Issues with SPS after tank upgrade

[FarmerTy]

Hi all,

I don't usually post on Reef2Reef, I just usually stick to my local club in Austin but this one problem has perplexed me so I wanted to take it to a bigger forum to see if I can find a solution.

So I had a 125-gallon SPS dominant tank that was the pinnacle of stable for 3 years. I have had pretty good success with SPS, all these SPS colonies started as 2" or smaller frags when I started 3 years ago. Here's a pic and video of my old tank:

My tank video:
JeeperTy's Coral Tank 10-01-13 - YouTube

Quick equipment rundown on old tank:
125-gallon DT, 30-gallon sump
3 x 250 watt MH, SE, 20k, plusrites
CaRX - Korallin C1502
Apex Lite version
Biopellet reactor
GFO reactor
ASM G3 skimmer
Mag 12.5 Return Pump
2x Jaebo WP40 pumps controlled via Apex

New tank equipment:
215-gal DT, 65-gal sump
3 x 400 watt MH, SE, 20k, plusrites
CaRX - Korallin 1502 (soon to be Deltec PF601)
Apex Full Version
Biopellet reactor
GFO reactor
Skimz Monster 201 Skimmer
Reeflo Hammerhead Gold
2x Jaebo WPp40 pumps controlled via Apex

So, pretty much the same setup, minus I went with 400 watt bulbs for the deeper tank, better return pump, and better skimmer.

Here's the new tank (excuse the mess as I haven't skinned the stand or built a canopy yet).

From a distance, everything doesn't look terrible, except most of my SPS are darker and don't have their usual coloration. But on closer inspection, there is rampant STN and no polyp extension. All zoas and LPS look just fine, like nothing is going on. Oddly, my setosa is rocking and looking the best its ever looked. Otherwise, all acros, birdsnest, and montis are looking awful and have no polyp extension or barely any.

Here are some pics. It's odd, but the STN I recognize and can clearly identify. But some of the acros are just slowly dissolving. not RTN, or STN, but just plain dissolving so that the flesh gets so thin that eventually you start seeing the dead white skeleton underneath.

Oddly though, my AOGs are melting, which is the only paly affected.

Here are my measured parameters and any variances listed that I think might be causing this:
Temp - 80-82.7 (ran this temp for 3 years in my old tank so doubt its this causing it)
Sal - 1.026 (crept up to 1.029 for a week before I noticed and moved it down slowly back to 1.026)
pH - 7.9-8.1 (been this low on the old tank as well for 3 years)
PO4 - 0.04-0.06 ppm (measured with ultra low PO4 Hanna meter)
Alk - 7.8-8.2 dKh (Hanna meter, during the transition, about 4 weeks ago, it had dropped down to 5.2 for a day before I could switch over the CaRX, brought it back up to 7.8 afterwards)
Ca - 440 ppm
I2 - 9ppm (a little high but don't think this would do it)
Mg - 1800 ppm (doing a little Tech M treatment, did same treatment in old tank with no issues, wanted to do it again to cover myself for any bryopsis sneaking over to new tank)
NH4 - undetected
NO3 - <1ppm
NO2 - undetected

Things that I have changed from old tank:
400 watt bulbs - ran them for 4 hrs and have been slowly ramping them up
Dosed Red sea aminos, now trying out acropower by TLF
Ran double GFO amount
Ran double biopellets
And just to note, had a stainless steel trim built around the top of the tank for additional insurance to keep the tank from busting open. I mention because I didn't think to rinse off the trim before putting it over the tank and noticed when I was done, that my hands were pretty black from welding soot I guess. Here's a pic.

So, here's what I ruled out already:

-No pests, as I have had red bugs and AEFW in the past and eliminated it 2 years ago and never seen any evidence since. I mention because I know what it looks like so I have ruled it out as I don't see any evidence of either.

-Alk issues - unless the alk drop of 4 weeks ago is still manifesting itself still in my SPS, I doubt its that as I have kept it around 8 dKh since the dip and its been holding steady.

-High Mg - again, I've already done the bryopsis treatment once already 7 months ago where I ran it up to 2,200 ppm with no ill effects, other than the snails were very sluggish. This time its only at 1800 ppm.

