Before Christmas my 500l sps dominant reef was thriving, colines growing great colour everything looked happy !! 2 weeks later me corals look sad, no polyp extension, loss of colour stn on many colonies!! Even some months and chalices semi died off, some hermit crabs died over time !! So sent VIP test away and got the usual results Calcium and magnesium a bit low but nothing that would kill corals !! Nitrate and phosphate is 0 on a salifert test kit !!The only thing I can relate this to is my wife got strong scented candles from someone ( not me ) for Christmas and she burned one in the living room beside the tank with the door closed !! Would that cause corals to start stn over the next couple of weeks or am I just looking for something to blame !! Its all I can come up with !! Noel.....
Corals dying stn
- Thread starter Noel devlin
- Start date
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bakbay
Valuable Member
Completely agree - I used to have so many issues several years ago. I’ve over-engineered and nearly killed myself (and my corals) trying to get to zero NO3 and PO4. I ran a biodenitrator and overloaded the Phosban reactor (and carbon). Life is much more stable and happier with higher NO3 and PO4! I run a little higher than most folks with 25 NO3 (yes, not 2.5) and 0.17 PO4 but things are doing well so I stopped tinker with it!
Graemesreef
Active Member
Curious about the candles myself, wife bought a ton over the holidays and for some strange reason unknown to me lost a bill murray colony as well as two others. Cant remember the names of all these. Is bath and body works killing our coral?
I have always had 0 reading on nitrate and phosphate could never get them up so I just let them be !!!!
bakbay
Valuable Member
Perhaps you’re missing the point? Your corals do need some traces of NO3 and PO4 to build their zooxanthellae structures. If you’re low, perhaps dose some nitrates to bring them up or reduce your exports? For me, I overfeed my fish 5x / day. They are fat and can fertilize my tank with natural goodies.
Graemesreef
Active Member
All I can say is if I find out scented candles have negative effects on reef tanks the trash is gonna be a lot heavier tonight. I keep a pretty low nutrient system and have never had something like this happen.
bakbay
Valuable Member
Interested to see some tests conducted to show how this would affect water chemistry unless you’re directly pushing into the skimmer’s intake and/or next to the tank. My wife loves scented candles near the range and I’ve had zero issues to date. The reef tank is 15-20ft away though.
Get a Hanna ULR checker for phosphate. A Salifert test is fine for nitrates but trash for phosphates.
In the mean time feed more often. Add more fish. If nutrients are truly 0/0, you don't need to look any further.
(Okay, there are RARE exceptions where an SPS reef can run 0/0, but that involves massive amounts of fish, frequent feeding, and a bacteria routine.)
In the mean time feed more often. Add more fish. If nutrients are truly 0/0, you don't need to look any further.
(Okay, there are RARE exceptions where an SPS reef can run 0/0, but that involves massive amounts of fish, frequent feeding, and a bacteria routine.)
Graemesreef
Active Member
My wife is gonna love your reply, I think she was getting nervous lol. I was reading something about the toxins in the candles that could possibly have an affect on PH. Not sure anyone nailed it down though. Oh well her candles live to see another day.
thatmanMIKEson
Reefing ain't easy$
It's 100% proven, that's all you need load it up!!!
Graemesreef
Active Member
Is it ironic that these three colonies were all highest up and closest to the surface? Now that I think about it they would sometimes be exposed if I did a big enough change. Weird?
thatmanMIKEson
Reefing ain't easy$
I was joking lol did you already load up all her candles?
It could be anything, I always go on hunches though if you feel something possibly happened for a reason, it's the best place to start looking for possible issues.
bakbay
Valuable Member
All I’m saying is that we need to be data-driven and not let perceptions “cloud” our vision. There are way too many myths out there already and they can be detrimental to reefers, esp folks whom just started their first tank.
For the OP’s tank, I would agree with @JGT and others: start with water chemistry and go from there.
Graemesreef
Active Member
Was gonna use them as target practice just got a new 15 over the weekend. So the only changes were a maltese puppy, a Christmas tree, tons of smelly candles, and Santa of course. Im starting to think it was Santa. lolI was joking lol did you already load up all her candles?
It could be anything, I always go on hunches though if you feel something possibly happened for a reason, it's the best place to start looking for possible issues.
thatmanMIKEson
Reefing ain't easy$
As long as you say they were coming right for you, it's OK to shoot her candles!
Nice! Once you build a AR you'll never buy one again, only pieces
thatmanMIKEson
Reefing ain't easy$
Are they specific to this? Are they aquarium related?
bakbay
Valuable Member
I think that you can "smell" the sarcasm in this thread.
thatmanMIKEson
Reefing ain't easy$
I didn't, but I think I'm getting a wiff now! LoL!I think that you can "smell" the sarcasm in this thread.
