I need help corals dying

renato120 · Jun 15, 2015

Hello! My tank its bee running for 8 months.
Everything was running smooth until I changed from IO REEF CRYSTALS TO RED SEA CORAL PRO.
Well I think thats the problem.
Before my MAG was around 1350.
Now its at 1600.
Always kept the calcium at 450, ALK 8/9.
Salinity always at 1.025
My zoas are not that happy somedays open some days stay closed.
Two of my SPS'S already bleached, my tyree leather coral doesnt open for 3 days...
I do a 10g water change every weekend.
Temp around 78/80
Bulbs are 7month old now
I run an ATI 6x24w on a 24 inches deep tank.
I dont think its the lights. I have a nice grown in the corals...
What could it be?
This is my tank

ycnibrc · Jun 15, 2015

the redsea coral pro ALK is really high around 11-12 so you have a small tank when you do water change it might shock your corals. If you want to keep alk at 8-9 then chose the redsea regular, the ALK is around 8 to 8.5 when mix at 1.026

renato120 · Jun 15, 2015

ycnibrc said:
the redsea coral pro ALK is really high around 11-12 so you have a small tank when you do water change it might shock your corals. If you want to keep alk at 8-9 then chose the redsea regular, the ALK is around 8 to 8.5 when mix at 1.026

My alk is fine! Its my mag that is too high! Almost of the charts.

143MPCo · Jun 15, 2015

Seems like a quick test might be to go back to the original salt mix for a bit to see if it makes a differen, [HASHTAG]#reefsquad[/HASHTAG]

maroun.c · Jun 15, 2015

How fast did Magnesium rise?
Makes sense to gradually change from one salt to another by usinga 50/50 % mix of both salts for 3-4 water changes, then 75/25 % before completely switching.
Try to test both salts fresh mixes first to see how far they are from each other.
That's a very nice tank.

miyags · Jun 15, 2015

Nice tank!!! I don't think its your mag killing your corals,some people keep it that high to fight off bryopsis algae. What size tank?. Looks like you have a full boat there.

d2mini · Jun 15, 2015

Beautiful tank!

I'm not sure what's going on. Your mag is high, but honestly it's not high enough to kill coral. Mine is at 1600 too and the tank is fine.
Now just like any parameter, if it shot up there overnight, that could be an issue.
So stability might be an issue.
Other than that, i'm really not sure!
Are you running carbon? If so, I would replenish it. That will help remove any toxins being released from unhappy coral and help prevent further losses.

renato120 · Jun 15, 2015

maroun.c said:
How fast did Magnesium rise?
Makes sense to gradually change from one salt to another by usinga 50/50 % mix of both salts for 3-4 water changes, then 75/25 % before completely switching.
Try to test both salts fresh mixes first to see how far they are from each other.
That's a very nice tank.

Magnesium started to rise when I switched the salt brand. Already test both. Fresh one is around 1580. In the tank 1600.

miyags said:
Nice tank!!! I don't think its your mag killing your corals,some people keep it that high to fight off bryopsis algae. What size tank?. Looks like you have a full boat there.

If the mag is not killing the coral i wonder what is... All parameters are fine. No pests, rodi water is good too.

d2mini said:
Beautiful tank!

I'm not sure what's going on. Your mag is high, but honestly it's not high enough to kill coral. Mine is at 1600 too and the tank is fine.
Now just like any parameter, if it shot up there overnight, that could be an issue.
So stability might be an issue.
Other than that, i'm really not sure!
Are you running carbon? If so, I would replenish it. That will help remove any toxins being released from unhappy coral and help prevent further losses.

It could be stability! Im running chemipure blue carbon. I just bought a poly-filter. Its supost to remove heavy metals, toxic Ammonia, phosphates and etc....
It kills me not to know whats going on... Im always on top of everything, water changes, parameters, lighting, flow always looking...

reefwiser · Jun 16, 2015

I use the blue bucket of Red Sea not the PRO one. As all the levels are elevated and on a small tank that can really spike your levels.
I would suggest going back to IO slowly at have your water change amount . IO is a bland salt mix not a spicy one like Coral Pro. What brand of test kits are you using? Have you had your LFS check your water with their test kits and see if they get different readings? When switching salts always slowly change the salt 1/4, 1/2 ,3/4 then the total volume of your water change amount.

renato120 · Jun 16, 2015

reefwiser said:
I use the blue bucket of Red Sea not the PRO one. As all the levels are elevated and on a small tank that can really spike your levels.
I would suggest going back to IO slowly at have your water change amount . IO is a bland salt mix not a spicy one like Coral Pro. What brand of test kits are you using? Have you had your LFS check your water with their test kits and see if they get different readings? When switching salts always slowly change the salt 1/4, 1/2 ,3/4 then the total volume of your water change amount.

I use the red sea test kits. Yes I went to the lfs. I was talking with another guy and He told me it could be my Bulk reef GFO. He said it happened with Him. Believe or not last week I got one at the lfs and replaced with new gfo for the tank. Not saying thats true that could be a contaminate GFO, but its a very good coincidence. He said im the third person that happened the same thing. After I replace the GFO was when my tyree leather closed and still closed, and one of my sps bleached. I took the GFO out. I want to see if things will get better. If does it is the GFO.

d2mini · Jun 16, 2015

I replaced my GFO in my reactor once and then all my gorgonians closed up and my sps started to bleach. Not die, but just lose all their color, turning very pale. My huge purple monticap turned completely iridescent white.
I took the GFO offline completely and everything snapped back. The sps including that monti slowly got their color back.
I try not to use that stuff anymore.
If you wouldn't have mentioned the salt change, i would have mentioned this... but I was too focused on your salt and didn't think about it!

reefwiser · Jun 16, 2015

When working the any additive always go slow when replacing or adding. GFO and remove a lot of material from your water and shocking the system is not the good way . So slow and easy changes 1/4,1/2,3/4 changes give your system time to adjust to anything you add or do.

renato120 · Jun 16, 2015

d2mini said:
I replaced my GFO in my reactor once and then all my gorgonians closed up and my sps started to bleach. Not die, but just lose all their color, turning very pale. My huge purple monticap turned completely iridescent white.
I took the GFO offline completely and everything snapped back. The sps including that monti slowly got their color back.
I try not to use that stuff anymore.
If you wouldn't have mentioned the salt change, i would have mentioned this... but I was too focused on your salt and didn't think about it!

reefwiser said:
When working the any additive always go slow when replacing or adding. GFO and remove a lot of material from your water and shocking the system is not the good way . So slow and easy changes 1/4,1/2,3/4 changes give your system time to adjust to anything you add or do.

I shut it off the GFO. Now im waiting to see if things will change. If it doesnt, then the mistery of whats going on will still remain lol... I hope the problem to be the GFO... Easy to fix. My favorite coral is the neon green tyree leather looks almost dead now.

renato120 · Jun 16, 2015

renato120 · Jun 16, 2015

A week ago!

Fraggin25 · Jul 6, 2015

Hey guys just wanted to see if i could get some advice on my water parameters. I think my alk is too high. Any advice on how to lower it ? Readings are as followed:
Ca 450
Kh 14
Mg 1320
Ph 8.4
Nh3 0
No3 0
No2 0
Salinity 1.024
Temp. 81.9

Thanks,