Another one bites the dust. Help!

corey.nolta · Mar 15, 2017

I have no idea what is going on with my tank this past week. I lost my coral beauty yesterday.
She was fat and healthy and showed no signs of stress. She seemed to have kicked the bucket literally overnight.
In the past two days I have also lost about a dozen snails and all of my corals are closed up and looking rough. I have two mini carpets that are also looking pretty crappy. Something is obviously going on in my tank.
I tested all my parameters and some are a little low, but nothing major. My tank has always run a little on the dirty side.
Salinity - 1.025
Temp - 78-79
ph - 8.07
dkh - 8
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - 10
calcium - 420
I didn't have enough regent to test for phosphate, so I guess that COULD be a problem, but I don't see that being the reason.

There has been no additions to the tank, or changes in the tank itself. No air freshener has been sprayed. I don't have kids that could have thrown something in the tank.

Water changes happen at least once a month at about 30-35%. Every water change I also change out the GFO in my reactor. I also run carbon, which get's changed out at water change as well. Filter socks are swapped out every other week or so ( I try to stay on better top of that and change more often, just doesn't happen).
What am I missing?! Help!

reef lover · Mar 15, 2017

If corals r looking bad as well and parameters r normal I would start looking for broken equipment...magnets, heaters pumps etc.

40B Knasty · Mar 15, 2017

First thing I thought of was check what tests your salinity. Sounds like it is to high and what I mean by to high is something is off and reading wrong. pH usually around 8.4 is about as high as you want to go. Don't know why that is the standard for the high, but anytime I look up what a fish is good for is 8.1-8.4

Smo · Mar 15, 2017

Have you checked for stray voltage?

ironman20725 · Mar 15, 2017

Magnesium?

corey.nolta · Mar 15, 2017

All equipment is working fine. Nothing seems to be broken or letting moisture in. Will be checking for stray voltage soon as I can find my meter. I double checked salinity. Still reading 1.025. Granted I use a hydrometer, but I have two different brands and both are giving me same reading (and yes I know this isn't the most accurate out there, but has never been wrong for me). I do not have any testing for magnesium and I'm pretty sure my local Petco doesn't carry anything to test it. Rest of my fish seem to be okay today, but coral is gradually looking worse. Some of my LPS is receding.
I do have a second separate tank up and running that is just coming down from it's ugly stage. It finished it's cycle maybe three weeks ago. Should I put the corals into that tank or would that just cause more stress?

Salty1962 · Mar 15, 2017

If you use magnets in your aquarium, I would check them to make sure there's no rust. This seems to be an issue with other tanks that have seen sudden livestock die.

chasekwe · Mar 15, 2017

Voltage or a contaminant are probably the most likely. Try switching out the heaters, and anything else you can with the other tank you just finished cycling?

Also, I'd check mag. I don't know for sure what super high mag levels can do on all levels but I do know it can kill snails which you've mentioned specifically.

corey.nolta · Mar 15, 2017

Swapping out equipment would be an all time last resort. I have everything tied into my apex and I am a complete neat freak when it comes to cords. I spent an entire weekend, after setting up my apex, organizing and hiding all the cords. For now I moved all of the corals that I could over to my second tank until I can figure out the problem. Was that a hasty decision? Maybe. If I lost more fish I'd be heartbroken. But if I lost fish AND the majority of my corals, I'd be devastated and probably leave the hobby. Not that I have a ton of coral, but the ones I do have all started from mini frags and are finally nice and full.

CarrieB · Mar 15, 2017

Maybe a large water change is in order?

don_chuwish · Mar 15, 2017

Get a big bag of carbon in there pronto. Can't hurt, might even help. Any of your corals or critters known to be capable of releasing toxins? And yes, water change. Maybe more than one.

Smo · Mar 16, 2017

Is anything else unaccounted for and perhaps died like a sea cucumber?

Rick.45cal · Mar 16, 2017

Since you've moved your corals to another system, triton test and see what it says.

I'd do what others have suggested and start systematically breaking down equipment and inspecting for corrosion or exposed magnets. Take the time to clean and spit shine everything as you go and by the time you get through all of it, you will have eliminated all of that stuff as potential problems. Your equipment will all have been serviced and inspected and it will be many less things to worry about.
Check for stray voltage etc.

corey.nolta · Mar 20, 2017

So I've made the decision to tear down the tank completely. I've been wanting to redo it anyways, this just pushed me to do so. Then I can inspect all the equipment and hopefully figure something out. I did check for stray current, and that was not the issue.
There are a few corals that I was not able to move over (kenya and some shrooms) that I have noticed now have black decaying spots on them.

My new question is....can I temporarily house 9 fish in the 55 gallon until I am able to sell them? One of my clowns is looking a little rough so I'd like to get them all out of the water asap. Or is this a bad idea that could contaminate the second tank with whatever is wrong with the first??? Help!