Hey everyone. Just wondering if anyone could help me figure out an issue with my reef tank. I have had it for about 8 years now has been doing absolutely fantastic up until about 3 months ago. I haven't done anything different but I have been loosing my corals lately. My zoas are just shrinking and disappearing. frog spawns and torches are shrinking into themselves. Have lost almost all mushrooms. Fish are all going great anemone doing great green star growing like wild fire xenia. Also doing great all levels are normal. Nothing has spiked. Still using my same red sea coral pro salt and full spectrum programmable led and sump full of macro. I am at a loss I don't know what else I can do to stop it or how I can reverse it. Been into fish tanks for over 24 years and last 10 have been salt. Any ideas?
Loosing corals
- Thread starter gman712
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melypr1985
totally addicted
Have you added any new corals in the last couple months? Maybe forgot to dip some of them?
melypr1985
totally addicted
Ok, so assuming you've looked for pests (dipped a piece of coral that is dying and found no dead pests) then it could be water issues. I know you said your parameters are all in order, but do you test regularly? Your Alk for instance could have creeped up really high then dropped quickly or the reverse. That's just an example, but if you test regularly you should be able to spot a spike in something.
What's your current
Mag
Calcium
Alk
Phosphate
Nitrate
Ammonia
Nitrite
SG
PH
Temp
Copper (if you have that test)
Don't take this wrong I have been in my LFS many times when a customer has come in with issues and they are loosing corals ect and I will chip in and ask all the above to which they can't answer I then reply so how do you know your water is ok if you can't give me those figures.
I religiously test my stats weekly so always know what's going on so I can always look back at least a week if something not looking right then ill run a full set of tests to see what has changed.
What lighting are you using any changes if tubes are the bulbs old ?
Do you run carbon any chance something has gotten into the water ?
Post your full set of current stats it will help everyone to advise.
Mag
Calcium
Alk
Phosphate
Nitrate
Ammonia
Nitrite
SG
PH
Temp
Copper (if you have that test)
Don't take this wrong I have been in my LFS many times when a customer has come in with issues and they are loosing corals ect and I will chip in and ask all the above to which they can't answer I then reply so how do you know your water is ok if you can't give me those figures.
I religiously test my stats weekly so always know what's going on so I can always look back at least a week if something not looking right then ill run a full set of tests to see what has changed.
What lighting are you using any changes if tubes are the bulbs old ?
Do you run carbon any chance something has gotten into the water ?
Post your full set of current stats it will help everyone to advise.
maroun.c
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That's an annoying condition indeed.
could be a classic old tank syndrom where tank endsup accumulating too much of something or few things and things start to go downhill.
I would suggest a couple of big water changes, carbon change, cleanup of pumps especially skimmer and making sure it's working at its optimum. Maybe a heavy metal or cupper removing resin just in case (Cuprisorb or other...)
heres a list of things we tried when my tank wasn't doing well, Long read but might give you some ideas.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/maroun-c-390-g-build-thread.60956/page-12#post-2500268
could be a classic old tank syndrom where tank endsup accumulating too much of something or few things and things start to go downhill.
I would suggest a couple of big water changes, carbon change, cleanup of pumps especially skimmer and making sure it's working at its optimum. Maybe a heavy metal or cupper removing resin just in case (Cuprisorb or other...)
heres a list of things we tried when my tank wasn't doing well, Long read but might give you some ideas.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/maroun-c-390-g-build-thread.60956/page-12#post-2500268
Checked all levels again this evening
Phosphate 0
Nitrate 0
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Calcium about 430ppm
Ph 8.2
Temp 78.89
KH & GH 11 and 196.9
Tank is 55 gallon reef
Proflex refugium sump
Full spec programable led 300w
550gph return and overflow
250gph powerhead wave pulsing .
I have not added anything new or changed any settings or how I do anything. Tank was doing incredible up u til last couple months and been loosing things almost daily
Phosphate 0
Nitrate 0
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Calcium about 430ppm
Ph 8.2
Temp 78.89
KH & GH 11 and 196.9
Tank is 55 gallon reef
Proflex refugium sump
Full spec programable led 300w
550gph return and overflow
250gph powerhead wave pulsing .
I have not added anything new or changed any settings or how I do anything. Tank was doing incredible up u til last couple months and been loosing things almost daily
Here it is about 3 weeks ago. Currently the green mushrooms are gone the radio green polyps gone. Hammer almost gone. However green star still growing out of control and so are the xenia. Will post current photo in morning when lights come back around to day time again
ScoobyFish
Active Member
your macro not going "Sexual" at night? depending on what kind you have.
coraline algae is a bit lacking for a 8 year old tank. previous pictures showed you had a few but in the latest ones i see none.
your R/O filter how long was it since you changed the membrane?
lastly
Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman
Mushroom Condition 1 affects corallimorphs,primarily from the genus Actinodiscus,which fail to thrive.They shrink,their tissue becomes mottles and pale,and they seem unable to regain the ability to expand.This behavior seems remarkably like wasting of certian anemones,and the similarities in the biology of corllimorphs and anemones may be relevent.As in zoanthid condition 1,no amount of water chemistry manipulation seems to have a pronounced effect.The environment of the corallimorphs may have remained virtually unchanged in terms of normal additions,lighting,and water flow for long periods of time when this condition occurs.Individual mushrooms or whole colonies can be affected.Affected mushrooms may remain in such a state for many months,or they may die fairly quickly.Occasionally,individuals or colonies may spontaneously recover,though this is rare.
coraline algae is a bit lacking for a 8 year old tank. previous pictures showed you had a few but in the latest ones i see none.
your R/O filter how long was it since you changed the membrane?
lastly
Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman
Mushroom Condition 1 affects corallimorphs,primarily from the genus Actinodiscus,which fail to thrive.They shrink,their tissue becomes mottles and pale,and they seem unable to regain the ability to expand.This behavior seems remarkably like wasting of certian anemones,and the similarities in the biology of corllimorphs and anemones may be relevent.As in zoanthid condition 1,no amount of water chemistry manipulation seems to have a pronounced effect.The environment of the corallimorphs may have remained virtually unchanged in terms of normal additions,lighting,and water flow for long periods of time when this condition occurs.Individual mushrooms or whole colonies can be affected.Affected mushrooms may remain in such a state for many months,or they may die fairly quickly.Occasionally,individuals or colonies may spontaneously recover,though this is rare.
Yeah I had a starfish issue that were consuming the coraline was finally able to get my harlequin from lfs and now that issue has been stopped. And it's brand new ro system I just installed it Not very long ago. And never heard of corallimorphs before I'll look into this
Stephanie11
Fragaholic
I've seen a few people have mature reefs around my area loose them when they disrupt old sand beds. I've run mostly bottom for that reason. Ever see how much poop a tang can unleash in a week?
I suggest getting that sand out only during water changes. Be careful and take out a portion to the bottom at a time. This should take about a month. There are ways to expodite this but require another tank.
When I used to run a deep sand bed I'd replace all sand about every 2-3 years. Basically new tanks, but I've had good luck.
There are other factors which Ive seen kill a tank such as equipment failure. Just because a piece is working doesn't mean it's not failed.
Best of luck. I'd suspect sulfur dioxide..
I suggest getting that sand out only during water changes. Be careful and take out a portion to the bottom at a time. This should take about a month. There are ways to expodite this but require another tank.
When I used to run a deep sand bed I'd replace all sand about every 2-3 years. Basically new tanks, but I've had good luck.
There are other factors which Ive seen kill a tank such as equipment failure. Just because a piece is working doesn't mean it's not failed.
Best of luck. I'd suspect sulfur dioxide..
