Idiot Reefer

Michael McNeal · Mar 10, 2019

I am maybe 5 months into the hobby. I have a Red Sea 525xl 139 gal. I did all the curing and cycling in a trash can that i saw on BRStv and the whole works. I went into this watching them and listening to alot of info in this group so I could avoid some or most of the pitfalls or set backs you guys went through. I am running 2 Radion G3's, 2 MP40's, Vertex PS,Vecta M1 and the now the Apex. I have a yellow, sailfin,and Hipo tang, 4 clowns. Everything was great. I added 4 SPS from a LFS and everything was great. I used coral RX to dip them, put them in the tank and no problems. I bought 10 SPS corals from a very repuatable seller this past week, dipped them put them in the tank ,came home from work and 1 of the sps was shedded down to its skeletal structure and another half way and another lost some tissue. I did not check my calcium before sticking them in because I wasnt depleeting any calcium between water changes that I do every week. When I noticed the corals I imediatley checked my calcium and it was 290 which is low low. I hooked up my dos and dosed what needed over a 8hour period with the first dose being a little heavier than the rest. I then did my normal water change yesterday and everything is reading fine.I did contact the seller and he said it had to be the dip. Could the dip have killed them really? None of my other corals suffered. Something I didnt do? Something I did? Anyone want to chime in feel free. I just want to chaulk this up as a learning experience but want to know what could or did kill them. I will say since my water change, the ones that were shedding there tissue have stopped. Will they come back? Is my tank in some kind of danger?

CoralClasher · Mar 10, 2019

Everything need QT before entering DT!!! Stop add things for at least 6 weeks. Might want to QT the problem corals now. I just watched the RTN stop from Prim Corals and it blew my mind.

JonoB · Mar 10, 2019

I would be cautious adding that many new things in only a 5 month span. It's exciting and getting new stuff is fun, but going slow is key. I had to learn that, too. Also, always check parameters. Always. Never don't do it.

DSC reef · Mar 10, 2019

It's not the dip that killed the coral but some can be harsh, your parameters being way off had something to do with it. Prime corals is hype. You can dip corals, you do not "need" to QT everything.

Skynyrd Fish · Mar 10, 2019

Did you check the alk? Or salinity? Between the water they were shipped in and your water? Sounds like you have a great start. Alk is the one thing that can do this quickly.

Mastiffsrule · Mar 10, 2019

Were you able to PH and Dkh? I cannot see calcium levels do that so quick. You mentioned you dosed. Could be possible an overdose or large dose caused a spike in PH or Dkh.

Sierra_Bravo · Mar 10, 2019

Not sure what type of SPS you bought, but smooth skin corals, like Red Dragon, can be more sensitive to dips. I had the same thing happen to a Red Dragon and a Needle in the Haystack acro because I wasn't aware of that and held them in Revive for too long. IMO at 5 months everything is still pretty iffy for SPS. I probably lost one in four frags that I added all the way to my ninth month, after that I had a much better success rate. After a year I could put anything in and it would survive. Maturity of the tank plays an important role.

Mjl714 · Mar 10, 2019

Agree with comments on the fact that for sps, i would me most concerned with alkalinty.

Skynyrd Fish · Mar 10, 2019

I stopped using coral Rx. I use Bayer. I forgot to mention that some have found coral rx a bit harsh for streesed coral.

Dom · Mar 10, 2019

Hi Michael,

Following along with the BRS videos is a sound way to get started. Rarely do I disagree with the information provided.

When it comes to QT, I have a hard and fast rule that every fish gets QT'd. I've never dipped or QT'd a coral and never had an issue.

I agree with your thinking about calcium. Without anything in the tank to consume calcium, you had no reason to believe it would be so low. But that there was nothing in the tank consuming calcium AND that your calcium was so low would suggest to me:

Testing error.
Bad test kit.
Issue with the salt mix.

Which salt mix do you use?

MnFish1 · Mar 10, 2019

I would bet that there Ca might have been a testing error. Cant see how it could get that low - especially if you're doing water changes - and don't have that much stuff that would deplete calcium. Have you checked it since you added more? Could your Ca be precipitating? have you checked alk and MG?

Jon Fishman · Mar 10, 2019

Even with a lot of due diligence frags can just “not take”. I know many will say all death is avoidable, but in the main scheme of things, a little die-off of new things isn’t too worrisome to me.

