I almost kill my Candy Cane... please HELP!

[BebeCR]

My 36gal reef was high on Nitrates and Ammonia, but the corals were OK. Last week I dosed three different additives on three different days, but, in general, the corals didn't "love" the combination... and the more affected was my bi-color Candy Cane.

On 10/7/12 (last Sunday) I dosed Microbe-Lift All-in-One Master Supplement (includes Chelated Iron, Essential Minerals & Trace Elements, Vitamins and Amino Acids, Calcium Concentrate, Strontium/Molybdenum, and Iodide/Bromide and Vitamin D)

On 10/9/12 (Tuesday) (pm), I dosed 35ml of Instant Ocean Natural Nitrate Reducer

On 10/10/12 (Wednesday) (am) I dosed 35ml of AmQuel+ Plus. At night most of my corals look "not as good" (Frogspawn open at 50%, Birdnest at 50%, Candy Canes didn't opened, Mushrooms at 70%, Colts at 75%), but others looked ok (Blastomussa, Scolymia, Acans, Brain, Yellow Polyps, Zoas, etc). Changed the floss (pm).

On 10/11/12 (Thursday) (pm) the corals turned worse :sad:. The Yellow Polyps had curled polyps, the Pumping Xenia polyps were very small and the Candy Canes were really bad (the tissue were shrunken and the "skeleton" were showing on the crowns). I panicked and made an 8gal water change.

On 10/12/12 (Friday) (12noon) The Candy Cane tissue worsened. Perform another 8gal water change. (Ammonia .5, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 15). I was very worried and sad :cry:.

On 10/13/12 (almost Saturday) (1:00am) Perform a 14-16gal water change. Was worried about the bacteria and dose 4 caps of Instant Ocean BIO-Spira (Live Nitrifying Bacteria).

Here are my Candy Canes before I almost "crash" my 36gal reef:

This is how it looked after the incident out::

Today like two heads of each coral looks almost ok, some of them (although the skeleton is showing) expanded a small part of its flesh (and the green center seems ok) but the rest of them didn't expand, still shows part of their skeletons and shows their mouths a little open (although the green center flesh still looks ok).

Do you think they will recover? What else can I do to help this coral heal?

Please :help:. Any advise will be appreciated!!

 

[Mtuned]

Stop dosing anything! Do water changes. And figure out the cause!

 

[Bry]

How long has the tank been set up? What caused the Ammonia spike?

And yes, Stop dosing and water changes... Don't dose what you can't test for.

 

[Lacktaters]

If this is an established aquarium, you shouldn't have detectable amounts of amonia present. If it's not an established aquarium, there is little hope that any of these corals will survive the amonia and nitrite spikes as the aquarium cycles.

 

[Wesley42079]

I would stop dosing and to a 50% water change.

How long have you had the aquarium up and running? If it' still in the cycle process, then I would say you started adding corals too soon.

 

[Aznyoyoboy57]

thats some crazy dosing u did there...no more dosing for u!

 

[Kano]

I would confirm your ammonia and nitrate test kits. If you have "high" levels of ammonia and nitrate odds are everything should be dead/dying. The candy canes in the first shot look very happy. Dosing is not required in a lot of peoples tanks IMO. Do the water changes as people said and keep an eye on how things look. If you have a friend that has a stable tank (or even a LFS you have a good relationship with) I'd consider having him hold your coral for you until you fix your situation.

 

[Pappy]

What are the rest of parameters and +100 on stop dosing and 50% wc ASAP! I'd make sure u check your dkh, calcium, and magnesium!

 

[BebeCR]

Thanks all for your prompt response.

My tank's light go on at 5pm. As the corals were "deflated" by the lack of light, today I can't see much difference (at least the flesh on the Candy Cane heads are still there).

Yesterday night the corals looked better. Some zoas that were closed were open and, as I wrote before about the Candy Cane: two heads of each coral looks almost ok, some of them (although the skeleton is showing) expanded a small part of its flesh (and the green center seems ok) but the rest of them didn't expand, still shows part of their skeletons and shows their mouths a little open (although the green center flesh still looks ok).

How long have you had the aquarium up and running?

How long has the tank been set up?

