All Acroporas gone - Suddenly

[Mattrg02]

So, I have watched all but one acropora frag stn before a final rtn overnight. My montis and zoas are all fine. One PC Rainbow frag looks to be unaffected.

Here is what has recently changed:
1-Added an aquaclear filter for running carbon and added filtration.
2-Dosing phosphates, daily, trusting my Hanna phosphate meters zero reading to be accurate.
3-Raised alkalinity about 0.7dkh in one days time. Went from around 8 to 9.
4-Had my rbta stuck to mp10 foam guard for a day. No death, just upset looking.
5-Added some Prime when I thought the rbta was dead.
6-Let my dkh drop from 9-7.3 over several days time. (About 0.3dkh each day)
7-Recently cleaned my tank heater using vinegar and baking soda. Rodi was used to rinse the heater afterward. Temp dropped 2degrees over a few hours.

My tank is covered in brown film and the water is murky. I'm about to do a water change. Could this indicate that my phosphates may have been very high? Test kit shows 0 phosphates. Nitrates have been kept over 4ppm.

Lost $400 in frags in just a weeks time. Totally crushed.

 

[Humblefish]

Moved to SPS forum for more views.

Calling @Diesel the SPS guru.

 

[rlman41299]

I am sorry to hear Matt. Last time we communicated, I was the one having issues with my sps. My issue came from ALK swings because I just re installed my Calrx and the alk were swinging all over while I was doing my adjustments. So far now everything has been stable and everything started growing again.
Sorry for your loss man.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

That much STN that quickly could be caused by a parameter spike of some sort.

Did you lose a fish or big invert recently? Do you have a deep sand bed in the tank? Have you checked any equipment like heaters or dosers to make sure they aren't stuck in the on position?

Sorry for your loss, that's rough

 

[Mattrg02]

Here are my tank specs/parameters:

17g tank, bare bottom, live rocks
Temperature 77F
Calcium:460ppm
Magnesium:1450ppm
Nitrates: 4ppm or higher
Salinity: 1.026

The only things that "swung" were the alkalinity and temperature.

Alkalinity has been dropping lately rather than rising. I was manually dosing to keep it around 8.3dkh, had it go to 9dkh, and have been letting it fall into the 7's ever since.

Fish are fine, as are inverts. I need to get a second phosphates test to see if my Hanna is giving junk readings.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I would guess alk spike did it. I've got a Millie STNing from the base a week after mine spiked. Garf bonsai is very pale, hoping it pulls thru.

 

[Mattrg02]

What's worse, as far as alkalinity goes, going low or going high?

 

[Fishmanz]

Any rusty/ corroded metal/magnets in tank?

 

[george1381]

With only 17 gallons of water stuff will happen so fast. You need to be at the top of your game to take care of an SPS tank that small.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

What's worse, as far as alkalinity goes, going low or going high?

Going high is worse than going low, but swinging either dirrection is bad.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

With only 17 gallons of water stuff will happen so fast. You need to be at the top of your game to take care of an SPS tank that small.

That's why I'm switching to a 35 cube with about 50g water from a 14 peninsula with about 12g of water. Parameters are just too hard to keep on top of for SPS. LPS are doing great.

 

[george1381]

Oh believe me when I say I've wasted a ton of money on my small tank

 

[george1381]

When I started doing daily water changes that's when things finally stabilized for me

 

[Mattrg02]

I've only got an mp10 and the heater the tank. I guess both could rust, just less likely, no?

Im thinking alkalinity may be the culprit here. I was dosing manually morning and night to keep it around 8dkh and then tried to go higher to see if I could go a day without dosing. A few extra doses took it higher faster than I thought it would and wound up at 9dkh. The odd thing is, is that my acroporas weren't growing at all. The montiporas were growing some. Not sure what else could have been dropping the alkalinity so much each day.

 

[jsker]

Going high is worse than going low, but swinging either dirrection is bad.

+1

 

[Mattrg02]

I was going to add a doser, but my alkalinity consumption isn't consistent. Most days it'll drop about 0.2-0.3dkh. Other days it won't drop at all.

Looks like a doser will be needed to continue with acros, huh?

 

[tdileo]

I agree it was likely the alk swing. Sorry to hear about your losses, but it’s always a learning experience and hopefully you will be able to prevent it from happening ever again.

 

[Mattrg02]

What's hardest to accept is the obsessing over alkalinity that I've been doing for the past months. I was testing everything single dang day. Test, add some buffer. Test, add some buffer. I kept looking for a consistent pattern before I plunked down $200 on a solid doser. Some of the acros still have some flesh left, maybe they'll pull through? The PC rainbow is just sitting there as if nothing happened, over looking the mayhem down below, silently judging them all.

 

[Diesel]

Well, we all know that a balanced tank means long term success.
If ALK swings a bit it can upset the corals, not only SPS but if you do more changes in a short time you asking for trouble.
17 gal isn't much of a tank to keep SPS other if the tank is matured more than a year and can take a hiccup.
Hand dosing works only if you test before and after.
with a ALK spike to 9 and a Po4 reading of 0.0 not one SPS frag is doing the tango for you.
Many have been before you and yet many will go there again.
This forum has tons of these threads and plenty of info to not making these mistakes.
Let the tank calm down for a few months and do nothing than water changes every week and feed your fish.
You'll notice that every start looking better for you.
As far the dead SPS frags save them for a future calcium reactor.

 

[tripdad]

Do you have sand or are you bare bottomed? That looks weird in writing.....