Help for dying corals

[gthack123]

First you might want to invest in better testing equipment or at least go to a lfs with good testing equipment . Still waiting for a nitrate value . The Zero phosphate swing is concerning and also your temperature swing which can bleach corals . I personally won’t let my temp go over 78 , 80 to me is high and if it’s sudden could force the coral to expel its zooxanthellae which is bad for the coral . I would lower the temp , stabilize your parameters in correct margins and add targeted nutrients like fuel , Red Sea ab + etc . Wouldn’t hurt , but only after everything is stabilized and you’ve found and taken care of the problem that caused this downward decline to add live zooxanthellae in a broad spread and or target application . Also check your RO water , make sure your getting tds of zero before you make saltwater . If not add di to the system . I recently found high cloramines in my water which I had to add clorimine removing carbon blocks . So check your water supply and water out of your RO . Hope this and what others have stated helps !

Thanks! I will say that other than the API test kit I mentioned other testing kits are good (Hanna alk and phosphate, Red Sea calcium, aqua forest mag). TDS remains 0 on my RO system. I will try to gradually lower the temp a bit. Also, original post was wrong about phosphate: it’s been 0.05 to 0.1 (not 0.01). I think you may be on to something with the temp. I recently finished an ich fallow period and had the temp up at 80.6. Didn’t realize this could trigger the corals to expel the zooxanthellae.

 

[gthack123]

First you might want to invest in better testing equipment or at least go to a lfs with good testing equipment . Still waiting for a nitrate value . The Zero phosphate swing is concerning and also your temperature swing which can bleach corals . I personally won’t let my temp go over 78 , 80 to me is high and if it’s sudden could force the coral to expel its zooxanthellae which is bad for the coral . I would lower the temp , stabilize your parameters in correct margins and add targeted nutrients like fuel , Red Sea ab + etc . Wouldn’t hurt , but only after everything is stabilized and you’ve found and taken care of the problem that caused this downward decline to add live zooxanthellae in a broad spread and or target application . Also check your RO water , make sure your getting tds of zero before you make saltwater . If not add di to the system . I recently found high cloramines in my water which I had to add clorimine removing carbon blocks . So check your water supply and water out of your RO . Hope this and what others have stated helps !

Another typo! NITRATES are between 0-5 with the API. Sorry

 

[Lavey29]

I’m hoping that my primary issue is tank age…I think I also likely should scale back on the lighting…either way, thank you guys for the input

I can tell you I struggled with coral at 6 months and now at 14 months my tank is night and day different with flourishing corals and you can just see the balanced biodiversity now. It will stay like this as long as I do my part too.

 

[Lavey29]

You're bringing in elements that aren't relevant to the OP's tank/situation. I think that, possible pests notwithstanding, most agree that starting a tank with live rock will help a tank mature in less time. But there are plenty of people who start tanks with dry rock and sand and have no problem keeping coral in new tanks.
As for "the unlimited help my coral s are dying posts here," just like everywhere else, reports of negative experiences are likely to be disproportionate to positive ones... Especially in the sense of those people coming to the forum primarily when they need help... (Obviously, there are "unlimited" threads in other areas of the forum that are positive)

You have your opinion, I have mine. My tank is thriving over full with coral now at 14 months with perfect balance. At 6 months I had a GHA jungle and struggling corals so there is no doubt in my mind that tank maturity plays a role in coral well being.

 

[Lavey29]

I’m hoping that my primary issue is tank age…I think I also likely should scale back on the lighting…either way, thank you guys for the input

You and I have very similar experiences. My tank is about the same size and I use MP40s to. I would say also at 6 months my corals struggled also. I focused on maintaining proper parameters but with an immature tank numbers fluctuate. I avoided harsh chemicals to solve ugly phase issues and just did my best to stay the course. I absorbed the knowledge of more experienced reefers here. I got my fuge up and running well. I started dosing PNS probio which is a natural bacteria supplement. I got 10 nice fish in the tank for heavy in heavy out nutrients. I kept my water change schedule. I did an ICP test every 4 months to check everything. Focus on stability, get nitrates and phosphate in good areas, get the lights adjusted and give your tank time to mature before spending to much more money on corals.

 

[Dburr1014]

I just want to add to what Lavey29 said,
Stability goes a long way. It wouldn't hurt to dose some phyto to keep up the nitrates. I know you have API test kit and hopefully you have plans to buy a better one soon but, with the API, keep them at minimum of 5 if possible and the po4 0.05+
Good luck

 

[Lavey29]

I just want to add to what Lavey29 said,
Stability goes a long way. It wouldn't hurt to dose some phyto to keep up the nitrates. I know you have API test kit and hopefully you have plans to buy a better one soon but, with the API, keep them at minimum of 5 if possible and the po4 0.05+
Good luck

Good point, I forgot to add that I dose phytoplankton daily also.

