[HELP] Tank Crash (Acros, lps, softies)

[Dburr1014]

OP, sounds like your over your head and not really sure how or what to do.

All these tid bits of information from everyone and going different directions are going to confuse you more.

May I suggest, pick 1 or 2 people in this thread. Listen to them, and them only.
Maybe message them and figure out how to pull the tank together. Good luck!

Happy Reefing.

 

[moosevandyke]

OP, sounds like your over your head and not really sure how or what to do.

All these tid bits of information from everyone and going different directions are going to confuse you more.

May I suggest, pick 1 or 2 people in this thread. Listen to them, and them only.
Maybe message them and figure out how to pull the tank together. Good luck!

Happy

 

[slingfox]

I calibrate with ro water before use, it’s from Amazon, do you think my salinity could be off? I could get another one

I started the hobby with a cheap $30 refractometer from one of the big reef retailers. I figured out 4 months in that it read very low. I bit the bullet and got a VeeGee STX-3 refractometer which is top of the line. One of the best decisions I made in this hobby!

 

[mzlskink]

How old is your tank? If it's under a year you will not have much success with acros and euphyllia unless you are a very experienced reefer.

What is your tank par? If you are using XR15 lights they are very weak par lights. Mine run at 100% intensity to get reasonable par numbers for a mixed reef.

It’s 6-7 months old, torches been introduced 4 months ago, acros 2 months ago at first I bleached two but then all the ones later survived until 2 days ago when everything just crashed

 

[mzlskink]

I don’t agree with others that this is an age of tank issue.

My guesses based on how fast things crashed would be:

Change in lighting
Change in salinity
Change in oxygen
Toxicity in the tank from chemical or inhabitant

To have the entire tank crash overnight screams something becoming suddenly very unstable.

For the record I grew SPS in a tank much younger than this without issue.

Thanks for the insight there. Lighting change was the same model same AB+ setting just quieter - I swapped the light since the last one was noisy

Salinity was a little low before this around 1.022 and I had a 15% water change to 1.025

Oxygen I have no idea, tho the phosphate level has slowly creeped up from 0.04 to 0.23 in about 3 weeks from frequent reefroid and mysis feeding

A starlight Cispitularia coral has grown too much and I moved it to one rock higher, in doing so I reared (about half of pinky nail) portion of it off. It has turned black on some tentacles perhaps from stress, I ran carbon 24/7 so I am not sure if it is toxic or if it’s toxin would cause issues

 

[mzlskink]

Pods can swim but a lot just scamper around on rocks and sand too.

So probably not white coral bugs, I was scared that maybe this is causing coral all the strss

 

[mzlskink]

Agree! To many different corals going south fast. Was the light on exact same intensity?

It was, too many things going south in 1-2 nights to be honest.

Today I have changed water 25%, change to use premium carbon. Leaving the light abd flow on same setting and will continue monitoring and not do anything too drastic. So far three acro frags confirmed dead everything else still looking unhappy

 

[mzlskink]

did corals get qt? Dip? Who is supplier? A lot of hot forums and peeps struggling with nasty bugs white bugs, grey bugs. AEFW for very reputable sources.

Had a new acro frag go in, it was from Harry’s Marine Life in Los Angeles, I did use coralRx dip, and cut it from the rock it came with. I am not sure if this is pod or bug to be honest - see video

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Thanks for the insight there. Lighting change was the same model same AB+ setting just quieter - I swapped the light since the last one was noisy

Salinity was a little low before this around 1.022 and I had a 15% water change to 1.025

Oxygen I have no idea, tho the phosphate level has slowly creeped up from 0.04 to 0.23 in about 3 weeks from frequent reefroid and mysis feeding

A starlight Cispitularia coral has grown too much and I moved it to one rock higher, in doing so I reared (about half of pinky nail) portion of it off. It has turned black on some tentacles perhaps from stress, I ran carbon 24/7 so I am not sure if it is toxic or if it’s toxin would cause issues

I think the answer to what happened is all of these swings. For some acro, small swings and high nutrients are tolerable. Some of the old school acro like west side tort, Cali and or Oregon tort, green skimmer ect. A lot of acro must be kept in a very stable environment. Most if not all of the coral you have kept in the past don't require such stability. How is your coralline algae? If it is not growing at a high pace that is an indication things are not right in the tank for acro. Just my 2 pennies

 

[mzlskink]

I started the hobby with a cheap $30 refractometer from one of the big reef retailers. I figured out 4 months in that it read very low. I bit the bullet and got a VeeGee STX-3 refractometer which is top of the line. One of the best decisions I made in this hobby!

