Frustrated

psiclone · 07-03-2009, 06:53 PM

Bleh just lost my fighting conch.

Have been slowly losing the majority of my cleanup crew over the last few months. Algae is still spreading despite nutrient starvation and phosphate reactors. Torch and Frogspawn aren't expanding anymore. Gsp's mat is deteriorating. WTF is going on?

Parameters are damn near perfect. 0/0/0 ammonia/trite/trate ph 8.2 temps 77-80, calc 480, mag a little high at 1600. phosphates 0.

Just getting really frustrated about inverts and the algae. Fish are all doing great as well as the zoas are flourishing in my tank.

Sorry just had to vent I guess.

carpenter · 07-03-2009, 06:57 PM

I feel your pain. I'm ashamed to post pics of my tank because of the sad state that it seems to be in. I know without a doubt that you nor I could be accused of bad husbandry. Maybe, some day, in heaven maybe, we will have a perfect tank, I'm gonna keep trying until then though.

AaaRr · 07-03-2009, 06:57 PM

Sorry about your loss. I am interested how much did you like your fighting conch I am thinking about getting one.

psiclone · 07-03-2009, 07:02 PM

I liked him a lot. Mine was always very sluggish though he came in a shipment that got here a day later... damn you usps. He held on for about a month and just kicked the bucket today. I really liked watching his eyes pop out of the sand though.

psiclone · 07-03-2009, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carpenter

I feel your pain. I'm ashamed to post pics of my tank because of the sad state that it seems to be in. I know without a doubt that you nor I could be accused of bad husbandry. Maybe, some day, in heaven maybe, we will have a perfect tank, I'm gonna keep trying until then though.

Yeah I think that's what sucks so much about it. I'm in this tank almost everyday cleaning and whatnot and I just can't seem to get it perfect. Homebrewing is my other hobby and I just got my 8 keg kegerator full today so I have that to fall back on I suppose.

reefer Bob · 07-03-2009, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psiclone

Homebrewing is my other hobby and I just got my 8 keg kegerator full today so I have that to fall back on I suppose.

Have you ever thought of moving to Tampa? LOL But I dont keep a very big cuc, cause they all end up dying. I got tired of wasting money, so I quit buying crabs and snails and everything came to a point where they quit dying. I think they might have been starving or my sally foot was killing them all.

Daniel072 · 07-03-2009, 09:22 PM

psiclone, have you ever tested for copper

psiclone · 07-03-2009, 09:25 PM

no I haven't. Probably should.

greysoul · 07-03-2009, 10:02 PM

Are you dosing with anything you can't/aren't measuring?

Recently switched salt brands or maybe got a bad batch? (call the manufacturer and see if they have any reports of bad salt...?)

Ever use a red flashlight at night and look for hitch hikers? Crabs, shrimp and worms can kill CuCs and corals.

temp, pH, or salinity swings?

Anything like a cucumber, sea apple, or anemone that could be nuking the tank from a dark hidden corner?

...sounds odd to have major broad spectrum die off for no reason.

My first thought would be a couple major (50-60%) water changes spaced a few days apart. If that didn't help I'd start pulling rock and scrubbing everything down and investigating every nook and cranny in the tank.

Good luck with!

-Doug

p.s. I love my fighting conch. Very interesting to watch - during the day it's buried and you can just see eyes and a trunk, at night (s)he comes out and moves all over the sand bed. Makes a pretty big impact on algae - nothing compared to a large turbo, but still fun to watch.

Phayes · 07-03-2009, 11:27 PM

I would definitely suggest putting in a new batch of carbon just in case its a chemical/toxin related problem. Also- as long as things are dying it will cause a domino effect due to spike of ammonia/nitrites. If things are dying quickly- get the dead stuff out of there and keep up with high volume water changes!

07-03-2009, 06:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
psiclone Peppermint Shrimp Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Reno,NV Age: 25 Posts: 401 Skin: Mint Karma: 4798	Frustrated Bleh just lost my fighting conch. Have been slowly losing the majority of my cleanup crew over the last few months. Algae is still spreading despite nutrient starvation and phosphate reactors. Torch and Frogspawn aren't expanding anymore. Gsp's mat is deteriorating. WTF is going on? Parameters are damn near perfect. 0/0/0 ammonia/trite/trate ph 8.2 temps 77-80, calc 480, mag a little high at 1600. phosphates 0. Just getting really frustrated about inverts and the algae. Fish are all doing great as well as the zoas are flourishing in my tank. Sorry just had to vent I guess. _________ 55 gallon acrylic tank, 29 gallon high sump- 4x54w t5ho 2xUVL superactinics 2x 75/25 UVLs, 75+lbs liverock 100+lbs sand, 2 Koralia #2s Turboflotor 1000 blue skimmer, Mag 9.5 Return, 800gph overflow Livestock: Clowns x ii, Hippo Tang, Algae Blenny, Mandarin Goby, CUC. Corals: 4 types of zoas, 2 palys, 2 clove polyps,GSPs, candy cane, hammer

