Melting corals? Bare with me trying to learn

[Frtdrmrose7]

Welp I think I found my problem with the help of @ScottR so thankyou.

Turns out LFS keeps salinity @ 1.015, pair that with poor acclimation techniques on my part I shouldn’t be suprised corals melted how they did correct? Any articles on how to deal with these situations? They’re the only decent LFS around and the only one within an hour with corals.

Looks like ideally salinity should be brought to 1.025 over a period of days...

Double check the salinity from your LFS I highly doubt they keep corals at 1.015. Corals require typically 1.024(NSW) to 1.026. Fish are typically kept in lower salinity to save the LFS $$$ On salt because of all the water they lose selling fish.

 

[ScottR]

Double check the salinity from your LFS I highly doubt they keep corals at 1.015. Corals require typically 1.024(NSW) to 1.026. Fish are typically kept in lower salinity to save the LFS $$$ On salt because of all the water they lose selling fish.

+1 LFS will keep lower salinity for fish only tanks to keep parasites under control and save costs. And I have seen coral tanks with low salinity at 1.021-1.022. Some corals won’t die right away but eventually close up. Euphyllia IMO are more picky about parameter swings. They are easy corals to keep if the conditions are right however.

 

[Mykawl]

hmm ok ty, maybe back to square one then
as for the inverts any recommended articles on how to drip acclimate to bring salinity up that much? snails/shrimps that is

also ill double check and test their fish tanks seperate from frag tank water
thanks everyone for helping out

 

[ScottR]

Just thought I’d share this. This is a torch of mine that was dying. I couldn’t see any tentacles and thought it was a goner. I noticed my cleaner shrimp in there at night picking away so I suspect it was a parasite.

This is a before

Then I made an iodine dip and dipped it along with a freshly propagated brain coral.

And two or three days later the torch seems to be coming back.

Parameters are typical reef tank parameters.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Be real careful with using phosguard, stripping the water of phosphates rapidly can damage corals pretty bad, especially if you have elevated nitrates. It’s ok to have some phosphates and nitrates, coral require some. Getting the temperature swings under control will help your tank.

 

[ScottR]

Be real careful with using phosguard, stripping the water of phosphates rapidly can damage corals pretty bad, especially if you have elevated nitrates. It’s ok to have some phosphates and nitrates, coral require some. Getting the temperature swings under control will help your tank.

Phosguard is basically GFO on steroids. It really does work a number on PO4. I have some but I’m afraid to use it ;Dead

 

[Cell]

Phosguard is basically GFO on steroids. It really does work a number on PO4. I have some but I’m afraid to use it ;Dead

All the talk of dinos has me afraid to use GFO at all.

 

[Mykawl]

Welp I called LFS they said they keep all tanks around 1.025 so Best guess is my refractometer isn’t calibrated correctly lol. Guess I’ll find out Sunday gonna bring my refractometer in and test it myself and order some calibration fluid. Just to triple check

I know it seems unlikely but I feel I’m right on this one, I calibrated mine to 0 with distilled water and confirmed that with ro/di water and a different distilled water.

When I tested their water it was 1.015

My problems “symptoms” seem salinity related. First snail I only floated dropped him in tank and he started contorting and convulsing. Like extending his body out of his shell then ripping it back in and whipping himself around.

Drip acclimated a tiny hermit & another astrea snail from 1.015 to 1.025 over like 12 hours last night and astrea was in same spot this morning where I put him last night. Ofcourse I’ve read this should be done in a QT tank over at least a weeks time

 

[jeffchapok]

Your tank is still awfully new to be keeping corals. I didn't have any luck with hammers until about the 6 month mark. Mine always closed up and eventually bailed after a week or so.

I've just now got my first heads that are thriving, and the tank has been up since early Jan. My GSP didn't do too well either until now. It would always get overgrown by GHA.

I had the best results early on with toadstools and cabbages.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

You need a salinity standard for calibration, not rodi water. You could probably get by using some lfs water for now.

 

[Mykawl]

I just ordered some aquatic experts calibration fluid and a hydrometer for peace of mind.

Will also be taking my refractometer and tank water to LFS to have them test and see what’s going on.

I find it hard to believe my brand new refractometer calibrated to 0 with distilled water could be so far off that it’s reading 1.015 in what is supposedly 1.025 water. That’s a lot no?

 

[LARedstickreefer]

I just ordered some aquatic experts calibration fluid and a hydrometer for peace of mind.

Will also be taking my refractometer and tank water to LFS to have them test and see what’s going on.

I find it hard to believe my brand new refractometer calibrated to 0 with distilled water could be so far off that it’s reading 1.015 in what is supposedly 1.025 water. That’s a lot no?

Cancel that hydrometer, it won’t be of use. Get the refractometer calibrated and stick with it. Don’t know how far off it can be using rodi for calibration, but it won’t be as accurate as it’s designed to be.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I may be late in reply but tank Very new, lights are bright 9reduce white and increase blue), Water flow should be moderate and salinity range 1.025-1.026
What also is your salinity? have you tested or had water tested yet?

 

[Katrina71]

Wait 6 weeks. You might have some amazing regrowth.

 

[Mykawl]

I found my problem guys, wrong refractometer... took my water and refractometer to 2 fish stores and the salt level was off the charts 1.040+

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-12/rhf/index.php#1

Here is an article on all of this if it helps anyone in the future apparently it isn’t uncommon for reefers to be using the wrong type of refractometer.

Still, the confusing thing is that article says these are still viable options if calibrated accordingly it’s all to much for me maybe someone can enlighten me what type exactly I have and if it’s usable (I’m most likely buying the correct one intended for sea water use anyways though).

Below is the one I bought, I swear I must have misclicked!?

Just glad I have this figured out, I had to empty nearly half of my tanks water and replace with ro/di to get it back down. Crazy thing is the fish seemed fine

 

[Mykawl]

Using this one calibrated to 0 with distilled water then mixing saltwater to 1.025 was actually creating 1.040+ water lol yikes!

 

[roberthu526]

Glad you found the problem.

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

Using this one calibrated to 0 with distilled water then mixing saltwater to 1.025 was actually creating 1.040+ water lol yikes!

It’s better to use calibration fluid vs distilled water to calibrate