Declining coral health

[mcgdz86]

Let me start with my tank. It's a 29g biocube that's been running about 3 months. Almost 30lbs of live rock and 20lbs live sand. I run an aquatic life mini skimmer, kessil a160we lighting, small inTank fuge, chemi-pure and purigen filtration, stock return pump and Koralia 425.

Tank parameters
Temp 77
SG 1.023
PH 8
Amm 0
Trite 0
Trate 10
Phos 0
DKH 9
Cal 380
MG 1200+

Ive got an issue with a few of my corals that aren't doing so hot. My LFS wasn't able to help me much, except to say that it doesn't make much sense based on my water parameters.

I have one monitpora frag that has slowly and steadily been declining and turning more and more brown. My only thought is that it wasn't getting enough light, as I was running my kessil on acclimation mode because I kept buying new corals. I was told it could be phosphates but i have never had a phosphate reading.

The coral in the worst shape is my pink ****** chalice. This coral was a beautiful purple/pink with three green eyes. I started it off middle tank low flow, moved it to higher with moderate flow, and now it's sitting on the very bottom. It has been going downhill for a long time, at first the colors held and the tissue just started receding. Over the last week though it's lost all color and is a horrible brown/white now and I can't even tell where the eyes were

This last coral has just barely taken a turn for the worse. As little as 4 days ago my Acan looked fine. Middle tank low flow. But over the weekend it has started to recede on its self exposing more of the skeleton. I've moved it to a higher and moderate flow area.

I also have about 10 other corals that are doing fine. If anyone has any advice or recommendations I'd love to hear. Thanks

 

[twilliard]

I think I am seeing malnutrition in the corals.
I would look into what you are feeding

 

[Desmond]

Do you use any foods for your corals ?
I use phytoplankton sometimes and decapsulated brine shrimp eggs as well as some aditives from Aquaforest which helps allot.
How often do you change your water ?

 

[Tab28]

I feed my corals 3x a week. Various dried and frozen. Tank pumps off for 1/2 hour. I also use aminos 3-4x a week. Water changes 1/4 tank amount every 2 weeks.

 

[Desmond]

The only thing i can think of is if your P04 is low at zero. From my understanding you should have a small amount.Otherwise corals can decline. I think they need a trace amount to thrive. Maybe someone else can help you better.

 

[twilliard]

No3 and po4 is something that should be at least detectable
Also food that are fed should be in a wide micron range (LRS or Rods is a good example)

 

[Bighead]

try raising your calcium a bit

 

[Elysium]

With the skimmer, Chemi-pure and the purigen I think you are stripping out too many nutrients. I'd take out the purigen, bump calcium to 400-420, and magnesium to 1300+.

Also do an equipment check as well. Cracked heaters, rusting magnets, etc.

I had similar declines due to a rusting magnet on a frag rack.

 

[mcgdz86]

I think I am seeing malnutrition in the corals.
I would look into what you are feeding

I target feed the LPS/SPS once a week with reef roids. My LFS said that was enough as they would get plenty of nutrients from light and also from the remains of what I feed the fish (alternate brine shrimp, veggie flakes, and mysis shrimp). I did have some kind of phytoplankton mixture that was mixed with the brine shrimp but I stopped getting that as I felt like it all went straight to the skimmer. I would be willing to try new foods/feed my corals more often is this might help?

 

[mcgdz86]

Do you use any foods for your corals ?
I use phytoplankton sometimes and decapsulated brine shrimp eggs as well as some aditives from Aquaforest which helps allot.
How often do you change your water ?

I do a 20% water change once a week... Although the last two weeks I've done a 40% because of the increase of nitrates. My nitrates have been 0 this whole time until 2 weeks ago I got a reading of 5 and yesterday I got a reading of 10 even after doing a 40% change the week before

 

[mcgdz86]

With the skimmer, Chemi-pure and the purigen I think you are stripping out too many nutrients. I'd take out the purigen, bump calcium to 400-420, and magnesium to 1300+.

Also do an equipment check as well. Cracked heaters, rusting magnets, etc.

I had similar declines due to a rusting magnet on a frag rack.

My tank is too clean?? So yesterday I went to the LFS about this... His only suggestion was that I may have phosphate being absorbed but I'm not getting a reading on it because the corals and algae are absorbing it too quickly??? Either way he had me add a seachem phosguard.... Which if your right is gonna strip the tank even more. I have heard that the chalices do better in "dirty" water but for tank health as a whole dont I want to keep all that stuff at 0?

As far as raising Cal and MG I was hoping to avoid dosing until I really saw the levels start dipping. It's just one more dang thing to worry about... Although I'm more than willing to do it when needed. My levels are just slightly on the lower side but still acceptable right? Could they really be affecting the health of these corals?

