Corals are dying...HELP SOMEBODY!

ReefBuilderNJ · 11-29-2005, 06:56 PM

about a week ago my frogspawn started to close up and expose the skeliton. i dipped them in "reef dip", but it didnt seem to help. i lost one and i fragged the other. the fragged pieces are still alive but do not open and extend. my blue and purple mushrooms also shrunk and closed up as well as my wellsophylia. the fish seem to be doing well and so does my cabbage coral, star polyps, acro's, zoo's, feather dusters,and tube anemones. about two days ago i noticed my kenya tree shrunken up and today my xenia are shriveling up.
can someone tell me what the problem could be? my levels are good, the only things that have changed are, i added 6 gal of water to my fuge/sump two days before the problem started and, i added a DIY de-nitrator the night before. thinking that it might be the addition of the de-nitrator, i removed it 3 days ago. the wellsophylia seems to be ok now, but everything else is not looking like it should. HELP...SOMEBODY!!

Birdlady · 11-29-2005, 07:54 PM

Sorry to hear about your problems...could you post a bit more info please?

What is your setup, size, lighting, filtration, etc.

Then water test results for

Temp, salinity
Ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate
Calcium and alkalinity if you have those as well.

Hopefully we can give you more help from there...

I am curious as to why your LPS seem to be affected, but not the acros.

Do you use RO/DI water? On a whim, could you test for copper as well? Maybe your LFS will test that for you if you don't have kit...

Sorry for the all the questions...

nacra 5.8 · 11-29-2005, 08:45 PM

what kind of water do you add?

fletch · 11-30-2005, 02:21 AM

What size tank do you have? and was the water the same temp as the tank water ? In my experience a quick change in temp can have quite an adverse effect on your corals. (among other tank inhabitance ) ...................... John

ReefBuilderNJ · 11-30-2005, 11:35 AM

i use RO water...my set up is a 135gal with a 55 gal sump/fuge. i have a uv sterilizer, a skimmer and a phosphate reactor. i have three 175w MH bulbs and two vho actinics. i stopped adding suppliments to the tank 8 months ago and everything started to improve and grow like crazy, so i dont even add Kalk. i am planning on building a calcium reactor later on. the acro i have grew out of one of my rocks.
the 5 or 6 gal i added before the problem started were for evaporation. i was neglecting that for a few days so i added the 6 gal. i didnt check the salinity of the tank prior to the addition, only after. so maybe the salinity rose higher prior to the addition, then i caused it to suddenly drop by adding the fresh water?.......thanks for the help guys, ill post the levels in a few

ReefBuilderNJ · 11-30-2005, 01:15 PM

ok here are my levels......temp=78f
salinity=1.022
ph=8.1
phosphates=0.1
alk= normal/high
amonia=0.25
nitrates=0
nitrites=0
copper=0
magnesium=420mg/l (ppm)
calcium=280mg/l

fletch · 11-30-2005, 02:06 PM

I don't believe that adding 6 gallons of water to your system would have an adverse effect on your salinity level, As that is only approximately 4 to 6 % of your water volume.

I would slowley bump your Salinity up to 1.026

Bring your temp up to around 80

Magnesium 1250-1350 ppm

Calcium 380-450 ppm

JMO

............................ John

ReefBuilderNJ · 11-30-2005, 08:00 PM

now my zoos are closing up and my yellow leather and some of my star polyps. it seems to be worse on the right side of my tank, only the star polyps on the right side are closed. i also notice my skimmer filling up quicker and foaming everyday....

Jason McKenzie · 11-30-2005, 08:25 PM

I would agree with increasing your salinity slowly to 1.026
Temp is ok 78-81 is were I would keep it.

I would worry about your ammonia level, even at very low levels it could cause some problems.

Low Alk, CA and Mag would not cause losses in coral. It will eliminate growth but not promote death

I would start doing water changes, I would suspect some foreign matter not tested for is causing the problem.
Many smaller water changes maybe 10% a day for 3 or 4 days may help.

Check your top off bucket, maybe it was used for something else that you were not aware of?

I would not worry about your ALK, CA and Mag levels until you see your soft corals perk up a bit.

J

fletch · 12-01-2005, 02:23 AM

Sorry I didn't mean to suggest that his Mag and Calcium was the cause of his coral death, I was just suggesting that he shoot for the levels that I suggested.

That was a good thought about checking to see if his top off water container was inadvertently used for something other than water............................................. ... John