Tank crashing help

[Chiefmaster30]

Also...you said you dosed with Acropower. Have you used this on the tank before?

That was my 3rd time using acropower. I’ve dosed 12ml all 3 times.

 

[sghera64]

+1

+2

 

[sghera64]

How old is the calibration fluid for your refractometers?

Do you have a old swing-arm salinity checker you could use as a back-up. I keep mine around just for a sanity check.

 

[sghera64]

All sps are turning white all zoas and lps are completely closed up. My parameters are all normal.

Any changes to the chaeto?

 

[IslandLifeReef]

I would bring the carbon back online and do a water change. I believe that Reef Flux recommends a 30% water change after 2 weeks.

Are the SPS losing flesh, or just turning white? If it makes you feel any better, I had what I thought was a tank crash back in December. Not really sure what caused it because I was dosing vibrant for GHA and changed my lighting and had my heater left unplugged and the temp dropped 4 degrees to 74. Both LPS and SPS looked bad. My frogspawn and hammer stayed closed for 2+ weeks. Everything pulled through.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

How old is the calibration fluid for your refractometers?

Do you have a old swing-arm salinity checker you could use as a back-up. I keep mine around just for a sanity check.

Calibration fluid is 9 months old. I do not have the old swing style

 

[Chiefmaster30]

Any changes to the chaeto?

My chaeto actually started turning white and die’ing in one small area the day before yesterday. I’m actually doing a 30% water change at the moment. Could the acropower have done this??

 

[Chiefmaster30]

I would bring the carbon back online and do a water change. I believe that Reef Flux recommends a 30% water change after 2 weeks.

Are the SPS losing flesh, or just turning white? If it makes you feel any better, I had what I thought was a tank crash back in December. Not really sure what caused it because I was dosing vibrant for GHA and changed my lighting and had my heater left unplugged and the temp dropped 4 degrees to 74. Both LPS and SPS looked bad. My frogspawn and hammer stayed closed for 2+ weeks. Everything pulled through.

Sps are just turning white right now. Not losing flesh.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

30% water change done. Carbon back online. Hoping for the best. I can’t handle another complete tank loss. Just lost everything a year ago when we bought our house during the tank move. 3 yr old tank $4000.00 invested. Already got half that back in this one and don’t think I can start over again.

 

[JustAnt]

What test kits r u using to test your parameter? R the reagents current or expired?

 

[Chiefmaster30]

What test kits r u using to test your parameter? R the reagents current or expired?

Hanna phos and alk. Red Sea cal and mag and nitrate.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Sps are just turning white right now. Not losing flesh.

Ok. Now that the water change is done, I would reduce your lighting by 10-20% and gradually bring it back up to normal over the next 2 weeks. I would also run your tank as normal except for the lighting. Stop all treatments. Give it time to recover. When I had my issue in December, one of my monti's lost about 90% of its flesh and another bleached totally white. I reduced my lighting and went back to running everything else as normal and both monti's recovered and are now growing.

The best thing you can do right now is try to get your tank back to the conditions you had before starting the reef flux and keep it stable. You want to reduce the stress on your corals as much as you can. Try not to make any radical changes.

 

[sghera64]

Ok. Now that the water change is done, I would reduce your lighting by 10-20% and gradually bring it back up to normal over the next 2 weeks. I would also run your tank as normal except for the lighting. Stop all treatments. Give it time to recover. When I had my issue in December, one of my monti's lost about 90% of its flesh and another bleached totally white. I reduced my lighting and went back to running everything else as normal and both monti's recovered and are now growing.

The best thing you can do right now is try to get your tank back to the conditions you had before starting the reef flux and keep it stable. You want to reduce the stress on your corals as much as you can. Try not to make any radical changes.

+1 on light reduction.

I was going to add that. I might cut it as
much as 30% as SPS are losing flesh.

Are they losing flesh, or just ‘sliming’?

 

[Chiefmaster30]

I haven’t noticed the corals losing flesh or sliming although as white as there looking I’m sure there probably sliming I just haven’t noticed it.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

Thanks everyone for all the advice and help. I really appreciate it!

 

[IslandLifeReef]

You are very welcome. We all like to see each other succeed.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

Update tank still looks the same as yesterday. I have a dead cleaner shrimp today 1 out of 3.

 

[ScottB]

Sorry to hear about this @Chiefmaster30. I don't have personal experience with fluconazole but I've not read any stories (before) of it affecting corals this way. You are already taking the steps I would - stop Flux, dim lights, GAC, WC.

Fish still not showing any stress is a good sign, but adds to the mystery. Totally guessing, but perhaps the fluconazole is killing/irritating some fungus or coral that is spewing toxin. Got an paly? I blame them for everything reflexively. I stub my toe, it is the fault of a paly covered rock I threw out 2 years ago. Stuff is still alive out there in my backyard.

The other angle is an introduced toxin. No melted heaters, cooked pumps, rusty magnets. Household aerosols, air fresheners, oven cleaners, solvents, VOCs, deodorants, pesticides, even dryer sheets. SUNSCREEN containing oxybenzone -- or any of the benzones. I pisssed off my frag tank with that stuff but not to this degree.

Good luck Chief.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

Sorry to hear about this @Chiefmaster30. I don't have personal experience with fluconazole but I've not read any stories (before) of it affecting corals this way. You are already taking the steps I would - stop Flux, dim lights, GAC, WC.

Fish still not showing any stress is a good sign, but adds to the mystery. Totally guessing, but perhaps the fluconazole is killing/irritating some fungus or coral that is spewing toxin. Got an paly? I blame them for everything reflexively. I stub my toe, it is the fault of a paly covered rock I threw out 2 years ago. Stuff is still alive out there in my backyard.

The other angle is an introduced toxin. No melted heaters, cooked pumps, rusty magnets. Household aerosols, air fresheners, oven cleaners, solvents, VOCs, deodorants, pesticides, even dryer sheets. SUNSCREEN containing oxybenzone -- or any of the benzones. I pisssed off my frag tank with that stuff but not to this degree.

Good luck Chief.

I do have 2 types of palys that are about 10 polyps each. And I have 1 wavemaker that I’ve just Discovered wasn’t working. Could possibly have been stray voltage from that but I’m not getting shocked when I put hands in tank or touch tank.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

My wavemaker plug that I noticed wasn’t working last night and unplugged. It had saltcreep all over it. Was more than what’s pictured. Could this stray voltage have caused all this?