Tank is crashing help!

[JohnnyTJ09]

My 100g tank was perfectly fine yesterday and when I got home today all my sps corals were bleached white and my lps corals were all closed up. I did a water change right away and swapped out the carbon but everything seems to be getting worse by the hour. All of my fish are alive but the tank is super cloudy. I’ve had this system for over 3 years and I don’t know what it could be. I do not have any test kits at the moment but my sg and temp are fine. I had a short spine urchin that died too but my other inverts seem ok. Most of my soft corals are so doing alright but at this point all my lps corals are slowly dying. I don’t know what else I can do by tonight. Someone please help!

 

[DesktopReefer]

My 100g tank was perfectly fine yesterday and when I got home today all my sps corals were bleached white and my lps corals were all closed up. I did a water change right away and swapped out the carbon but everything seems to be getting worse by the hour. All of my fish are alive but the tank is super cloudy. I’ve had this system for over 3 years and I don’t know what it could be. I do not have any test kits at the moment but my sg and temp are fine. I had a short spine urchin that died too but my other inverts seem ok. Most of my soft corals are so doing alright but at this point all my lps corals are slowly dying. I don’t know what else I can do by tonight. Someone please help!

Do you dose anything?

 

[Chrisv.]

Yikes. Any chance you can get to a pet store (even big box) before they close and get some test kits? I k ow people hate on the api kits but they are available and better than nothing. Buy prime too.

 

[DesktopReefer]

You could also run a sample of water to a local fish store to have them test.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

I would do another major water change, immediately order Salifert or Hanna test kits and put in some PolyFilter. Seachem Prime will buy you time if you have an ammonia spike.

 

[JohnnyTJ09]

Do you dose anything?

Nope

 

[JohnnyTJ09]

Yikes. Any chance you can get to a pet store (even big box) before they close and get some test kits? I k ow people hate on the api kits but they are available and better than nothing. Buy prime too.

Everything is closed or closes at 9

 

[Chrisv.]

+1 on poly filter if you can get it,

 

[Chrisv.]

Everything is closed or closes at 9

In 20 min…. any chance you can make it?

 

[DesktopReefer]

In 20 min…. any chance you can make it?

Or call one and tell them you’ll give some cash for them to stay open a few minutes extra for you.

 

[JohnnyTJ09]

+1 on poly filter if you can get it,

I can get test kits tomorrow definitely but I’ll try and make some calls and see if I can get any by tonight

 

[Tamberav]

If you do not dose any 2 part or such then that kinda rules out alk overdose.

Milky white water can be a bacterial bloom and a cheap UV can clear it up quickly if so. Usually there is a cause form this like carbon dosing or extra organics. A sand bed stirred up or something largish died, etc.

 

[DesktopReefer]

Just throwing ideas out here… do you run your lights at less than 100%? Could they have malfunctioned while you were gone and caused the bleaching by turning themselves up?

 

[Chrisv.]

If you do not dose any 2 part or such then that kinda rules out alk overdose.

Milky white water can be a bacterial bloom and a cheap UV can clear it up quickly if so. Usually there is a cause form this like carbon dosing or extra organics. A sand bed stirred up or something largish died, etc.

The dead coral was what made me think it wasn’t bacterial bloom. But it could be a secondary bacterial bloom I guess…

 

[JohnnyTJ09]

If you do not dose any 2 part or such then that kinda rules out alk overdose.

Milky white water can be a bacterial bloom and a cheap UV can clear it up quickly if so. Usually there is a cause form this like carbon dosing or extra organics. A sand bed stirred up or something largish died, etc.

My friend has a really nice uv sterilizer that I can pick up rn. Should I get it

Just throwing ideas out here… do you run your lights at less than 100%? Could they have malfunctioned while you were gone and caused the bleaching by turning themselves up?

no my lights are on schedule

 

[Tamberav]

My friend has a really nice uv sterilizer that I can pick up rn. Should I get it

no my lights are on schedule

yes, it will not be harmful and it might help if there is a bloom. Worst case, that is not the problem and it does nothing. Can't hurt to try though.

 

[DesktopReefer]

My friend has a really nice uv sterilizer that I can pick up rn. Should I get it

no my lights are on schedule

The UV certainly wouldn’t hurt anything and would really help if it’s anything bacterial.

 

[Tamberav]

Also be sure to check your tanks temperature, sometimes a faulty heater is the issue. It is possible something happened to kill coral/invert and the death lead to the bloom.

Check salinity too. Idk if you use an ATO but make sure stuff like that is working correctly.

I know you don't have test kits but I am assuming you can check those two. Maybe your friend has test kits you can use?

 

[Rp8]

Parameters? Anything new added to the tank? Any hazardous fish in the inventory?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sounds like a bloom of some sort and likely bacterial. You mention corals suddenly bleaching. First thing to check is water temp. High temps will cause tissue release and RTN. Increased temperatures will either modify the structure of the coral microbial symbiotic community or trigger the production of factors affecting the tissue.
Typical actions that cause sudden bleaching and tissue loss are :

- Alkalinity spike
- Temperature spike
- Salinity spike
- Low dissolved oxygen
- Poor water quality related with phosphate levels up to 5 ppm
- Change in water flow
- Addition of sand
- Changes in brand of salt
- Bad test kits giving faulty results
- Levels of minor elements such as Iodine, Potassium, Strontium
- Light intensity or sunlight hitting tank
- - Changes in water flow
- Addition of new corals
- - Pesticides used in the room