SPS are STNing from base up! HELP...

[Stpatrick]

Hi everyone. My SPS are stning from there base up. I have been doing major water changes all week.

Tank background.
60g gallon Solana. ALK= 7.8, CA= 450, PH= 8.2, NO3= 10, PO3= .06.

Here are the changes i did in the last month. I have been having problem with light diatom dusting on glass after water changes. TDS meter is 0. I thought I might have issues with hi silicas. SO I added another chamber to my ro/DI system. I added a ANION SILICA RESIN chamber.

I also removed my BI pellet reactor because my corals where not coloring up like they should be. Thought the water was to clean. I removed it about a week ago.

Lights - 250 radium single ended MH. 2 24" t5s and three strips of blue led for accents.

Thoughts?

 

[Stpatrick]

crappy iPhone pics.

Here is my Toxic. Look through to the base.


Here is my Hulk Milli - Loosing it bottom.


Strawberry Shortcake,


Tyree TriColor,

 

[Aquaph8]

Give us some more details on how it started and how's it's progressed since its started. Any alk swings at all?

 

[Stpatrick]

No Alk swings. It started about 6 days ago with my frag farmers red table. Thats when I started to wonder whats up. I didnt wantto loose that one so I tested params and everything was fine. I removed the silica cartrage from my ro/do line up. Changes all my top off water. I did a 15 gallon water change. Couple days later it still continued and a few of my other corral when completely blah and new something was up. I did a 25 gallon water change. Today I noticed it went to many of my other corals. I did a 10 gallon water change, added a cup of BRS ROX carbon and a cup of GFO. I also put my Bio pellet reactor back on line. I added about 125 ML of WM Ecobak. THe red table that the STN started with seems to have slowed down. I have never seen this in the 2+ years I have been keeping sps.

 

[Stpatrick]

Here is a link to my build for background on the tank set up, if anyone is interested.

Build

 

[Tangmaniac]

I had same problem years ago could not figure out what it was , then I noticed the screws of my mag pump were completely rusted , so I suggest check your equipment for any rust signs , just my two cents

 

[Stpatrick]

Great input. Everything is brand-new there's really nothing in the sump that can rust. I went through it clean and cleaned it out this morning. The skimmer was Pulled and clean last month. Argh. Tank temp fluctuates about half a degree when the chiller turns on.


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[Shadow1]

When was the latest livestock addition any chance of parasites? GFO is rust so that should really no be the cause also it would be slow and taken a long time.

 

[Stpatrick]

I wonder if after I pulled my biopellet reactor my ammonia may have spiked. I wonder if that's causing stn?


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[Stpatrick]

Pest free. I check via a macro lens.


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[Aquaph8]

Only time I had issues like this was when I went too crazy with Vodka but with nitrates at 10 I doubt that happened in your case.

 

[Stpatrick]

They where around 2-3 when I had the reactor online. They went up after I removed it.


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[Aquaph8]

Maybe your on to something, you said they seem better since you put it back on right? I'd go ahead and frag the ones from the pictures.

 

[Stpatrick]

I just put the reactor back online today. To early to tell. I would hate to start fraging


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[Aquaph8]

Those dead bases aren't gonna do anything for you, fragging may help stop the spread and save the healthy part of the corals.

 

[PaulKreider]

+1 bite the bullet and frag them, Iv saved a few colonies that way.

 

[jduck]

I would make 2 frags out of each and hopefully you will have at least 1 survive.

 

[Stpatrick]

Bummer. Ok. I will get the bone cutter out.

I did some water test right now.
Alk - 8.5
Ca - 450
PO4 - 0. Hanna. Measured it twice. I couldn't believe it drop that quick after I added acup of GFO this morning
NO4 - 2.5
Mag - 1350
Iodide - .01. Low!




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[KoleTang]

You really shouldn't go cold turkey on pellets or any carbon dosing for that matter.

GFO removes ALL of the PO4 it comes in contact with. Once it is full, you might as well be running rocks in your reactor (ie., it doesn't do anything after its exhausted) This is why I use half the recommended amount of GFO and change it every two weeks with the carbon instead of every four weeks like recommended. I also have it running 5 hours every night starting at 1:00 AM or something then it shuts off the rest of the day. My carbon runs 24/7 though.

Read the section on Iodine - The “How To” Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners Part 2: What Chemicals Must be Supplemented by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[Stpatrick]

Final update. I ended up losing 6 colonies. I was lucky enough to frag them and save a few frags. The other corals in the DT are doing fine, now. I wonder if my light is just over powering the lps/sps. My LPS on the bottom all are showing bleach/lightened top surfaces. Te upper surfaces or tips of all the sps are all also very lighten compared to other areas of the coral that are getting indirect light. Thought everyone?