Struggling Corals

[Flippers4pups]

Alk did swing downward recently, but I should note corals were struggling prior to this. I actually let it swing naturally by taking my doser offline because I was concerned it was a little high for my montis (9.7). Over a week it lowered to 8.2. Since that time is has stayed around 8.7 consistently.

The salinity is check on a refractometer which is calibrated with a calibration solution. I do have an apex, but it's been awhile since i've calibrated the salinity. The salinity on apex reads 34.2PPT while the refractometer readings indicate 1.025/6.

I also sent the ICP in hopes to double check my testing.


Thanks,
J

Alkalinity swing could have contributed, but with a long period of adjustment, not high on the list.

All test kits within expiration dates?
Any contaminants, aerosol house cleaners, candles....etc?

 

[JakeLikesReefs]

Alkalinity swing could have contributed, but with a long period of adjustment, not high on the list.

All test kits within expiration dates?
Any contaminants, aerosol house cleaners, candles....etc?

To my knowledge there should not be any contaminants, I will scour the area later. I need to double check expiration dates later today when I am home. I know nitrate, mag are newer. p04 and alk are hanna kits.

J

 

[ScottB]

Those are all good parameter numbers. Running carbon should be knocking back contaminants. No sunscreen making its way in, correct?

I can recall another post about unexplained monti bleaching after switching to Fritz just a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty much all the community could come up with. I'll see if I can find that thread and bump it.

What is your WC schedule like?

Lastly, I believe the Hanna test error range is +-.04. I'd suggest bumping it up a little more IF you had NO GHA. But you do, so nevermind.

 

[Double monti 61]

How about adding amino acids that may help

 

[Flippers4pups]

Jake, keep us updated on how they are doing. Sorry, wish there was a "magic solution" to your issues. Sounds like you've done everything right.

Continue to do water changes every week, keep every parameter stable and hang in there.

 

[BoasNZoas]

Do you think carbon is stripping too much out of the water? How often do you change it? Using too much of it?

 

[DMG Reef]

Since May of this year ... The corals that are struggling were bought around same time and change was made slowly. The corals we're all growing w the new salt until last 2 weeks or so.

J

One thing to consider regarding changing salt brands, your tank is running on your old salt brand for quite awhile after the switch unless you did a 100% water change with the new salt. If you're changing 5-10% weekly, you aren't really able to judge the impact of the new salt for several weeks or months depending on how large your water changes are.

Just putting that out there since nothing else stands out and there have been some reports of bad batches of Fritz. Good luck!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Im going to pick on change in lighting? Keep it at 20% white and 755 blue, moderate water flow.
Have you changed salt mix or salinity and PH swing? What is water temp and CA level?
These questions will be a start to assessment.

 

[JakeLikesReefs]

Im going to pick on change in lighting? Keep it at 20% white and 755 blue, moderate water flow.
Have you changed salt mix or salinity and PH swing? What is water temp and CA level?
These questions will be a start to assessment.

Hey,

No lighting changes of note. I slightly dropped whites 5%. Par was tested showing 193 par in hot spots with 43 par in lowest spots.

Salt mix was changed late May early June to fritz. Ca is 455 and temp is 78.

J

 

[JakeLikesReefs]

One thing to consider regarding changing salt brands, your tank is running on your old salt brand for quite awhile after the switch unless you did a 100% water change with the new salt. If you're changing 5-10% weekly, you aren't really able to judge the impact of the new salt for several weeks or months depending on how large your water changes are.

Just putting that out there since nothing else stands out and there have been some reports of bad batches of Fritz. Good luck!

Do I consider changing the salt again?

J

 

[JakeLikesReefs]

How about adding amino acids that may help

I feed acids daily...polyp labs program

J

 

[vetteguy53081]

I feed acids daily...polyp labs program

J

Aminos are good, calc level in good range. Mag can be at 1350 and PH should be in range of 8.0-8.3. if lower not an issue as Long as it is stable. Also do look with reading glasses or magnifier for any weird pest or bugs

 

[JakeLikesReefs]

Yesterday I did a small water change and ran a new batch of carbon. Things look slightly better (very slightly). Pics to follow. It will be interesting to see if icp catches anything.

 

[ADAM]

Do you think carbon is stripping too much out of the water? How often do you change it? Using too much of it?

1. What they said- X2; If I run carbon my corals suffer no doubt about it.

2. Check your pumps and powerhead impellers (All Equip Really) for rusting, the iron would feed the GHA also.

3. There looks to be visible diatoms in the pics also. Something may have caused a "mini-cycle" Which when ridding the system of these remember, as the diatoms decompose, they release silicates back into the aquarium water and can cause the oxygen level to drop slightly. Try to siphon out the diatoms instead of starving them.

