Almost all corals are dead

Everything was fine until I got my new lights over a month ago(increased the temp). The first thing I noticed was my Anthias hiding a lot and slowly declined and died over a few weeks.
Not much really changed until a couple weeks a go I stirred up a small part of my sand bed and the nitrates went through the roof. My Pom Pom Xenia had been showing signs of stress for a few weeks. It died pretty fast after the nitrate spike. It took over a week for NO3 to slowly come back down to 20 ... it's usually 5-10 in my tank. I thought maybe the NO3 killed my Xenia.. the anthias was still a mystery. All my other water parameters were normal. (Except the one that killed my corals)
Could it have been the fact that I don't have a grounding probe? I ordered one that should arrive today or tomorrow but the problem was neither the probe nor the NO3.
These are the corals that died. Updated on May 29th.
Blue Turaki SPS---died.. it was the first thing I noticed dead.. can't survive hight temp for sure.. but it was the fastest grower at 85 degrees.
GSP hasn't opened in a week---lived still recovering.
Cali blue tort almost dead ---lived
Red Planet SPS almost dead----lived
Regular Xenia Very withdrawn still alive---died
Pom Pom Xenia completely melted and gone----died
Frogspawn very withdrawn----lived.. still recovering
Candy canes still fairly normal but smaller----lived
Wellso brain has lost a lot of color----lived back to normal
Green Monti white as a ghost----died
Red Monti Lost a lot of color----thought was dead but actually coming back.
New Yellow Porites pretty much dead.. just got it $140---dead.. one of the first things to die even before I discovered this.. it needs lower temp for sure.
Pink Goniopora withdrawn I think still alive----lived amazingly better than ever.
Fungia...has lost a lot of color---dead
Lava chalice not looking good.-----lived
Zoas still almost normal---all lived
Mushrooms still look normal----lived.
All fish still alive except the anthias

So I've racked my brain.. what all has changed lately?
I changed the lights.. and Spring is here... The tank is warmer than normal. I wanted it to be a little warmer anyway. I usually run my tank at 75-77 degrees. I even turned up the heater to run things around 79 since that's about what most people run theirs at anyway.
It has never been warmer than 80.
I forgot where I read it but it was here on 3reef:
Someone mentioned SPS bleaching is usually due to high temp.
And a while back I read someone say: "don't trust Coralife digital thermometers.. I use two thermometers. "

I can't remember who said those things but I wish I could give you karma... because it was the thermometer that got me.

Temperature is 88 degrees this morning. I bought 3 thermometers to cross check. It has probably been over 90 during the day.
Atleast the fish are alive .. today I'm icing things down .. turned the heater off and leaving the main lights off.
Sigh.

 

All of the corals that you listed could easily be wiped out by a big and sudden NO3 spike. Now the anthelia's, that could be the lighting change (lighting shock). But I am willing to bet that the others are from the spikes due to the sandbed stirring.

 

Bummer...... Heat is nothing to fool around with... Do you have any fans?

 

wow, sorry to hear that! Have you done any water changes? That would help to cool the water down.

p.s. I've always used this thermometer and it's always accurate.


http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578 3744 3900&pcatid=3900

 

coralife thermometers are the worst. I bought 2 of them last week and i put the probes in the exact same area next to each other and they were showing 3 degree difference from each other. I was so pissed. It can be off by more than 5 degress which is unacceptable.

I have now 6 thermometers in my tank, most of them are very close except the coralife ones

 

Making water right now... I have ice bags in the sump too.

 

It didn't help for sure but corals can't live at 90 degrees.

 

don't want to cool it down too quick. might put the rest of the critters into shock. watch your fish for any outbreak of ick or velvet. the stress might help it come on.

 

Wow, really sorry to hear this. It seems you have found the culprit (heater) and I cant believe the thermo went out also. It makes me feel safe that I use the cheap glass thermos. I hope most of your corals make it back.

 

Wow I'm sorry to hear about your losses. My sincerest condolences.

My $.02 I've got a Coralife digital thermometer and it's usually right. I cross-check between two other thermometers though, as the Coralifes are listed at +- 2 degrees. I just got it because it's easy to read, everyone should have a cross check thermo if they get that kind IMO (not saying you did anything wrong, it's just too bad they seem so reliable because they are digital).

I hope you are able to revive the rest of your coral, save some of your investment. If you didn't live so far south I'd frag my pavona to get you started again (not really helpful I know, but sentiment right?). Best of luck!