So here's what I think could be an issue:

-perhaps SPS still paying price for the low alk event 4 weeks ago
-doubling my GFO and biopellets may have stripped the water of nutrients
-perhaps some welding dust got into the tank and I have heavy metals contamination
-perhaps the higher salinity for 1 week of 1.029 caused this reaction
-maybe they are not adjusting well to the 400 watt bulbs

Here's what I have done to remedy potential issues:
-kept alk rock solid around 8.0
-killed my biopellets and reduced flow through GFO to a trickle
-running polyfilter to help remove heavy metals, have cuprisorb coming in the mail and will run that too to help remove metals
-salinity sitting at 1.026
-only running 5 hours of MH lights
-2 water changes of 20% volume

Hopefully that sums everything up. I'm really crushed to see colonies I have grown for 3 years melting in front of my eyes. Hopefully a solution presents itself or you SPS guys on Reef2reef have seen something that I missed and can help a guy out. Happy reefing and thank you in advance for any input. Sorry for the long post but I wanted to be thorough.

-Ty

 

[Genesis Corals]

New tank, new flow, new lights, recent Alk swing, increased stripping of the water with GFO, recent salinity swing, and possible contaminates would definitely cause a less then ideal environment for your corals. I would take the GFO offline, keep your levels stable like you are, and I would find a way to reduce your lighting intensity (not just photoperiod). You could put a double or triple layer of eggcrate over the tank off setting them to cast a bigger shadow and every two weeks take a layer off (keep the stickers on them and return them when done if needed). Besides lighting and GFO, all the other issues have been fixed besides the possible metal contaminates. Give it some time and hopefully everything will heal, but I would definitely reduce that lighting intensity as that was almost double the amount they were used to.

 

[FarmerTy]

Yeah, when you sum up all the changes in the last month or so, it does seem pretty bad for my colored sticks. That's a lot of different stressors!

I'll kill the trickle of GFO and stop it completely and monitor my PO4 for a bit to not let it creep up too much. I'll also see if I can use some screening from Home Depot to diffuse the lighting a bit. I measured with a par meter and the SPS at the bottom of the tank are getting the same amount of par they used to get in the middle of my old tank (200 par range) and those SPS on the sandbed are effected just the same. Also, the one's in my sump on my frag rack are getting about 200 par and are also not looking good so part of me has eliminated the lighting as the main source of my SPS woes. That doesn't mean that it didn't partially add to the problem, at least for the corals in the main display.

Thanks for your quick input Genesis. It is much appreciated!

 

[FarmerTy]

Anybody else ever encountered the dissolving of sps flesh? Not really STN or RTN?

 

[LAX Noob Reef]

Hi Bud, you have a ic you have aircond right above the tank. Have you check any thing that might be blowing into your tank?? Just a thought.

 

[FarmerTy]

Well, it could be a possibility. I had my old tank there as well but the old one had a canopy. I haven't built a canopy for the new one yet. Let me just try to close it for new in case it is blowing something funny into my tank. Thanks for the idea! LAX.

 

[FarmerTy]

Got a fellow SPS buddy who I just spoke with said his SPS acted the exact same way as mine is acting when he overdid his biopellets. Even down to the oddly melting (non-STN and non-RTN) of the SPS flesh. Well I took the biopellets offline 2 days ago and I'll start feeding the heck out if the tank and see what happens. He said that worked for him.

 

[Diesel]

Where did the rock and sand come from?
I'm pretty much sure that all the swings in your tank over the last couple of weeks did the damage.
Also I like to throw in there the new tank syndrome.
How long is this tank running and how fast did you made the transfer with your corals?

 

[FarmerTy]

I went with about 60% old rock and 40% new rock. I let the new tank run a full month cycle with the new rock and new sand and ghost fed the tank to prepare it for the bioload.

I slowly transferred all corals over to the new tank over a period of 5-7 weeks. I moved half of my fish as well and then did the last half at the end of the whole transition.

Tank has gone through the diatoms, then cyano, now some GHA, and hopefully will be done with the bees tank syndrome by then. Just a shame as I tried to take my time and it still bit me in the rear.

 

[FarmerTy]

Bees = new