Tank Crashin lossing coral

[luke fortunato]

I woke up this morning and my tank seems to be crashing. The leather is not staying up, the bird-nest are losing color, hammar and torch not opening, a chalice almost complete loss of its color. My nitrates yesterday were 5 ppm but now they are 80 ppm, what should I do.

 

[Tahoe61]

Do small water changes, run charcoal, test for ammonia, and the big 3.

 

[luke fortunato]

what is charcoal

Do small water changes, run charcoal, test for ammonia, and the big 3.

what is charcoal
do you think a 25 percent change
also amonioa at .5 ppm

 

[Billdogg]

By charcoal he meant activated carbon, preferably in a reactor. IMHO, a 25% water change never hurt anything. I'd probably go for closer to 50% myself.

 

[luke fortunato]

i dont have any carbon, I got a 15 gallon,

By charcoal he meant activated carbon, preferably in a reactor. IMHO, a 25% water change never hurt anything. I'd probably go for closer to 50% myself.

I dont have carbon, i have a 15 gallon, what should I purchase
I have a quiete flow over the back

 

[fishface NJ]

Run out to Petco or Petsmart for some carbon.

When did you setup the tank? Looks like some coarse substrate? If so, do you vacuum it when you do water changes?

 

[PSU4ME]

Look for a poly filter too. What’s driving the ammonia? Dead something? WC is your best friend

 

[luke fortunato]

Run out to Petco or Petsmart for some carbon.

When did you setup the tank? Looks like some coarse substrate? If so, do you vacuum it when you do water changes?

3 moths ago
and I did

 

[luke fortunato]

Look for a poly filter too. What’s driving the ammonia? Dead something? WC is your best friend

nothing has died in the tank

 

[fishface NJ]

3 moths ago
and I did

Your system is tooooo young for the corals. There isn't enough good bacteria in there yet. It takes time for that to happen. Take the coral out and place in a bucket with tank water. Do a 90% water change and drip acclamate into the bucket with the corals to the new water. Are you sure the test was correct?

 

[ScottB]

Some quick and hefty water changes. Even a 50% change if you can match temp and salinity very closely.

You should try and discover the source of the ammonia. What is new with the tank? New fish? An accidental overfeeding?

 

[HB AL]

Nitrates from 5 to 80 overnight if it’s not a test error would definitely be a problem, not sure they could go up that high overnight. I would retest nitrates, add carbon and do a big water change. It’s safe to assume something changed in the water quickly overnight to cause your present problem.

 

[Tamberav]

I would do a very large water change. People do 100 changes on picos and small nanos without problems.

I would also dose some prime and add carbon.

Not sure if you ever used tap water but don't. (Just ruling that out).

 

[luke fortunato]

update:

So my little sister admitted to coming in and "feeding the fish" i m not exactly sure how much she post in but at least a 1/8 of a cup. I m guessing that was the source

I purchase a second filter and am running only carbon in it.
I dosed with pristine and sabilty
I did a 50 percent water change

Nitrates are down to about 20 ppm and ammonia is down as well

Thanks everyone

 

[maroun.c]

I'd still do large water changes.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Sounds like your taking the right steps, id id prepare another water change just in case. good luck and keep us posted.

 

[luke fortunato]

I'd still do large water changes.

I m planning on doing another change tonight, didn't want the coral in the air when then all look so poor

 

[HB AL]

Well sounds like you discovered what really happened. However how much she fed was definitely too much bioload for the system. The ammonia is causing the most issues, what test kits did you use for ammonia and what was the level?

 

[luke fortunato]

Well sounds like you discovered what really happened. However how much she fed was definitely too much bioload for the system. The ammonia is causing the most issues, what test kits did you use for ammonia and what was the level?

its at 0.25 now and basic kit api

 

[HB AL]

I’ve read the api ammonia test kit regularly gives people a false reading of .25, that’s why I was wondering on the test kit and ammonia reading. Had to be something pretty drastic in such a large volume of water to affect things so quickly. Safe to say something in the water is really causing a detrimental effect to the corals. I would keep doing large water changes matching the params of the new water as close as possible to the tank water, especially alk and temp.