This is a friend of mines tank that I have been trying to help figure out the mystery for the last 2 months.
It is a 40 gal breeder w/ 40 gallon sump, Protein skimmer, chinese black box led and refugium w/ chaeto. The tank was running fine for about 2 months all zoas, palys, hammers, mushrooms, acans and other corals were as happy as can be. All parameters are stable, alk, cal, mag, sg are all perfect. No excess phosphates or nitrates.
One day he added a new fish that got pop eye after about a week in the tank. He went to our LFS and they recommended Fritz Mardel Bactersheild. He put in the recommended dose and almost instantly his corals all started closing up. On the box it says reef safe and that corals will be fine. He waited about a week to do the first 10 gal water change but I guess you are supposed to do a water change the next day? I've been looking everywhere online and can't find any info on this stuff.
Anyways, corals still don't open after first 10 gallon WC. We took all the corals out dipped them and put them in another tank for a few weeks and they still wouldn't open in the other tank. Slowly after about a month or so only some started to barely open in the other tank. We proceeded to do weekly 20 gallon WC with red sea coral pro saltwater for 4 weeks (The tds from the rodi is 0) During this he was running either chemi pure elite or activated carbon and changing it every few days.
The last WC we did was last week. Checked for stray current a few times during the last two months and there is none. We even tried to put some happy corals from the other tank into the death tank, unplugged anything electric going into the tank, left it all off for hours and everything still was shriveled up dying. Looked to make sure no pumps were rusting, nothing. As soon as you put any kind of coral in there it closes up and looks terrible. Even some pulsing xenia shriveled up instantly and disappeared within a day!! Mushrooms wont even stay open for more than a couple minutes after being in the tank! I am stumped... Please help!
All fish are happy and thriving. There's only an anthia, spotted mandarin, bicolor blenny and two small clowns.
I've been trying to solve this mystery for so long now. Hopefully one of you can help!
It is a 40 gal breeder w/ 40 gallon sump, Protein skimmer, chinese black box led and refugium w/ chaeto. The tank was running fine for about 2 months all zoas, palys, hammers, mushrooms, acans and other corals were as happy as can be. All parameters are stable, alk, cal, mag, sg are all perfect. No excess phosphates or nitrates.
One day he added a new fish that got pop eye after about a week in the tank. He went to our LFS and they recommended Fritz Mardel Bactersheild. He put in the recommended dose and almost instantly his corals all started closing up. On the box it says reef safe and that corals will be fine. He waited about a week to do the first 10 gal water change but I guess you are supposed to do a water change the next day? I've been looking everywhere online and can't find any info on this stuff.
Anyways, corals still don't open after first 10 gallon WC. We took all the corals out dipped them and put them in another tank for a few weeks and they still wouldn't open in the other tank. Slowly after about a month or so only some started to barely open in the other tank. We proceeded to do weekly 20 gallon WC with red sea coral pro saltwater for 4 weeks (The tds from the rodi is 0) During this he was running either chemi pure elite or activated carbon and changing it every few days.
The last WC we did was last week. Checked for stray current a few times during the last two months and there is none. We even tried to put some happy corals from the other tank into the death tank, unplugged anything electric going into the tank, left it all off for hours and everything still was shriveled up dying. Looked to make sure no pumps were rusting, nothing. As soon as you put any kind of coral in there it closes up and looks terrible. Even some pulsing xenia shriveled up instantly and disappeared within a day!! Mushrooms wont even stay open for more than a couple minutes after being in the tank! I am stumped... Please help!
All fish are happy and thriving. There's only an anthia, spotted mandarin, bicolor blenny and two small clowns.
I've been trying to solve this mystery for so long now. Hopefully one of you can help!