The tank is one year old. The "spikes" were caused by lack of propper water changes. At the beginning (10/7/12) the Ammonia was at .5 and the Nitrate at 20-30 both, the highest they have been (usually are: Ammonia 0, Nitrate 0-5).

What are the rest of parameters and +100 on stop dosing and 50% wc ASAP! I'd make sure u check your dkh, calcium, and magnesium!

Yesterday (night) the tests were: PH 8.2, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate between 5 and 10. I'm at work now, I will be performing the Calcium and Carbonate Hardness (KH) tonight (I don't have Magnesium test).

Since 10/11/12 I performed three (3) water changes: 8 gal (22% at 10/11); 8 gal (22% at 10/12) and around 15 gal (41% at 10/13). If you think I still need to perform a 50% water change I'll do it today. I know that Nitrate levels are not at 0, but I don't know if all the water changes will affect the bacteria population.

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Johmanda]

I can't offer any suggestions but I sincerely hope you are able to save it. It looks so happy in the first picture!! Good luck!

 

[BebeCR]

Hello again:

I can't offer any suggestions but I sincerely hope you are able to save it. It looks so happy in the first picture!! Good luck!

Thanks!!

Today I performed the additional water tests: Calcium 420 (21 drops), KH 143.2 (8 drops); both are low but OK.

Here is an updated photo of the two Candy Cane colonies (taken with my cheap phone):

As you can see, most of the heads looks much MUCH better.:clap2:

This is the colony that still worries me. As you can see, the head of the top-left have lost some flesh at the base (the green center is still intact). I don't know if the tissue can be regenerated again. It still looks much better than yesterday.

I didn't perform any additional water changes. Don't know if I have to perform an additional 50% water change ASAP or wait two or three additional days to perform my next water change.

 

[BebeCR]

Uh, I forgot to mention: before the pictures were taken I blew gently the two colonies with my turkey baster so they get rid of any dead tissue. Little white particles were released.

 

[Pappy]

All your levels are ok so leading to what was dosed is my guess. The purpose of wc is to remove as much bad and replace with good so I would do right away if it was me. GL and keep us posted.

 

[BebeCR]

Here is my today photo-update:

The Candy Cane looks MUCH better. Although the bones are still visible, the heads opened up. Even the bad one expanded the tissue left!

I am hopeful and HAPPY!:smile:

 

[BebeCR]

Hi to all. Here is an updated photo of both candy canes colonies:

As you can see they almost recovered completely. The only "scar" is the skeleton showing at the base of the "highest" head.

I REALLY appreciate all your help on this matter. No other coral was lost during this process.

Thanks!!

 

[Bry]

Great to hear!

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

The candy cane looks so much better!!

 

[BebeCR]

Great to hear!

The candy cane looks so much better!!

Yes! I am really happy!! :bounce:

The problem was the use of Microbe-Lift All-in-One Master Supplement. One of my local forum reefer (luisgo, with 10yr reef experience) told me that this product are trace elements and amino acids; if the Nitrates are high you can't dose "more food"; it can do more bad than good (and I had proof of that!).

My last water change was past Saturday (8gal). I will be changing 8 gal every other week (or 4 gal weekly). Now all my parameters are REALLY GOOD: PH 8.2, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0, Calcium 420 (21 drops) and KH 143.2 (8 drops). I am going to share with all of you an article luisgo share with me. Reef Aquarium Water Parameters by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com; note the differences in Calcium and Alkalinity "optimum" readings vs. what the tests information usually provides. Hope it will be helpful for someone.

 

[Davesgt]

been following this and glad your candy canes are doing better. The instant ocean nitrate reducer IMO is kind of a hit or miss, alot of people have good luck with it but ive had a few people i know from the store that have used it and has made things worse. In one case it slimmed up one persons whole aquarium. So ive always just done lots of small water changes whenever we have had any problems.

 

[BebeCR]

The instant ocean nitrate reducer IMO is kind of a hit or miss, alot of people have good luck with it but ive had a few people i know from the store that have used it and has made things worse.

I had used this nitrate reducer more than two times before without any problems, but I would not risk my corals again... I will stick to water changes from now on. Luisgo also told me that if you use more of the nitrate reducer than the recommended dosage, it will lower the oxigen in the tank and affect or kill all corals in it (that's maybe what happened to this other people).

As I told you before: I'll stick to water changes from now on!!