MnFish1 · Mar 10, 2019

Jon Fishman said:
Even with a lot of due diligence frags can just “not take”. I know many will say all death is avoidable, but in the main scheme of things, a little die-off of new things isn’t too worrisome to me.

curious - based on what? poor acclimation? bad tank conditions, etc - What do you think happens when it rains 10 inches on the reef - that every coral RTNs? Note this isnt designed as an insult - but - on this site its kind of programmed in that if the alk changes from 8.7 to 8.99 that thats a horrible outcome. It happens all the time in the wild. These organisms can handle it. 5 - 14 perps not.

lapin · Mar 10, 2019

Michael McNeal said:
Something I didnt do? Something I did? I will say since my water change, the ones that were shedding there tissue have stopped. Will they come back? Is my tank in some kind of danger?

Without knowing all the facts we cant really tell you a yes, no or something else.
In my opinion; the corals did not like the difference between where they came from and where they ended up. They prob did not enjoy the journey either.

Michael McNeal · Mar 11, 2019

Dom said:
Hi Michael,

Following along with the BRS videos is a sound way to get started. Rarely do I disagree with the information provided.

When it comes to QT, I have a hard and fast rule that every fish gets QT'd. I've never dipped or QT'd a coral and never had an issue.

I agree with your thinking about calcium. Without anything in the tank to consume calcium, you had no reason to believe it would be so low. But that there was nothing in the tank consuming calcium AND that your calcium was so low would suggest to me:

Testing error.

Bad test kit.

Issue with the salt mix.

Which salt mix do you use?

Michael McNeal · Mar 11, 2019

Dom said:
Hi Michael,

Following along with the BRS videos is a sound way to get started. Rarely do I disagree with the information provided.

When it comes to QT, I have a hard and fast rule that every fish gets QT'd. I've never dipped or QT'd a coral and never had an issue.

I agree with your thinking about calcium. Without anything in the tank to consume calcium, you had no reason to believe it would be so low. But that there was nothing in the tank consuming calcium AND that your calcium was so low would suggest to me:

Testing error.

Bad test kit.

Issue with the salt mix.

Which salt mix do you use?

I use the red sea Foundation and the Marine. I also just started using the Hanna ones for Calcium and Alk. I use Red Sea salt for salt mix.

Michael McNeal · Mar 11, 2019

MnFish1 said:
I would bet that there Ca might have been a testing error. Cant see how it could get that low - especially if you're doing water changes - and don't have that much stuff that would deplete calcium. Have you checked it since you added more? Could your Ca be precipitating? have you checked alk and MG?

I am using Calcium Chloride from the BRS Pharma line to dose Calcium and soda ash the same through my Apex Dos. I did add 10 frags but could it really deplete that much over an 8 hour period? I m 4 months old in the hobby and did tons of research before pulling the trigger. I know experience trumps knowledge atleast in this hobby. you guys have taught me everything I know and do.

Michael McNeal · Mar 11, 2019

MnFish1 said:
curious - based on what? poor acclimation? bad tank conditions, etc - What do you think happens when it rains 10 inches on the reef - that every coral RTNs? Note this isnt designed as an insult - but - on this site its kind of programmed in that if the alk changes from 8.7 to 8.99 that thats a horrible outcome. It happens all the time in the wild. These organisms can handle it. 5 - 14 perps not. [/QUOTE
I dont get my feelings hurt. I want people to be straight with me. Like: Hey dummy di youmthink to test the calcium before you introduced your frags to the DP. Lol

Michael McNeal · Mar 11, 2019

Sierra_Bravo said:
Not sure what type of SPS you bought, but smooth skin corals, like Red Dragon, can be more sensitive to dips. I had the same thing happen to a Red Dragon and a Needle in the Haystack acro because I wasn't aware of that and held them in Revive for too long. IMO at 5 months everything is still pretty iffy for SPS. I probably lost one in four frags that I added all the way to my ninth month, after that I had a much better success rate. After a year I could put anything in and it would survive. Maturity of the tank plays an important role.

The red dragon was the first I saw. I mean no tissue left at all. I had a pink lemonade acro that lost everything from the bottom up to about 1/4 of an inch and has stopped losing tissue, and a WWC yellow tip acro that scaled back some but it has stopped too. Everything seems stable again and using the word stable loosely. Lol. I know I dont have an established tank but I am a nut when it come to water parameters and water changes, I know time is the denominator here but i really try. These are living things, not just pretty rocks ya know... Thanks for your response.

evoreefer1320 · Mar 11, 2019

Soo what was your alk at? If your not testing for alk sps will be a problem for you to keep. Most will agree its 1 if not the most important things to test for.