Coral Woes: I need help! (Looking better, 4/1)

Starting to think you're right; updates in a moment. Thanks.

I've always ran GFO, and in much smaller amounts than what BRS suggests. On this tank, I've been exclusively running the HC GFO from BRS, and only 3/4 of a cup (BRS recommends 1.5 cups for 190 gallons).

With the doser, I've never been able to attribute any discernible amount of Alk fluctuation due to GFO, but it might well have been masked by a large tank and the doser.

Well, thank you. If you can't find the good in things in this hobby, you're bound to quit.

 

UPDATE

I think I've stopped the bleeding. *knocks on wood*

The doser has been shut off for a week now, as well as GFO being offline and running without a filter sock. Things started to level out mid-last week, and I did a ~40g WC on Friday (~20%) using the same bucket of IO I've been using. I tested the hell out of my RODI output, and I'm certain it's good. Top off water coming out of my ATO reservoir is also good (whew!).

Seems things really responded to the WC. So much so, I've got another ~35g ready to go tonight. So something clearly was/is "in the water". No idea what still.

I did find my skimmer impeller is swollen last Friday; a new one will be here tomorrow. It's not cracked however, so I don't see this being an issue.

Spoke to some of the locals with an expert level of knowledge, and all of them were clueless as well. I did pick up a piece of polyfilter just to check for metals; that tested out clean (also whew!).

At John's suggestion, I tried to locate a strontium and potassium test kits, but was only able to come up with a potassium kit (NeoZeo). While it's somewhat difficult to use (rather, to distinguish the test value), potassium is ~350, which is right about where I'd expect it to be.

I've been checking Alk daily, and I'm finally leveling off into the 7.8 arena now; right where I want to be. Ca is down from the WC to 460; still want to bring that down further to 400-420.

On the plus side, some new pieces also went in on Friday, but I'll save that for a build thread update. My biggest decision now is if I try to recover an ugly stag that's 50% skeleton now, or if I just replace it with something better.

Looking up.

 

I'm glad things are looking up for you. It's one thing for a nube like me to have issues. It's nerve wrecking for me to see more exp reefers having issues.

 

Glad things are coming together Hunter.

I agree it seems as if something snuck into your water.

 

Good news

 

I am really glad it seems to be turning around Hunter.

Oh and sad about the stag uggg. Was this the big one at the top that you have had for so long!

Look forward to seeing the new pieces.

 

Thanks Cheryl.

Fortunately no, not the big purple one. That took some damage, but nothing that I think won't heal with a little time now. The one in question was just to the left of it (when viewing from the front), if you're looking at my photos. It was sold to me as a "blue formosa", but it never looked very blue or formosa like to me. The tips were blue when it was happy, but the body was a dark green to brown most of the time. It's extra ugly now and isn't showing much polyp extension still, when everything else is again. Think it's damage done on it.

 

I am not expert enough to offer an opinion here, but I'll offer some data in the hope someone else can make good use of it. The syptoms you describe are very consistent with the symptoms I went through. Without going into the long version, things went from well, to terrible, to months of water changes and hard work to keep things roughly okay. The problems all ceased as soon as I got rid of the LED's.

I'm not suggesting you do so, but perhaps there is some level, or color, or intensity issue that is interacting badly with the environment and causing your problems?

 

Appreciate the comments.

I do not believe it's a spectrum problem; there's countless hours of research, planning, and execution on that front by me. The lights I've created have the peaks/spectrum associated with successful metal halide bulbs. Furthermore, ALL of my colonies have been grown under these very lights, so I know they are capable of achieving growth and coloration.

Now, it's entirely possible it was/is an intensity problem, as my tank is now "cleaner" than it has ever been. So rather a coupling of reduced nutrients, increased water clarity, and therefore effectively a more intense amount of light. I have reduced my photo-period by a couple hours, as well as reduced the current on the main strings. If this was part of the problem, it should now be corrected.

So it might be my water clarity has never been this high, and therefore the intensity of the lights were not an issue. We shall see, but I'm not about to give up on fixtures which grew these same colonies.