Acropora Death

[LVReefer94]

Can anybody tell me why is it that when my tank get really dirty and I scrub the glass off and blow off the rocks my acro frags die every single time. The frags will look great the entire time until I clean the tank... This very turbid water the cleaning creates clearly ticks them off to the point of death but why???

 

[PeterC99]

Can anybody tell me why is it that when my tank get really dirty and I scrub the glass off and blow off the rocks my acro frags die every single time. The frags will look great the entire time until I clean the tank... This very turbid water the cleaning creates clearly ticks them off to the point of death but why???

Very strange. What would happen if you cleaned the glass everyday with little dirt coming off the glass each time?

 

[LVReefer94]

Very strange. What would happen if you cleaned the glass everyday with little dirt coming off the glass each time?

Its very strange, everything is great till i scrub off all nasty algae and coraline algae. All the corals close up everytime but my acros just go up in smoke...

 

[dedragon]

weird is right, i have dropped acros in the sand and they are fine still. What are you using to clean the glass and blow off the rocks? Could also be lotion or some other residue on your hands but it is still super weird

 

[VegasReefer]

You might need to test your water before and after your cleaning routine. Particular nitrates and phosphates. If that doesn't show anything, it could be a bacterial thing. As you clean, its kicking up bacteria, which then settles on the coral. It definitely sounds like something is getting released as you do this.

 

[lemonade]

Coralline can cause a drop in alkalinity depending on how much and how fast it’s growing. If you scrape a bunch off at a time it could cause your KH to go up. Just something to look into.

 

[ScottB]

A while back, I had let one of my smaller tanks (just LPS and fish) get rather mucky. The usual algae, detritus, coralline, but also some chrysophyte like stuff that looks like dinos but it is not. Sometimes called "golden algae".

Anyway, I finally got to work with a scraper cleaning the sides and bottom of a 40 breeder. I turned off the circulation so I could vacuum out all the crude into a sock in the sump. The fish were hiding. LPS pretty annoyed. This took about 20-30 minutes or so and then turned circulation back on.

Come to realize then that my fish weren't hiding. They were all dead bar one small tomini tang.

Somehow, stirring up all that muck either:
a) Consumed all the oxygen very quickly
b) Released some kind of serious toxin
c) Somehow that level of turbidity suffocated the fish.
d) All above or other

In a "normal" state, those fish could last hours without circulation.

It is an imperfect comparable to your situation, but it has changed my risk assessment protocol for sure.

 

[Rohirrimus]

Can anybody tell me why is it that when my tank get really dirty and I scrub the glass off and blow off the rocks my acro frags die every single time. The frags will look great the entire time until I clean the tank... This very turbid water the cleaning creates clearly ticks them off to the point of death but why???

It depends what algae or bacteria it is. When you clear it from the glass it releases it all in the water. Your small frags night not be able to fight off whatever is trying to attach onto them. Best bet is to look at the algae sample under the microscope

 

[LVReefer94]

It depends what algae or bacteria it is. When you clear it from the glass it releases it all in the water. Your small frags night not be able to fight off whatever is trying to attach onto them. Best bet is to look at the algae sample under the microscope

A bunch of research actually determined that the brightwell coral amino acid has a carbon source in it that feeds bad bacteria. Soon as the coral amino acid got thrown in the trash all issues stopped. That stuff is 100% garbage in my honest opinion.

 

[Dburr1014]

I use a turkey baster blow the rocks, blow all of the sand around trying to clean it, scrap the glass. Nothing happens, sometimes I get better polyp extension right after. I do leave all pumps on.

Very strange op.

 

[LVReefer94]

I use a turkey baster blow the rocks, blow all of the sand around trying to clean it, scrap the glass. Nothing happens, sometimes I get better polyp extension right after. I do leave all pumps on.

Very strange op.

Well with use of microscopes and studying bacterias after a friend on the other side of the country having the same exact issue it was the brightwell coral amino feeding a bad bacteria that colonized on the glass. Many people don’t understand that amino acids is carbon dosing, no if’s and’s or’s but’s about about it.

 

[LVReefer94]

And let me be clear, the brightwell coral amino is not at total fault. The bacteria got in there from purchasing frags from an non trust worthy source but that bacteria is feed the highest from a component in the coral amino acid. All amino’s are not equal at all so for me i can not use coral amino ever again. Acropower in the same tank did not feed the bacteria and they slowly fizzled away as a different species took back over the tank and allowed the tank to thrive.

 

[Dburr1014]

And let me be clear, the brightwell coral amino is not at total fault. The bacteria got in there from purchasing frags from an non trust worthy source but that bacteria is feed the highest from a component in the coral amino acid. All amino’s are not equal at all so for me i can not use coral amino ever again. Acropower in the same tank did not feed the bacteria and they slowly fizzled away as a different species took back over the tank and allowed the tank to thrive.

Glad to hear it's all sorted out.
I didn't realize this was an old thread until now.

 

[LVReefer94]

Glad to hear it's all sorted out.
I didn't realize this was an old thread until now.

Over a year old lol

 

[njreefkeeper]

A bunch of research actually determined that the brightwell coral amino acid has a carbon source in it that feeds bad bacteria. Soon as the coral amino acid got thrown in the trash all issues stopped. That stuff is 100% garbage in my honest opinion.

This is the first I’m hearing this. Is there vinegar, vodka or sugar added to the product? If not, I can’t see how a protein based building block like amino acids would serve as a carbon source.

 

[LVReefer94]

And this is where people get it twisted, carbon sources are not just the VSV’s that were use to… people do not do there own research at all and just trust what is said and i believe you’re trying to read deeper into this that what it is. The amino is not to blame as the bacteria came from somewhere and this type of carbon source feed it cause it to rapidly grow but here you go… The internet is an amazing tool…

 

[J1a]

A bunch of research actually determined that the brightwell coral amino acid has a carbon source in it that feeds bad bacteria. Soon as the coral amino acid got thrown in the trash all issues stopped. That stuff is 100% garbage in my honest opinion.

I have not used brightwell amino before. If there are research which shows a certain carbon sources feeds bad bacteria, it would be interesting to read: what are the "bad" bacteria in question, how did they know be amino acid feeds it (and other brands don't).

For all you know, it could just be a dosage issue.

 

[njreefkeeper]

And this is where people get it twisted, carbon sources are not just the VSV’s that were use to… people do not do there own research at all and just trust what is said and i believe you’re trying to read deeper into this that what it is. The amino is not to blame as the bacteria came from somewhere and this type of carbon source feed it cause it to rapidly grow but here you go… The internet is an amazing tool…

I think you’re taking a defensive stance where it’s not necessary. By that rationale, every protein based food we add to our tanks to feed our fish is a carbon source. It’s the most abundant element on earth.

The question is, does it turbo charge bacteria like VSV or any combination thereof...and I don’t believe any reputable research is there to say that it does. WWC adds Brightwell awning this to their homemade fish food that’s fed daily...every hour on the hour. If it truly multiplies bad bacteria (which are not documented/named) surely they’d have witnessed this by now.