Help

[MTsquared]

I’ve posted several times about this issue but it doesn’t seem to be changing or getting any better. I am really at a loss for what is happening in my tank and trying to figure it out.
Any beginner SPS I’ve put in within a week or so basically bleaches out. My acans are shriveling up and some are bailing out. I’ve lost several euphyllia and torches that were otherwise doing well, the torches and euphyllia are also basically bailing out. Scoly is receding from skeleton. Some colonies don’t seem to be bothered by whatever is happening YET. Other corals like zoas, ricordea, alveopora, gonipora, blastos, and a massive neon green leather all seem to be thriving.
My system is 100g display and roughly 20g sump. Did a 15g WC about 3 days ago, my issues have been going on for a while now. Here are my readings as of yesterday:
Salinity 1.024 (Milwaukee)
Temp 77.5-79 (apex)
Ph 8.1-8.26/7 (apex)
Alk 8 (Hanna)
Cal 430 (salifert)
Nitrate ~10 (salifert)
Phos .07 (Hanna ulr)
Mag 1320 (salifert)

I am at a loss as everything looks good on paper and have lots of coralline growth. Again some types of corals are doing well and others not so much. Dosing BRS alk, calcium, mag as needed. Also dosing Red Sea ab+. Feeding fish and corals every other day - fish: mysis, brine, pellets, pe mysis flake - corals: spot feeding with brine and mysis and reef roids.

Here is a picture from a gold torch that was doing great and I just noticed is starting to bailout.

 

[John A!10]

Where are you placing the corals? How strong is the flow? What is the lighting?
Pictures would help.
I would also recommend doing an ICP test.

 

[MTsquared]

Where are you placing the corals? How strong is the flow? What is the lighting?
Pictures would help.
I would also recommend doing an ICP test.

The LPS is low in the tank or in the sand bed. The beginner SPS (digis, caps etc) were at the top. Flow at top is high and not so much low. Flow is from Ecotech vectra m1 @ 40-50% as well as 2 MP40 on various patterns never exceeding 60%. Lighting is 2 xr30 gen 4 pro with diffusers also never running over 55%.
Want/ need to do ICP test and will likely pull the trigger.

 

[John A!10]

The LPS is low in the tank or in the sand bed. The beginner SPS (digis, caps etc) were at the top. Flow at top is high and not so much low. Flow is from Ecotech vectra m1 @ 40-50% as well as 2 MP40 on various patterns never exceeding 60%. Lighting is 2 xr30 gen 4 pro with diffusers also never running over 55%.
Want/ need to do ICP test and will likely pull the trigger.

I would definitely recommend an icp test. It could answer many questions.

 

[MTsquared]

Here are some other pictures - many of the euphyllia and torches pictures are no longer with me and have either bailed out or melted

 

[Born2beblack]

Where do you get your water

 

[MTsquared]

Where do you get your water

Currently LFS and have for several years. In the process of setting up a mixing station.

 

[John A!10]

Currently LFS and have for several years. In the process of setting up a mixing station.

Do you test it each time are the parameters stable?

 

[John A!10]

Bump

 

[vetteguy53081]

I replied to your PM

 

[John A!10]

Have you checked all heater and equipment to make sure they aren’t breaking down, releasing any chemicals, or electricity leaching from a cable somewhere.

 

[John A!10]

What fish, shrimp, livestock do you have?Also check at night for pests after lights are off.

 

[vetteguy53081]

When introducing new coral, always best at low or Blue light.

Moderate light and water flow is what I suggest in general for tank lighting. Some SPS favor bright light , but too bright can cause retraction of polyp or bleaching.

Bugs - take 2-3 of the frag plugs that are having issues and look underneath for eggs or very tiny bugs running around

Red Sea A&B- Dont use for 4-7 days and see how corals look. While this is a good supplement, it for many have been causing high Phosphate/nitrates sometimes undetectable.

Aminos - These are a must and I add either Polyp Lab Xtender or Acropower 2X per week

Here is the big one- I had similar issue to yours way back and discovered from Julian Sprung that mixed reefs have a big issue- TOXINS. LPS and SPS each have their own toxins that they release causing chemical warfare. I added and still use ChemiPure Blue or Elite (I prefer Elite). It removes the toxins and keeps Nitrate/phosphate in check

Are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet ?
What salt mix are you using ?

Calibrate your refractometer. False salinity always causes problems and consider getting an ICP test and mail it in for a complete analysis of tank conditions.

 

[Pistondog]

Leather may be throwing chemical warfare.

 

[MTsquared]

Do you test it each time are the parameters stable?

I do not

 

[MTsquared]

What fish, shrimp, livestock do you have?Also check at night for pests after lights are off.

Fish - Kole tang, 2 bangaii cardinal, 2 clowns, melanarus
No shrimp, regular CUC including hermits, snails, cuke, emerald crabs

 

[MTsquared]

When introducing new coral, always best at low or Blue light.

Moderate light and water flow is what I suggest in general for tank lighting. Some SPS favor bright light , but too bright can cause retraction of polyp or bleaching.

Bugs - take 2-3 of the frag plugs that are having issues and look underneath for eggs or very tiny bugs running around

Red Sea A&B- Dont use for 4-7 days and see how corals look. While this is a good supplement, it for many have been causing high Phosphate/nitrates sometimes undetectable.

Aminos - These are a must and I add either Polyp Lab Xtender or Acropower 2X per week

Here is the big one- I had similar issue to yours way back and discovered from Julian Sprung that mixed reefs have a big issue- TOXINS. LPS and SPS each have their own toxins that they release causing chemical warfare. I added and still use ChemiPure Blue or Elite (I prefer Elite). It removes the toxins and keeps Nitrate/phosphate in check

Are you using RODI water or tap water from the faucet ?
What salt mix are you using ?

Calibrate your refractometer. False salinity always causes problems and consider getting an ICP test and mail it in for a complete analysis of tank conditions.

Thanks, I will check your PM. I would say my lights and flow are moderate. Only used distilled water or RODI for top off. I was using acro power but stopped when I started ab+. Will definitely get the chemipure as I am running carbon now to try to get rid of toxins. I have calibrated my Milwaukee refractometer and it is giving me accurate readings (it’s off by .0006).
Here is a pic of that same gold torch a few hours later- looks like this one will be done by the morning.

 

[danieyella]

I would definitely recommend an icp test. It could answer many questions.

- I second this. While the normal checklist seems fine to me as long as it's stable, there are a lot of other things that could be causing problems that we don't do at home checks for. \

Leather may be throwing chemical warfare.

- My tank has a lot of leathers, I 100% agree that running carbon will help keep lps/sps happy when in a tank with leathers. They absolutely throw fists.

 

[John A!10]

Fish - Kole tang, 2 bangaii cardinal, 2 clowns, melanarus
No shrimp, regular CUC including hermits, snails, cuke, emerald crabs

The emerald crabs could be a big issue!!!! When large they devoured some of my corals. Go at night and catch them. Put them in the sump. I wouldn’t be surprised if you found them eating the corals.

 

[danieyella]

Also, my clowns kill euphyllia. They love them to death. Watch your clowns at night.