 

[CoralB]

Another typo! NITRATES are between 0-5 with the API. Sorry

Zeroing out nitrates not good either .

 

[CoralB]

This is true, very experienced reefers can probably put coral in from day one with success but then they also would not be typically on here saying Emergency Coral is Dying. Common sense approach for most of us average reefers is to wait till the tank has sufficient biodiversity before adding a bunch of coral types. Most have no success with SPS at 6 months.

I have had success at six months or less with SPS . As long as you have good lighting , stable parameters , and a good nutrient source you can be successful . Bio diversity is in your tank as soon as it’s cycled enough To bring and maintain ammonia at zero . That being said you don’t want to throw a bunch of fish all at once as the system needs to grow it’s bacteria to handle the new bio load .

 

[CoralB]

I think what’s going on with gthack123’s tank is one or all of the combination of poor lighting , instability of parameter and temperature . One or all of these has the potential to put coral in stress mode.

 

[Lavey29]

I have had success at six months or less with SPS . As long as you have good lighting , stable parameters , and a good nutrient source you can be successful . Bio diversity is in your tank as soon as it’s cycled enough To bring and maintain ammonia at zero . That being said you don’t want to throw a bunch of fish all at once as the system needs to grow it’s bacteria to handle the new bio load .

But what is your experience level compared to the average reefer? I did not say it was impossible just very difficult for average reefers. Those with considerable experience and knowledge go in a different category. Most on here are new to the hobby or just average level seeking to get better.

 

[CoralB]

But what is your experience level compared to the average reefer? I did not say it was impossible just very difficult for average reefers. Those with considerable experience and knowledge go in a different category. Most on here are new to the hobby or just average level seeking to get better.

I don’t know if that much experience as to yours or mine really plays as like us when we first started out we both I’m sure read as much on the subject as we could and got as much info from people as we could . That being said he has the luxury of the benefit of a group like this to learn . Back when I started there was little info on keeping coral alive so we learned by trial and error. To say that when I was starting with little experience to keep coral and was buying and placing them in the tank at 3 months which at the time was the magic number every one made us to believe at the time , yes I did . Did I lose some yes , was I successful with some yes .we all have proceeded with things that we weren’t experienced with and that’s how we learn or at least I did . The internet alone and groups like this has progressed the hobbies success to where it is now which is huge . And the success rate of keeping coral healthy is up tremendously . At what point is he experienced enough if he doesn’t fall a few time . I’ve heard people asking for help that’s been in the hobby for over a year and run into trouble because either they forgot the basics or strayed from them . I personally feel his issues are fixable and were created by not following the basics . Whether he learned them and forgot or was given no info or misinformation . He’s here that’s a plus . Can he add coral at less than 6 month , yes . It’s up to us to help him . Think about it though . He went through the ugly stages being new and the fact that he’s asking is a experience and he obviously didn’t quit then . Now saying this ,I want you to really think back when you started out after your tank was cycled , did you not buy any sps ? Or any coral for that matter . And did you really know the things we know today that is available to know . I think once he gets his lighting corrected , his parameters stable , his temperature straight he will be fine . Of course depending on how bad his coral are he may have to nurse them back to heath with the proper nutrients and maybe even dosing and feeding live zooxanthellae for a month or so but as long as everything is in check he’ll do fine . I still learn things today that I didn’t know or was aware existed . It’s a great and very satisfying hobby . Telling someone they should have done something that they may not be experienced enough to do is moot and too late as they’ve already jumped into it. but we can try to help them land softly and try to turn a negative into a positive . Sorry for the length of this . Hope this helps you better understand my opinion . And as to your input I certainly agree that I don’t want a inexperienced surgeon preforming surgery on me lol . But we aren’t talking about surgery. We’re just trying to learn as much as we can about the hobby that we love and share what we know to help others.

 

[nano reef]

They are probably spreading toxins and taking each other out! I had a bad batch of corals delivered and little by little I lost almost everything besides my softies! I had to throw away a gorgeous wellso the other day deliverd in a bad way with some of the skeleton showing and I hit it with a turkey baster to get some sand off and it blasted off half of the flesh! It took off to much flesh and it was a big corals so I tossed it

I had some new corals delivered and was to scared to start that whole process again!

I wish I knew then what I know now because maybe adding a poly filter or xtra carbon might have helped!

Maybe in ur situation one started to die pests or something and being your tank was new it started the whole process. That happened with me 2 times. Once when my tank was new as well!. 3rd try and They are finally flourishing!