Popcorn ceiling killing my hard coral?

[Wiz]

I've been changing out my rox 8 with every water change

If you suspect any kind of contamination, Id suggest heavy amounts of carbon asap.

 

[bios]

Rick is right
Low nutrients and high lights
Long light action on the corals

 

[Rick.45cal]

When did they become undetectable, a few months ago when things started declining? Is that when the fuge sucked all the nutrients out of the water. Hows the algae growth in the fuge? Stalled? Not much growth?

 

[Wiz]

Let's assume for a second that this is the problem. What would be the best course of action?

Rick is right
Low nutrients and high lights
Long light action on the corals

 

[Wiz]

No the fuge grows quite well. And this just started two or three months ago which was about a month or two after I moved. The fuge has been running for years. This is why I assumed it must be something in the new house

 

[bios]

Low down kh to 8
Low temp
Feed better
Change light cycle and low the white

 

[Wiz]

I do appreciate the suggestions. However I have been running a alkalinity at 10 for years and I like it that way. Temp has been 79 to 82 for years The light schedule has remained the same. The feeding has remain the same with exception to switching frozen foods. I would not mind dropping some of the white white

 

[Rick.45cal]

So you say there are bare yellow patches under the popcorn ceiling where it is falling down. What is causing the popcorn ceiling to come off? That sounds like water infiltration. Is your roof leaking when it rains? (I'm just throwing out possibilities as I see them). That would be a source of contamination as well

 

[Wiz]

I checked the attic and there are no leaks. And the yellow spots are only above the fish tank. My stand is built extra-tall so you do not have to bend to see the fish tank. I am assuming it is the warm evaporation that is infecting the ceiling

So you say there are bare yellow patches under the popcorn ceiling where it is falling down. What is causing the popcorn ceiling to come off? That sounds like water infiltration. Is your roof leaking when it rains? (I'm just throwing out possibilities as I see them). That would be a source of contamination as well

 

[Wiz]

I did used to dose a few drops of iodine in a cap full of iron every month for the refugium. Have not done that since I moved probably about 5 months now. Can't see that being the problem though

 

[Rick.45cal]

Do you own this house, or is it a rental?

 

[Wiz]

Just bought it six months ago.

 

[Rick.45cal]

That popcorn ceiling is REALLY easy to get rid of. (It just stinks working over your head). If you want to know an easy and relatively painless way to do it, I can tell you either here or via PM. That would eliminate it as a culprit for good.

 

[Wiz]

I had a piece of fabric with tree frogs on it that looks halfway decent and happens to be about the size of the tank. I tacked it to the ceiling short-term to see if that is the problem

 

[ReefersDirect Verified Sponsor]

send a water sample to triton. They don't check for asbestos but it will rule everything else out

 

[Rick.45cal]

I sent you a PM for future popcorn ceiling removal strategies

 

[Nano man]

Peach tube, gbta, rbta, red flower, and 2 mini carpets. So yes. Lol

Are all these anemones still doing well? All living and not scribbled up?

 

[david.faik]

My 2c

If there was zero phosphate available, then those great macro algae in the tank would not grow. First thing I'd do if this was my tank issue is to check the phosphate test kit. The Hannah Phoshporous test kits are uber sensitive, their Phosphate one is less sensitive but good. You could then see if your zero is really a zero, which I doubt. Also if your test kit isn't giving good results.

I see that you also have a DSB. (Me too!). Have you ever in the ten years swapped out an area of that with new fine sand? I do this infrequently by taking a large plastic container, like a rinsed out large ice cream tub, bury that into the sand I want to move as gently as part possible, leave to settle then ever so gently remove and add the new sand. After ten years any good that could have dissolved out of your sand into your system has probably been exhausted. Once you have done that temporarily lowering your alk will help elements from the sand dissolve into your tank water. In general a consensus about replenishing some of the sand bed appears to be growing in the DSB community. Further to this you could add a small container of "miracle mud" that claims to add some vital chemicals to the water and provides some DSB like benefits. People seem very divided on those products, but most detractors seem to think do no harm and waste your money. I use this as a partial solution in my tanks and "feel" it helps, alas I cannot be more scientific than that.

Systems with DSBs, especially that are not partially replenished from time to time, seem to be more prone to "old tank syndrome". I'd research those threads to see if any good can advice can come of that.

Lastly, as a band aid I would feed those corals with a turkey baster filled with phytoplankton, as the consensus from the smarter folks than I is that they may be starved. I think that this would provide localized feeding opportunity for them, though from your stocking levels I am rather surprised that fish poo and cleaning your glass isn't already doing that (so agree with your thinking on that). But a little phyto to test that probably won't hurt anything that much.

If I was a gambler I would bet that the problem is not your ceiling.

Anyway, I'm no world expert, so anyone who thinks any of this is dumb or wrong please feel free to contradict me and help the original poster. However in case it helps those are actions I'd take from the information that you shared.

 

[Wiz]

Yes. All are out and happy

Are all these anemones still doing well? All living and not scribbled up?

 

[david.faik]

Forgot to ask, are you dosing any form of carbon, as that would change my approach a little?
Edit: in fact perhaps broader than that, what are you doing for your phosphate export?