Solid suggestion, will bit the bullet for it

 

[mzlskink]

I think the answer to what happened is all of these swings. For some acro, small swings and high nutrients are tolerable. Some of the old school acro like west side tort, Cali and or Oregon tort, green skimmer ect. A lot of acro must be kept in a very stable environment. Most if not all of the coral you have kept in the past don't require such stability. How is your coralline algae? If it is not growing at a high pace that is an indication things are not right in the tank for acro. Just my 2 pennies

I am not sure what the algae should look like tbh, but the rocks are getting cover with them, I have some photos in the original post I am not sure if those would shed enough light on if the algae are doing okay. Some acros are lighter but they are still alive, hope they will survive this

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Rock when first put in tank

Same rock six eight months in

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Other side of the tank.

 

[Lavey29]

It’s 6-7 months old, torches been introduced 4 months ago, acros 2 months ago at first I bleached two but then all the ones later survived until 2 days ago when everything just crashed

Therein lies the source of one of your tank issues

 

[JoJoIndy]

Did temp rise any?
Looking bleached to me.

Malfunction lighting perhaps??

Which could lead to hugh temperature swings.

It’s hot AF outside, also indoor AC units can do wacky things this time of year, and can easily crash themselves, leading to a hot room which can quickly lead to bleaching.

1. High Par
2. Temp
3. PH
4. ALK

 

[Semper.Reefing]

How do I do that, do I run another magnet in sandbed?

If you have any power heads that use magnets. Che k the powerhead magnet in the water for any leaks or corrosion

 

[mzlskink]

With a 25% water change and new carbon, I think the tank is stabilizing. Most corals that can be bleached (including torches) are much lighter of shade. Lost 3 acro frags but about 2 seem to have survived this. Unfortunate the TSA firecracker was the first to go.

Unknown cause, possible culprits:
* Temperature and parameters did not swing (unless the inkbird is lying).
* Lighting - I really want it to be lighting but there isn't a robust way to check except my par meter is reading about the same level.
* Chemical - only thing that was recently damaged was a Cespitularia and they aren't toxic as I understand.
* Voltage - no stray voltage. an angel and clowth fish jumped 2 weeks before, also a myth
* Age of tank - well, guilty of this and I do apologize to the tank police. It would be good to know exactly why instead of your tank is too young, and acros been doing good in past 2 months until suddenly one day.

It is just puzzling that every coral was affected - usually if something is off I see one type of coral but having... gsp, star cloves, 6 euphilias, different colonies of zoas, cespitularia, mushrooms, anacro and acro all struggle is a myth to me. None of the invert / fish including clams are affected.

 

[Jimbo327]

When in doubt, do a couple water changes and run some carbon. That's the old school and still effective way to stabilize a tank.

 

[slogan315]

With a 25% water change and new carbon, I think the tank is stabilizing. Most corals that can be bleached (including torches) are much lighter of shade. Lost 3 acro frags but about 2 seem to have survived this. Unfortunate the TSA firecracker was the first to go.

Unknown cause, possible culprits:
* Temperature and parameters did not swing (unless the inkbird is lying).
* Lighting - I really want it to be lighting but there isn't a robust way to check except my par meter is reading about the same level.
* Chemical - only thing that was recently damaged was a Cespitularia and they aren't toxic as I understand.
* Voltage - no stray voltage. an angel and clowth fish jumped 2 weeks before, also a myth
* Age of tank - well, guilty of this and I do apologize to the tank police. It would be good to know exactly why instead of your tank is too young, and acros been doing good in past 2 months until suddenly one day.

It is just puzzling that every coral was affected - usually if something is off I see one type of coral but having... gsp, star cloves, 6 euphilias, different colonies of zoas, cespitularia, mushrooms, anacro and acro all struggle is a myth to me. None of the invert / fish including clams are affected.

For what it’s worth, I’ve had corals (sps, lps, softies) die from everything: high/low lighting, high/low flow, high/low nutrients, bacterial infection, etc. Most of this from a young tank + beginner mistakes.

The ONLY time I had every coral in the tank screaming at me overnight was when my salinity was way off (1.030). I no longer trust electronic salinity meters!

IMO disregard the tank age comments: I have acros still with me that were added month 2, and some that I added 1.5 years in that didn’t make it. Sure it’s a higher percentage of success by having a mature tank, but some lessons can’t be learned until you face issues head on.

 

[PeterErc]

I am going with metal, in the system

As above , magnet..impeller,algae scraper etc.

Metal clamp, bracket, support, hardware, additives with copper.

Couple systems back, coral dying, couldn't figure it out. Removed frags racks and started removing sand. Found two pennies buried in sand bed. Kid and his knucklehead friends were taping pennies nerf darts. Nerf darts and pennies everywhere.