Scoly just melted away.

[Sharp]

I had to move scoly under a shaded spot and now it’s doing better

Where was the scoly before? What are the other corals looking like? If they are healthy, but the Scoly is not. It was most likely a lighting issue, rather than chemical inbalance.

 

[outhouse]

I also recommend you get more opinions, none of us can know for 100% sure.

Trying to be nice here, but before giving advise, you should be able to grow coral well! and be a successful reefer. You should know how to cure sick coral and stop decay. You dont. If you need help getting your coral to grow, like you posted a week ago I would be glad to get you on track. But right now im trying to help OP and I do this professionally.

 

[outhouse]

I have to say I disagree with the assessment that large water changes

That is is due to your inexperience.

You think the coral that died in her tank left behind any toxins?

She has problems maybe multiple problems, and they need to be corrected now, and with death that means were already behind the 8 ball here. Lighting will slow or stop growth, it wont generally kill a scoly due to bright lighting conditions, thats water conditions. NOTHING fixes a tank crash like complete water changes. And OP has admitted to lacking at such.

I bought my first scoly 20 years ago and it had skeleton poking through and was sick, i still have it, and have nursed it back from crashes a few times.

I have made all these mistakes and fixed them for decades, I know what im doing here.

 

[Sharp]

Trying to be nice here, but before giving advise, you should be able to grow coral well! and be a successful reefer. You should know how to cure sick coral and stop decay. You dont. If you need help getting your coral to grow, like you posted a week ago I would be glad to get you on track. But right now im trying to help OP and I do this professionally.

Sorry. Im just trying to help, share my experience. I do see your point, I probably shouldnt be giving advice. But I have learned a thing or two from my experiences and reading various other posts. I had no idea you did this professionally. I will step back. I was trying to cover different basis with the OP.

I think I was trying to make sure OP didnt do something rash and do multiple large water changes, potentially freaking out the coral, especially considering we do not know the calcium and mag levels, which are pretty important.

Btw I very much appreciate your help, and didnt mean to be rude.

Hope it all works out.

 

[Sharp]

That is is due to your inexperience.

You think the coral that died in her tank left behind any toxins?

She has problems maybe multiple problems, and they need to be corrected now, and with death that means were already behind the 8 ball here. Lighting will slow or stop growth, it wont generally kill a scoly due to bright lighting conditions, thats water conditions. NOTHING fixes a tank crash like complete water changes. And OP has admitted to lacking at such.

I bought my first scoly 20 years ago and it had skeleton poking through and was sick, i still have it, and have nursed it back from crashes a few times.

I have made all these mistakes and fixed them for decades, I know what im doing here.

Sorry. I agree. I should not have been giving advice.

 

[Sharp]

May I ask a question. What makes you think its related to nutrient levels rather than calcium or magnesium or even other potential toxins? I was under the impression nutrients at the 5-10 range weren't really an issue.

 

[outhouse]

Btw I would very much appreciate your help, and didnt mean to be rude.

Hope it all works out.

I have thick skin, your OK with me im just trying to set you straight, I want your coral to grow well too. Im king of screw ups here, I have been doing this for 30 years and dont want you guys making my previous mistakes. Its all good your a reefing rother and im just trying to give effective advise

 

[Sharp]

I have thick skin, your OK with me im just trying to set you straight, I want your coral to grow well too. Im king of screw ups here, I have been doing this for 30 years and dont want you guys making my previous mistakes. Its all good your a reefing rother and im just trying to give effective advise

Cheers.

 

[outhouse]

May I ask a question. What makes you think its related to nutrient levels rather than calcium or magnesium or even other potential toxins? I was under the impression nutrients at the 5-10 range weren't really an issue.

Its not what you can test. Its a tank crashing, that is what she is experiencing, and if you get a handle on it, you have minimal losses. Only large water changes stops a tank from crashing if your lucky.

 

[outhouse]

This tank crashed 3 months ago, from bad water and lights being to bright. There is hope

 

[Sharp]

Its not what you can test. Its a tank crashing, that is what she is experiencing, and if you get a handle on it, you have minimal losses. Only large water changes stops a tank from crashing if your lucky.

One more question. I think this is where my inexperience shows. I haven't had this happen before. I was always under the impression tank crashes were associated with unforeseeable things occurring which nukes a tank. Heater failure, doser dosing everything in at once, velvet outbreak etc.

Are these toxins caused by sick coral?

 

[Sharp]

This tank crashed 3 months ago, from bad water and lights being to bright. There is hope

I do remember your posts now. Its hard to believe such a beautiful tank could have been so sick such a little time ago.

 

[outhouse]

Are these toxins caused by sick coral?

Water gets dirty enough your coral cant take it and your weakest corals start dying. That releases different kinds of nasty. No different than not finding a dead fish, or having a cucumber die in your tank, or a sea hare. Or 10 snails at once. Only water changes fix these things. Its a go to. ADD to that test kits are not always accurate. Parameters you think you have may be way worse then what you think or post. You cant assume and small chemical changes when trying to fix issues can hurt badly because because you are prolonging the real problem.

