SPS all dying,(bleaching)

[cryotek74]

I have no idea why all my SPS are dying. My hammer, torch, and other softies are OK. just the SPS are dying. losing one every 24 hrs. they are all dying from the base up. Water parameters have been extremely consistent. 390-410 cal, 1120mg, 10 dkh, 8.1ph. 4 NO3, 0.04 PO. 1.023 sg. Just started wednesday. I installed a new return pump 2 weeks ago. I cleaned and flushed with RO water before installing and same with new fittings. My anenome did eat my skunk shrimp last week as well. The tank has been fallow for 80 days. Last new coral was added 2 or 3 weeks ago. I dip them in bayer before putting in tank.

Any and all ideas are welcome. Pic is coral 12 hrs apart.

 

[BetURWrasse]

Looks to me your ca and mg are low and KH is high. PO4 could be high.

 

[twilliard]

Have you had acros in the tank prior to fallow?

 

[reeferfoxx]

Did you test Ammonia?
How old was the tank prior to being fallow for 80 days?
Have you been adjusting your lights?
SG of 1.023 seems low for SPS? I don't see much coralline algae either?
What are you using to test Alk?

 

[cryotek74]

The tank was started in Nov last year. Fish were in tank till May 1 when i added a powder brown tang that had Ick. I put the fish back yesterday althought the coral bleaching has been going on for a week'ish
I've had the corals in the tank for the last 6 months.
NH3 test is 0.0 PO4 is 0.04. All tests are using red sea(current expiration dates on all)
Lights- 4 AI primes set at 13K@ 60 intesity for 6 hrs with 2 hrs ramp in morning and 4 at night.
I was treating tank with H2O2 to rid of cyano for a couplle weeks. I stopped when i saw the bleaching earlier this week.

water flow is high(new DCS-9000). Also tank temp is 77.6 almost 24/7 for months.

 

[cb684]

A few questions to help other people help you:
1. Were SPS doing well at any time in this system? By doing well I mean at least good polyp extension.
2. If the SPS were doing well before:
a) Did you add any new corals or live rock recently? If so, did you dip and quarantined before adding?
b) Was there any temperature spike (more than 3 degrees)?
3. When you say "only my SPS", how many frags/colonies do you have? How many show signs of necrosis (like the one in the pictures)?
Good luck

 

[cryotek74]

All corals were doing awesome before this week. all corals get bayer dip before going in tank. I've att. some pics of all the corals in tank from thursday.

The only major changes were my anenome ate my skunk shrimp and I added a new return pump(after i cleaned and run in RODI water for a while to clean and flush).

I asked my wife if she or the kids used any febreeze or any other cleaners in my office or the house and she said no.

My ATO is RODI water with Kalwasser(1/2 tablespoon per gallon) to keep up the Cal.

 

[reeferfoxx]

Have you had acros in the tank prior to fallow?

^

 

[cb684]

How big is the tank? Did you use copper for treating the tang? Any chance that some of the water made into your display tank?

 

[cryotek74]

I treated the fish in a hospital tank. I used cupramine for 30 days(may 2 through June 14). then water changes every 2 weeks on hospital tank. When fish were moved into display tank on thursday i netted them and put them back in by hand to minimize the water from hospital tank. Hospital tank was 30ft away from 125 gal DT tank in different room.

 

[cryotek74]

here is tank

 

[Piranhapat]

Salinity should be 1.25-1.26. What is the temperature of tank. Alk is on high side. Magnesium is low you should be 1200

 

[reeferfoxx]

With your SG at 1.023, dKH of 10 and low magnesium, I think you had a shift in evaporation. Possibly creating too much alkalinity swing from increased kalk? I'm just guessing based on what you've said. What was your h202 regimen and you're sure you didn't mess with LEDs too much? SPS are finicky.

Love the tank, by the way!

 

[cryotek74]

I will work this weekend on getting the Mg and salinity up(slowly). H2O2 was 15ml 05:00 and 20:00. LEDs haven't changed. I i had them off for a day when I reorganized the wiring in the cabinet.

Temp on tank is always(24/7) 77F. swing of less than 0.5 F per day and week(I'm cheap and keep my house at 77).


Is it odd that the corals all die from the base(rock) up. not from tips or polyps. ? I thought if something were water quality related it would be the entire coral slowly dying not from the base up.....But I am still learning this hobby(with everyone's help).

I do appreciate all the help and ideas you all are providing.

 

[reeferfoxx]

LEDs haven't changed. I i had them off for a day when I reorganized the wiring in the cabinet.

I wouldn't think this is enough to stress them.

When I first added acropora, I made it 4 weeks before they RTN. I was a newbie back then and thought I could achieve the best position and lighting, for them. They moved from bottom to top, back to bottom. I adjusted lights from dim to bright and back to dim. Really I stressed them out. So they just said, "forget it, i'd rather die" lol... Thats how I deal with it anyway. Stress is what causes RTN. White tips on SPS suggests alk swings. Lack of color can be a combination. Some look like new coral, maybe not really ready for the light intensity.

For future coral, maybe look up light acclimation as another option for precaution.

Anyway sudden increases or decreases in pH or Alk can cause RTN. With your salinity being lower than where it should be, I don't think it helped. It will all bounce back

 

[Lenny_S]

Bottom up necrosis is usually starvation, probably been slowly happening for a while, especially since you've been running fallow for so long. Lights are too dim as well IMHO. Basically the coral gets to a critical state and essentially suicides. They are already weak and stressed, I suggest dosing NO3 and start increasing the lights slowly and hope for the best.

 

[cb684]

Just in case, I would get one of these frags that are dying and I would dip in Bayer and see if anything comes out. I have seen too many recent cases of black bugs...

 

[cryotek74]

I am feeding "coral frenzy" food once a week.

Whatever got in my tank or chemistry failure appears to have happened tuesday or wednesday this week.

 

[twilliard]

I am feeding "coral frenzy" food once a week.

Whatever got in my tank or chemistry failure appears to have happened tuesday or wednesday this week.

Is that all you are feeding??

 

[cryotek74]

Coral frenzy once a week. I have been also dropping in some dried pellet food "new life spectrum" for the crabs and shrimp.