is going on. I have run carbon, done a water change, testing, everything! I even had a sample sent out for an icp test which I will attach to the post. My levels are as follows

Po4- .05-.08 hanna
Nitrate- 16 red sea
Alk- 8.4 red sea
Mag- 1440 red sea
Calcium 440 red sea
S/g- 1.025 refractometer

I dose acro power once a week and finished vibrant treatment a little over a month ago. All corals looked great during the vibrant treatment so I'm thinking that is not the factor. I have searched diligently for pest but the issue is affecting lps too so that eliminated red/black bugs.

I also notice alot of the sps that end up dying start to lose color at the base and work their way up to the top. The tissue looks a bit streaky if that makes sense. My one acro is losing tissue where the polyps come out of. Could it be bacterial?

 

[150 Gallon Reef]

Cyphastrea

 

[jmichaelh7]

Nitrates at 16?

your salinity is measured how? I had an experience where my salinity Refractometer was 1.026 when I had my trident reflecting 1.019

 

[TheDragonsReef]

I would assume it's bacterial at that point. Either that or a parameter swung really quick and you didn't catch it. But as everything is right now the water quality should be fine.

How long has the tank been up for since the upgrade?

Were any changes at all made a week or two prior to when you noticed a change, maybe you switch salts or added a different food, changed the lights, etc?

 

[150 Gallon Reef]

Nitrates at 16?

your salinity is measured how? I had an experience where my salinity Refractometer was 1.026 when I had my trident reflecting 1.019

Yes, does that seem high? I've always read that 16 isn't a bad reading. I would think my sps would be brown at that point also if the nitrates were the issue.

I would assume it's bacterial at that point. Either that or a parameter swung really quick and you didn't catch it. But as everything is right now the water quality should be fine.

How long has the tank been up for since the upgrade?

Were any changes at all made a week or two prior to when you noticed a change, maybe you switch salts or added a different food, changed the lights, etc?

The tank has been up for 7 months since the upgrade and all the corals were doing great up until the 6th month mark. I haven't done any major changes to the tank of of late. I did change add lrs food to the mix of mysis but that was the most of it. Salt has been the same since the beginning. Is there anything I can do for bacterial infections?

 

[Philly Reefer]

Have you check for stray voltage?
I think I lost my LPS(candy cane, favia, and chalice) due to stray voltage.
I do not feel it if I put my hand in. But tested it with multimeter and it showed 60v.
Now I have a grounding probe and I have 1 favia seems to be coming back.

 

[speedstar]

What were you using the vibrant treatment for? I can't say it was the vibrant but I experienced some STN and bleeching when using it.

 

[speedstar]

Actually after using it, as the parameters swung too much I assume.

Also reading your other threads "
I do not do frequent water changed due to low nutrient level struggles after the WC. I dose brs 2 part with a doser. I was wondering if it is an amino issue since water changes are not done much?

I finished up 5 weeks of vibrant treatment about 3 weeks ago and now just treated chemiclean to take care of a slight cyano issue following vibrant."

You need to get back to basics, quit dosing the quick fix and I do not understand your fear of routine water changes with your numbers especially after dosing vibrant and chemi clean. They are well more dangerous to bottom you out that water changes. Your numbers are nowhere near low, I would say your lacking trace elements of some sort from not doing WC.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

My bet is on stray voltage or a toxin. Time for an ATI water test. It also does the ro/di. Good luck.

 

[DucatiGtr]

I bet it was the vibrant.. wait it out and don’t chase numbers...

 

[Tiki Reef Joshua]

Man. I’ve said it a bunch. The long term success stories I’ve seen in real life do consistent water changes and don’t “dose” things like vibrant. I dunno man. This sucks you can’t figure it out. I hope you do.

 

[150 Gallon Reef]

What were you using the vibrant treatment for? I can't say it was the vibrant but I experienced some STN and bleeching when using it.

I was using it for some turf and bubble algae that I couldn't seem to get rid of.

Actually after using it, as the parameters swung too much I assume.

Also reading your other threads "
I do not do frequent water changed due to low nutrient level struggles after the WC. I dose brs 2 part with a doser. I was wondering if it is an amino issue since water changes are not done much?

I finished up 5 weeks of vibrant treatment about 3 weeks ago and now just treated chemiclean to take care of a slight cyano issue following vibrant."

You need to get back to basics, quit dosing the quick fix and I do not understand your fear of routine water changes with your numbers especially after dosing vibrant and chemi clean. They are well more dangerous to bottom you out that water changes. Your numbers are nowhere near low, I would say your lacking trace elements of some sort from not doing WC.

When I do water changes, my phosphates bottom out at 0 and my nitrates get below 2. I then get dinos almost every time. To be honest, I noticed the corals got worse after my most recent WC 2 weeks ago

 

[TheDragonsReef]

If your nutrients are dipping that low your right to not do water changes but you definitely need to do one after ever chemiclean treatment

As for fighting a bacterial problem you can sterilize by adding an appropriate sized uv light, eradicate by dipping affected coral and add competing Bacteria like Dr Tim's eco balance, wasteaway, and refresh.

Next time an sps starts stn or rtn try to scrap a tissue sample and check it out under a microscope. That will be able to tell you for sure

 

[davidcalgary29]

Nitrates at 16?

your salinity is measured how? I had an experience where my salinity Refractometer was 1.026 when I had my trident reflecting 1.019

And I keep talking about the fact that I achieved hypersalinity at 45ppt using the wrong refractometer! I really did do that, though, and it fried everything but my macro, a hermit crab, and one cerith snail.

 

[lucky7]

Betting on the vibrant being the issue , that stuff is the devil

 

[ReefLaw]

Agree with vibrant. It killed multiple corals on my tank. Stop it asap

 

[Jeff Jarry reef]

I bet it was the vibrant.. wait it out and don’t chase numbers...

Doesn't vibrant drive nutrients down fast ? Just wondering I used it one time and I noticed Phosphates was down to 0 like really fast.

 

[150 Gallon Reef]

If your nutrients are dipping that low your right to not do water changes but you definitely need to do one after ever chemiclean treatment

As for fighting a bacterial problem you can sterilize by adding an appropriate sized uv light, eradicate by dipping affected coral and add competing Bacteria like Dr Tim's eco balance, wasteaway, and refresh.

Next time an sps starts stn or rtn try to scrap a tissue sample and check it out under a microscope. That will be able to tell you for sure

I will do a 10 percent WC tomorrow and dose phosphate to bring my levels up from 0 after the change.

Agree with vibrant. It killed multiple corals on my tank. Stop it asap

Vibrant hasn't been used in over a month. Won't be using that again if it is the culprit.

And I keep talking about the fact that I achieved hypersalinity at 45ppt using the wrong refractometer! I really did do that, though, and it fried everything but my macro, a hermit crab, and one cerith snail.

I will grab a new bottle of calibration fluid tomorrow to double check my refractometer is properly calibrated too

 

[150 Gallon Reef]

Does running carbon also help get rid of traces of vibrant and chemiclean? I ran carbon for about 2 weeks in a low flow phosban reactor after the 2 day chemiclean treatment

 

[saltybees]

Does running carbon also help get rid of traces of vibrant and chemiclean? I ran carbon for about 2 weeks in a low flow phosban reactor after the 2 day chemiclean treatment

Wc is the only thing that will really get rid of chemiclean, vibrant will dissipate after a week if you were following the appropriate dosage for it, it’s essentially a bacteria that doesn’t multiply and vinegar