 

[Sharp]

Water gets dirty enough your coral cant take it and your weakest corals start dying. That releases different kinds of nasty. No different than not finding a dead fish, or having a cucumber die in your tank, or a sea hare. Or 10 snails at once. Only water changes fix these things. Its a go to. ADD to that test kits are not always accurate. Parameters you think you have may be way worse then what you think or post. You cant assume and small chemical changes when trying to fix issues can hurt badly because because you are prolonging the real problem.

So how to people go all these months without changing any water? I am currently at 3 weeks without a water change. I was trying to see whether keeping my tank more stable would help. This info is beginning to freak me out. Maybe I should do one...

 

[outhouse]

ts hard to believe such a beautiful tank could have been so sick such a little time ago.

100g water changes monthly in a 300G system. That is what turned it around.

When a tank is doing what it should, you can see weekly growth. I filled that 210G tank in 2 years one time with branching hammer and frogspawn.

I siwtched to leds from 20 years of MH and VHO and growth stopped cold. No bleaching but just no growth. My lights were too bright, way to much intensity.

I also let my water get ugly by not changing it like I should.

REMEMBER all your parameters can be good, but the tanks water can be out of balance. Its better just to do water changes and get the tank back in harmony then play with balances you may never get right. Fresh water is always right, and your tank will always like it.

 

[outhouse]

So how to people go all these months without changing any water?

I have gone years without a change, using turf scrubbers or fuge or chaeto. BUT at the end of those times, I had small crashes I had to correct with new water.

Never EVER lost a piece of coral to a water change, no matter how large or small.

If you dont have growth in your 180 and you are using leds, I would cut intensity back, way back, if your running leds that have 3w chips. If your running 1W chips, that could be your problem

 

[Sharp]

100g water changes monthly in a 300G system. That is what turned it around.

When a tank is doing what it should, you can see weekly growth. I filled that 210G tank in 2 years one time with branching hammer and frogspawn.

I siwtched to leds from 20 years of MH and VHO and growth stopped cold. No bleaching but just no growth. My lights were too bright, way to much intensity.

I also let my water get ugly by not changing it like I should.

REMEMBER all your parameters can be good, but the tanks water can be out of balance. Its better just to do water changes and get the tank back in harmony then play with balances you may never get right. Fresh water is always right, and your tank will always like it.

That makes sense. I think I had a slightly different idea of what alot of water changes consisted of. For awhile in my 75 gallon I was doing biweekly 50% water changes, as you can imagine the tank didnt do so well. I would probably agree that monthly water changes are never a bad thing. Was there a way you knew it was too much, versus too little lighting. I am having an issue where I don't know if I need to up the lights or lower them.

Fergus

 

[Sharp]

I have gone years without a change, using turf scrubbers or fuge or chaeto. BUT at the end of those times, I had small crashes I had to correct with new water.

Never EVER lost a piece of coral to a water change, no matter how large or small.

If you dont have growth in your 180 and you are using leds, I would cut intensity back, way back, if your running leds that have 3w chips. If your running 1W chips, that could be your problem

I am running Hyrda 26's no idea about the chips. Do you match the water you are changing in? - in terms of temperature, salinity, ph and then the kh, cal, mag? I usually just heat mine up and as its natural sea water it should be pretty close. But I have had issues with coral retracting because of water changes, I think there must be a key thing I am missing right?

 

[outhouse]

am having an issue where I don't know if I need to up the lights or lower them.

When in doubt lower them. If you have to ask? lower them.

That pic above? Im running 10% B for 8 hours and 1 % W for 6 hours.

Modern lights way to powerful, in nature most corals dont get the par we place on our aquariums. Most corals come much deeper then you would think where par is not a question or issue.

That is what helped for everything to grow, remember in nature you have cloudy months, it never hurts to have to little for a while.

Think about this, you want your coral reaching for light, that makes it grow faster, if its hiding your sunburning in. Remember after 6 hours peak lighting your coral cannot absorb anymore light

 

[Sharp]

When in doubt lower them. If you have to ask? lower them.

That pic above? Im running 10% B for 8 hours and 1 % W for 6 hours.

Modern lights way to powerful, in nature most corals dont get the par we place on our aquariums. Most corals come much deeper then you would think where par is not a question or issue.

That is what helped for everything to grow, remember in nature you have cloudy months, it never hurts to have to little for a while.

Think about this, you want your coral reaching for light, that makes it grow faster, if its hiding your sunburning in. Remember after 6 hours peak lighting your coral cannot absorb anymore light

That makes sense. I wanted to thank you for your help again. And also apologise for being so assertively wrong! Ill watch and learn from those more knowledgeable in the future, and try to not force my suggestions on anyone. I would also like to say sorry to the OP, for derailing your thread and giving poor advice. I do sincerely hope everything works out. Hopefully you can implement some of the suggestions outhouse made and fix your tank.

Fergus