Coral Dying Help ?!?!?!?!

[aquakj]

Hey guys so for about the last couple of days I’ve noticed my nepthea coral not doing well at all, today I’m noticing some bleaching I believe that’s what’s happening not to sure, but here are my tank parameters , the only thing is my alkalinity is low I’ve always had that issue but been dosing KH since I tested the tank and I’m actually in the process of setting up my dosing system, if you look at my previous threads you’ll also see I recently did a tank transfer and all that upgrading a lot of equipment and currently staying more on top of the tank and investing in it so I’m all in right now lol , and I know the salinity was also off in the tests but that’s has been fixed, and the coral looks this way even when the lights are on, I added a pic of what the coral use to look like a couple weeks ago Vs now so the question is what’s going on here lol ? I also know sometimes soft corals shed is that’s what’s going on here ?

 

[Oldreefer44]

So a few things: Yes alkalinity is low but that is assuming your testing is accurate. If you are near one I would suggest that you have an LFS verify your results. If not then I would suggest using a different brand just to compare.
To me, and it just may be the lighting, none of the larger pieces look all that healthy so suggest starting with verification of water parameters and going from there. In the mean time a large water change would probably a good idea.

 

[aquakj]

So a few things: Yes alkalinity is low but that is assuming your testing is accurate. If you are near one I would suggest that you have an LFS verify your results. If not then I would suggest using a different brand just to compare.
To me, and it just may be the lighting, none of the larger pieces look all that healthy so suggest starting with verification of water parameters and going from there. In the mean time a large water change would probably a good idea.

The testing was done at my LFS via spin touch FF and yes water change day is tomorrow as I do weekly water changes

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

is there any flow in the tank?

 

[Outlaw Corals]

What percent is your UV, whites and blues at ?

 

[aquakj]

is there any flow in the tank?

At the moment just my return pumps, my brand new Nero 5 came defected so just waiting for them to ship me a new one

 

[aquakj]

What percent is your UV, whites and blues at ?

Im running kessils A160 so it’s not accurate but I would say about 50% blues (color) and like %70-%80 white or in kessils case (intensity )

 

[twentyleagues]

if po4 is correct its to low. Fish?

 

[Kmst80]

Salinity is high what explains Mg being high. I would double check all those results, hard to believe kh is low with salinity being high. No phosphates is not good either but nitrates at 14...something is out of wack here too.

 

[aquakj]

if po4 is correct its to low. Fish?

Yea my LFS said it was to clean, to remove any phosphate removers or anything like that, which I don’t have , and yes I have 5 fish 1 blue tang, 4 Clowns 2 in display 2 in sump (holding for a friend ) 1 Melanrus wrasse, 1 fox face and 1 royal gamma

 

[aquakj]

Salinity is high what explains Mg being high. I would double check all those results, hard to believe kh is low with salinity being high. No phosphates is not good either but nitrates at 14...something is out of wack here too.

My KH has always been low for some reason, I recently retested alk again with the Hannah checker and it was 6.3, yea I’m not running anything other than a protein skimmer no carbon , no chemi pure nothing else extra

 

[aquakj]

A little more info I use reef Crystal as my salt mix and I also run a RODI buddy and make RO

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey guys so for about the last couple of days I’ve noticed my nepthea coral not doing well at all, today I’m noticing some bleaching I believe that’s what’s happening not to sure, but here are my tank parameters , the only thing is my alkalinity is low I’ve always had that issue but been dosing KH since I tested the tank and I’m actually in the process of setting up my dosing system, if you look at my previous threads you’ll also see I recently did a tank transfer and all that upgrading a lot of equipment and currently staying more on top of the tank and investing in it so I’m all in right now lol , and I know the salinity was also off in the tests but that’s has been fixed, and the coral looks this way even when the lights are on, I added a pic of what the coral use to look like a couple weeks ago Vs now so the question is what’s going on here lol ? I also know sometimes soft corals shed is that’s what’s going on here ?

Alk wont have much impact on them however high salinity and Mag will as well as temperature and ph
These gutys do best in area of moderate 0medium light and medium water flow. Adding a little manganese and iron and even lugols iodine perks them up.
Give it gentle blasts with a turkey baster and direct flow towards them - Not at them and you should see change.
If adding Mag- Stop for at least two weeks

 

[twentyleagues]

A little more info I use reef Crystal as my salt mix and I also run a RODI buddy and make RO

oh wow! I think your test is probably not correct with alk then. If your salinity was 1.028 alk should no way be 6.2 with reef crystals. A fresh batch at 1.026 usually comes in at high 9s. When I tested my last fresh mix batch I got 9.8dkh alk, 460 calc, and 1400 something mag, cross ref with my lfs my tests were pretty on point with theirs my salinity was a little off from theirs 1.027. Im not sure who to trust on that I am using a cheap brs refractometer but I have a really old lab grade one I use too. You are doing weekly w/c how much? Maybe cut back on wc schedule.

 

[aquakj]

oh wow! I think your test is probably not correct with alk then. If your salinity was 1.028 alk should no way be 6.2 with reef crystals. A fresh batch at 1.026 usually comes in at high 9s. When I tested my last fresh mix batch I got 9.8dkh alk, 460 calc, and 1400 something mag, cross ref with my lfs my tests were pretty on point with theirs my salinity was a little off from theirs 1.027. Im not sure who to trust on that I am using a cheap brs refractometer but I have a really old lab grade one I use too. You are doing weekly w/c how much? Maybe cut back on wc schedule.

Yea I’m not sure I see everyone saying something might be off so maybe. I should test elsewhere for alk recently I did test with the Hannah and came out at 6.3, I do about 20 gallons, I try once a week is my goal but often it does routinely become every 2 weeks

 

[Troylee]

oh wow! I think your test is probably not correct with alk then. If your salinity was 1.028 alk should no way be 6.2 with reef crystals. A fresh batch at 1.026 usually comes in at high 9s. When I tested my last fresh mix batch I got 9.8dkh alk, 460 calc, and 1400 something mag, cross ref with my lfs my tests were pretty on point with theirs my salinity was a little off from theirs 1.027. Im not sure who to trust on that I am using a cheap brs refractometer but I have a really old lab grade one I use too. You are doing weekly w/c how much? Maybe cut back on wc schedule.

This! Reef crystals is very high in alk.. I can’t keep mine below 10 if I change a lot of water lol.. I’d try a different test.. if you’re at 1.028 it should be super high..

 

[twentyleagues]

I have a few hannah testers but I use the dreaded api also. Api alk test is much faster for me to do then hannah not quite as accurate. Starts changing colors at 9 drops but goes way to dark at 10 so its 9ish versus 3 minutes hannah to tell me basically the same thing but says 9.4 or whatever im not that worried about it.

 

[aquakj]

I have a few hannah testers but I use the dreaded api also. Api alk test is much faster for me to do then hannah not quite as accurate. Starts changing colors at 9 drops but goes way to dark at 10 so its 9ish versus 3 minutes hannah to tell me basically the same thing but says 9.4 or whatever im not that worried about it.

I May have an API somewhere I can test with both and see if there’s a difference

 

[twentyleagues]

hannah is finicky with how clean the cuvettes are also. big pain in the butt. Ive been rinsing them all api and hannah in ro/di water and storing them in a container of rodi as ive seen that as an option to keep them clean.

 

[aquakj]

hannah is finicky with how clean the cuvettes are also. big pain in the butt. Ive been rinsing them all api and hannah in ro/di water and storing them in a container of rodi as ive seen that as an option to keep them clean.

API turned yellow at 6 drops
Hannah read : 6.6