 

[Elysium]

I do a 20% water change once a week... Although the last two weeks I've done a 40% because of the increase of nitrates. My nitrates have been 0 this whole time until 2 weeks ago I got a reading of 5 and yesterday I got a reading of 10 even after doing a 40% change the week before

That's a lot of water being swapped out causing swings that might stress the corals even more. 10ppm of nitrates isn't terrible. Smaller changes of 10% will be better. What do you use for salt mix? Did you just start using a new batch?

The nitrates are coming from somewhere. Maybe cut down on the amount of feeding. All freeze-dried or dry foods?

My tank is too clean?? So yesterday I went to the LFS about this... His only suggestion was that I may have phosphate being absorbed but I'm not getting a reading on it because the corals and algae are absorbing it too quickly??? Either way he had me add a seachem phosguard.... Which if your right is gonna strip the tank even more. I have heard that the chalices do better in "dirty" water but for tank health as a whole dont I want to keep all that stuff at 0?

As far as raising Cal and MG I was hoping to avoid dosing until I really saw the levels start dipping. It's just one more **** thing to worry about... Although I'm more than willing to do it when needed. My levels are just slightly on the lower side but still acceptable right? Could they really be affecting the health of these corals?

You're close on Ca and Mg, and the adjustments are just meant to get things back towards the "optimal" range in order to remove those parameters as a possible culprit.

Looking at your parameters again you SpG is a little low at 1.023. You'll want to get that back to 1.026.

If the water is super clean, you may want to allow your Alk to drop to 8dKH. While you are not in the ULNS range, higher Alk in clean systems can be problematic. Again not a drastic change, but it is pushing things back to the middle of the road.

Regarding the zero phosphates they can be getting absorbed by algae and corals therefore not registering on a test kit. Do you have algae problems in the tank? If not, then the water is already pretty clean and the phosguard is likely not needed.

 

[mcgdz86]

That's a lot of water being swapped out causing swings that might stress the corals even more. 10ppm of nitrates isn't terrible. Smaller changes of 10% will be better. What do you use for salt mix? Did you just start using a new batch?

The nitrates are coming from somewhere. Maybe cut down on the amount of feeding. All freeze-dried or dry foods?



You're close on Ca and Mg, and the adjustments are just meant to get things back towards the "optimal" range in order to remove those parameters as a possible culprit.

Looking at your parameters again you SpG is a little low at 1.023. You'll want to get that back to 1.026.

If the water is super clean, you may want to allow your Alk to drop to 8dKH. While you are not in the ULNS range, higher Alk in clean systems can be problematic. Again not a drastic change, but it is pushing things back to the middle of the road.

Regarding the zero phosphates they can be getting absorbed by algae and corals therefore not registering on a test kit. Do you have algae problems in the tank? If not, then the water is already pretty clean and the phosguard is likely not needed.

All good info thanks.

I just use the premade salt water from the LFS. They recommended once I have more stock in my tank that I start using instant ocean reef crystals and mixing my own. Yeah maybe the 40% water changes were probably overkill... I just freaked out because all of a sudden the nitrates went up and at the same time the corals started to rapidly decline. Water change is always the answer right? Lol

So as far as nitrates I did have a twin spot goby who buried itself under a rock and died so that can't help. Also I do probably over feed I'll work to get that in check. That's why I stopped using the brine/phytoplankton combo cuz I felt like the corals weren't even getting any of it. I use high quality Frozen mysis cubes, live brine, veggie flakes, and then the reef roids.

I can start looking into dosing it's just another thing I have to learn and researching and I was trying to put it off as long as possible. I've had a freshwater and brackish puffer tank for about a year but this is my first reef tank so I'm still learning.

I did address the salinity issue... The last water change I did I used slightly higher salinity to raise it up a little bit. I also have my ATO filled with lower salinity salt to help raise it.

I did notice an algae bloom also.... I had cyano in the fuge part of the cube and also i noticed a fresh crop of green/brown spreading on the rocks in the display tank. I picked up some more snails yesterday to start chomping away at it

 

[Desmond]

I would not be too concerned with n03 of 5 at all. Large water changes can also upset corals I have found. It's better to have bad stable figures than constantly changing ones. Over feeding can cause a raise in n03. Good point also made above about an equipment check and to remove purigen

 

[mcgdz86]

I would not be too concerned with n03 of 5 at all. Large water changes can also upset corals I have found. It's better to have bad stable figures than constantly changing ones. Over feeding can cause a raise in n03. Good point also made above about an equipment check and to remove purigen

Well even after doing that 40% change yesterday... I woke up this morning to check my no3 and it's still at 10. Pretty weird but I guess I won't worry about it unless it gets worse.

 

[Desmond]

Stability is key more than anything else.As said i would increase your SG to 1.025 or 1.026. feed a little less and try only changing 10 % per week. Also i would make your own water as soon as possible as you have more control what level it is before adding to your tank.I would advise using something to raise you CA up a bit as suggested as it will help .

 

[Desmond]

For example asuplement like this would work for you. There are many different brands its just an example.
http://aquaforest.eu/en/product/calcium/