Every Coral Added to Tank dies or browns out in 24 hrs

[Billldg]

My tank is 100G with Sump maybe 120

Reason I ask is that with that much water volume you can pull out more than a cup or two, @madweazl is correct, you can lower salinity faster than raising it. We don't want to lower it to quickly though as it may stress the already stressed corals. I would start with pulling out 1 to 2 gals and add RO/DI water and measure it in a couple of hours to see what your salinity is and then adjust it from there. Then tomorrow do the same. I would spread it out over a week or two because of it being that high.

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Reading thru I was wondering if your salinity was out as Red Sea blue bucket mixed consistently at 420 8.0 and 1250 for me. Bucket after bucket. The only way it would be higher is salinity is way high. I had similar problems trying to calibrate the Hanna HI98107 pH tester that uses the same shape case. It never held cal, and eventually just gave me an error message. It's in a closet somewhere lost...

I would pull a gallon or two of tank water a day and let the ATO fill it back up with RODI until I got to 1.026.

 

[Cheche]

I agree with everyone here about your calcium been high.but what calcium had to do with your coral been brown I don’t get .. I do know the zooxanhearle it self is brown in color.. a lot of time the lights are too intense and the zooxanhearle reproduce faster to protect the coral and make them look brown.. that happens usually before zooxanhearle starts to leave the coral and then the corral bleach .. another thing you should check is the nitrate.. we all know corals need some nutrients in the water.. I will said check your lights or do a small test and out one coral under a shade area and see if that coral get better.. imo ... i hope this help ..

 

[oneilwiz]

My tank is 100G with Sump maybe 120

As I mentioned - salinity. Got a false reading with icecap unit..... Told me that I was at 1.022 and upon using three other testers- was at 1.030.
Explained why corals were unhappy

bummer,

 

[MnFish1]

Ok, now were talking, lets see if we can help you.

I also run Radions, I have mine on a 12 hour cycle, but I also have a Hybrid, SO, browning out can be attributed to not enough light. I run a modified AB+ setting. Now I wouldn't just crank up your lights as that can also have a bad effect on your corals, but I would increase the duration to at least 8 to 10 hours with a 2 to 3 ramping up and down. Other reefers will have different ideas on duration, and none will be wrong, but we will all agree on not doing to much at one time.

I agree with @vetteguy53081 , your tank parameters need to be tweaked a little, what test kits are your using, at 35.5 ppt, blue bucket parameters should be around 8.2 dkh alk, 430 cal, 1300 mag. If in fact your parameters are that high then water changes are your best friend, but you don't want to lower them to quickly, as again, it can shock your corals.

Agreed - but not in 2 days or?

 

[Billldg]

Agreed - but not in 2 days or?

The main contributing factor ended up being the salinity, it was at 1.040.

 

[MnFish1]

I agree with everyone here about your calcium been high.but what calcium had to do with your coral been brown I don’t get .. I do know the zooxanhearle it self is brown in color.. a lot of time the lights are too intense and the zooxanhearle reproduce faster to protect the coral and make them look brown.. that happens usually before zooxanhearle starts to leave the coral and then the corral bleach .. another thing you should check is the nitrate.. we all know corals need some nutrients in the water.. I will said check your lights or do a small test and out one coral under a shade area and see if that coral get better.. imo ... i hope this help ..

My question would be - what else is 'high' that is not being measured. Something does not seem right here - in the measurements. Your salinity is a little low - yet your Ca and Mg are high. Your other parameters are 'average'. Where are you purchasing your corals from? I have had VERY LITTLE luck purchasing coral from some 'online vendors'.

Do you know the parameters from which your corals are coming?

Im not aware of anything - but a chemical issue that would cause coral to 'brown or die' in 2 days let alone 24 hours. I am not a big believer in the 'tank is too young philosophy' - if there was a 'mini cycle' - it seems like its over.

Is your PO4 really 0 - or are you using a high level test kit?

Hopefully you will piece things together...



Just read that your salinity was high - which makes sense given the Ca and MG - glad you figured it out

 

[oneilwiz]

Happy Friday all, results are in from ICP test, not surprising with very High MG, Cal etc. I will attach the result. Chipping away 1 bucket of RO to replace with existing tank water. On to the drama of opening RO Memebrane hosing to replace the membrane. So happy Lowes sell strap wrench. Not easy to open after being used for 5 years,

 

[oneilwiz]

Here it is

 

[Devisissy]

I am not really that surprised by your parameters as Red Sea salt typically has higher levels from what people are posting on here although I would think your ALK would be higher too, in line with CA/MG that are also high.

I would recommend getting some Tropic Marin Pro Salt, do water changes with that. Look to bumping up the photo period. Not necessarily brighter, but perhaps a little longer.

I'm guessing the CA is high enough to push the ALK down. Something is up with the lighting I bet.

 

[Devisissy]

Here it is

View attachment 1223077

Holy crap! Time to change that RO filter. Also I'd mix a new batch of salt with much lower numbers and start on water changes.

 

[oneilwiz]

Holy crap! Time to change that RO filter. Also I'd mix a new batch of salt with much lower numbers and start on water changes.

thank you, I have changed both the RO membranes as well as the DI Resin filter. The RO membranes have not been changed for 3 years+.

Over the weekend, I have changed out a total of 15 Gallons of water. The Salinity is down to 1.039. Probably on Tuesday, I will do another water change. I am replacing the tank water with heated temperature RO water to match the temperature of the tank.