4. Have you noticed an increased growth in any sponges, hitchhikers or purchased colonies? I ask because they are an easy way to gauge silicates in the water column.

5. If the incoming water pH is low, and other scenarios also with RODI systems, it is posiible that there are still contaminants that can pass through, and still get 0 TDS!! I had to switch to the 7 stage filter due to nitrate and silicates of incoming water, and since changing my tank has never been better.

6. If your pH is running lower than normal, and you mention an ALK swing you may have organic build up somewhere that is causing a drop in pH. Your tests results aren't quite able to catch this because of the consumption of the elements by the diatoms and GHA is another possibility.

If it were me, I would cut back feeding a little and check my source water. Remove carbon (or cut amount in half at the least) and continue with smaller more frequent water changes. If you have a friend or LFS nearby where you can use a different RODI water source I would do that also. At this point I would NOT start adding chemicals for lowering any particular parameter or changing any current additive(s) dosing schedule. Just from my personal experience, it smells a lot like silicates or rusting of equipment.

Hope this helps and

 

[JakeLikesReefs]

This Monti has just a few polyps reemerging that were not open yesterday.

J

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

How old is the system? When I had an issue with my montipora digitata paling then thay stn'd, it was due to low phosphates, from what I can determine. With feeding extra I have brought colours out on my frogspawn that have always been pale and very colourless and the dead monti that was cut out must have had some life left on the rocks that I couldn't cut out as that has started to encrust the rocks from just a few polyps that were left. I dont even do very many water changes, maybe 1 every 8 weeks on a 90 litre system of about 10%. I have no skimmer or sump and use a chinese black box for lighting. I think its amazing how life can bouce back. The reason I'm saying this is because I had the sa.e issues for ages, levels were spot on for my system of,
Alk 7.7
Calcium 440
Mag 1320
Ph 8
Po4 0.04 (on near date kit)
Po4 0.00 undetectable on new kit both salifert.
No3 10.
But I had cyano and couldn't figure out why. I treated it with red slime remover then, got dinos and has been a struggle for nearly a year now.

 

[EmptyWallet]

sounds like your salt mix is on the fritz...

<sorry, someone had to say it and I'm trying to work on my dad jokes>

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

How old is the system? When I had an issue with my montipora digitata paling then thay stn'd, it was due to low phosphates, from what I can determine. With feeding extra I have brought colours out on my frogspawn that have always been pale and very colourless and the dead monti that was cut out must have had some life left on the rocks that I couldn't cut out as that has started to encrust the rocks from just a few polyps that were left. I dont even do very many water changes, maybe 1 every 8 weeks on a 90 litre system of about 10%. I have no skimmer or sump and use a chinese black box for lighting. I think its amazing how life can bouce back. The reason I'm saying this is because I had the sa.e issues for ages, levels were spot on for my system of,
Alk 7.7
Calcium 440
Mag 1320
Ph 8
Po4 0.04 (on near date kit)
Po4 0.00 undetectable on new kit both salifert.
No3 10.
But I had cyano and couldn't figure out why. I treated it with red slime remover then, got dinos and has been a struggle for nearly a year now.

to this

all pale and no real colour

then stn

new growth

and as of yesterday.

 

[Neptunium93]

Have you also checked any equipments rusting? Those scenario can definitely leach out heavy metals in your tank

 

[JakeLikesReefs]

How old is the system? When I had an issue with my montipora digitata paling then thay stn'd, it was due to low phosphates, from what I can determine. With feeding extra I have brought colours out on my frogspawn that have always been pale and very colourless and the dead monti that was cut out must have had some life left on the rocks that I couldn't cut out as that has started to encrust the rocks from just a few polyps that were left. I dont even do very many water changes, maybe 1 every 8 weeks on a 90 litre system of about 10%. I have no skimmer or sump and use a chinese black box for lighting. I think its amazing how life can bouce back. The reason I'm saying this is because I had the sa.e issues for ages, levels were spot on for my system of,
Alk 7.7
Calcium 440
Mag 1320
Ph 8
Po4 0.04 (on near date kit)
Po4 0.00 undetectable on new kit both salifert.
No3 10.
But I had cyano and couldn't figure out why. I treated it with red slime remover then, got dinos and has been a struggle for nearly a year now.

The system is approaching two years now. It used to be super low nutrient and due to that and a few other issues it crashed back in January. It was retooled and cleaned up in march. I went from dealing with GHA to dealing with a one week issue w Dinos. I am measuring nutrients every two days and I dose neo nitro or neo phos if things dip too low. I have gotten to a point now where nutrients are holding steady and i am not having to dose anything to maintain them.

J