07-03-2009, 06:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
carpenter Feather Duster Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Tyler, Tx Age: 33 Posts: 216 Skin: Classic Karma: 2059	I feel your pain. I'm ashamed to post pics of my tank because of the sad state that it seems to be in. I know without a doubt that you nor I could be accused of bad husbandry. Maybe, some day, in heaven maybe, we will have a perfect tank, I'm gonna keep trying until then though. _________ http://www.3reef.com/forums/show-off...tml#post595112 http://www.3reef.com/forums/show-off...ong-73377.html http://photobucket.com/carpenter1976

07-03-2009, 09:22 PM	#7 (permalink)
Daniel072 Tang Whisperer=) Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 2,140 Skin: Mint Karma: 16723	psiclone, have you ever tested for copper _________ 150 gallon mixed reef, 2 x 400watt mh lighting. Flow comes from a mixture of koralias and seios. Fish - Purple tang, yellow tang, leutenant tang, flame hawk, purple stripe pseudochromis, pink spot watchman goby and green mandarin. Coral - ORA Red Planet, ORA Purple Cap, ORA Stuber Stag, ORA Joe the Coral, ORA Hawkins Echinata, ORA Orange Cap, ORA Bird of Paradise, Tyree LE Sunset Montipora, Superman Danae, ORA Green Birdsnest, Several Others

07-03-2009, 10:02 PM	#9 (permalink)
greysoul Johnny Hammersticks Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Albuquerque Age: 30 Posts: 658 Skin: Mint Karma: 7078	Are you dosing with anything you can't/aren't measuring? Recently switched salt brands or maybe got a bad batch? (call the manufacturer and see if they have any reports of bad salt...?) Ever use a red flashlight at night and look for hitch hikers? Crabs, shrimp and worms can kill CuCs and corals. temp, pH, or salinity swings? Anything like a cucumber, sea apple, or anemone that could be nuking the tank from a dark hidden corner? ...sounds odd to have major broad spectrum die off for no reason. My first thought would be a couple major (50-60%) water changes spaced a few days apart. If that didn't help I'd start pulling rock and scrubbing everything down and investigating every nook and cranny in the tank. Good luck with! -Doug p.s. I love my fighting conch. Very interesting to watch - during the day it's buried and you can just see eyes and a trunk, at night (s)he comes out and moves all over the sand bed. Makes a pretty big impact on algae - nothing compared to a large turbo, but still fun to watch. _________ _{Hardware: 58g DT, 20g fuge/sump Ehiem 1260, 55# live rock, live sand bed, 2x150 15kK HQI, Vortech MP40w, Pinpoint pH monitor. Livestock: 2 A. Ocellaris, 20+ hermits, 1 skunk cleaner shrimp, 2 Zebra Turbo, 20+ Nassarius, 1 bumblebee snail, 2 Green Chromis, 1 sand sifter star, 1 tiger tail cuke Corals: 6 zoa rocks, Pulsing Xenia, 2x Acropora, GSP, mushroom/button polyps, Frogspawn, leathers, ... Born 4/20/09}

07-03-2009, 11:27 PM	#10 (permalink)
Phayes Aiptasia Anemone Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ontario, Canada Age: 24 Posts: 582 Skin: Mint Karma: 1283	I would definitely suggest putting in a new batch of carbon just in case its a chemical/toxin related problem. Also- as long as things are dying it will cause a domino effect due to spike of ammonia/nitrites. If things are dying quickly- get the dead stuff out of there and keep up with high volume water changes! _________ Support the Coral Reef Alliance http://www.coral.org

07-03-2009, 06:57 PM	#3 (permalink)
AaaRr Bristle Worm Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 126 Skin: Mint Karma: 591	Sorry about your loss. I am interested how much did you like your fighting conch I am thinking about getting one.

07-03-2009, 07:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
psiclone Peppermint Shrimp Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Reno,NV Age: 25 Posts: 401 Skin: Mint Karma: 4798	I liked him a lot. Mine was always very sluggish though he came in a shipment that got here a day later... damn you usps. He held on for about a month and just kicked the bucket today. I really liked watching his eyes pop out of the sand though.

07-03-2009, 09:25 PM	#8 (permalink)
psiclone Peppermint Shrimp Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Reno,NV Age: 25 Posts: 401 Skin: Mint Karma: 4798	no I haven't. Probably should.