1 yr old tank still having problems? Am I missing something??

[CaliO]

That acro looks about dead to me. That's just algae growing on it making it look green IMO. How about flow?

Really? I dont have green algae in my tank. And I respect your knowledge, but really hope your wrong.

This coral in question lost its brown color totally in just 3days and now is getting greener.

Flow I think is good. post 1= 350gph is on back glass pointing to middle of the bowed glass making a mushroom flow off the glass and the [2] 500gph waver makers are in the front corners pointing toward top of rocks and down the sides. Creating a flow around the back of the rocks to push out "gunk"

Last two tests: - doing water changes to drop Nitrates... Beginning was 20ppm, Might have been too high..
4/13/12 - Nitrates = 5<10ppm,
8g WC
4/15/12 - Nitrates = 0<5ppm
5g WC

Other parameters are within range.

 

[Sniperhank]

When corals die, they become lr basically. With all of my coral failures, they have become 2 colors: green and brown.

 

[mr_X]

What I am guessing happened is that the acro died, lost all of it's flesh which left a pure white skeleton, and that was quickly covered with a green microalgae, which gave the impression that it turned green. Acropora, or any sps for that matter, won't change colors that quickly unless it's something like this happening.
IME, it would take about a month to color up a coral that had been browned out.
I don't understand why this is happening though, if I'm correct, that is.

 

[CaliO]

What I am guessing happened is that the acro died, lost all of it's flesh which left a pure white skeleton, and that was quickly covered with a green microalgae, which gave the impression that it turned green. Acropora, or any sps for that matter, won't change colors that quickly unless it's something like this happening.
IME, it would take about a month to color up a coral that had been browned out.
I don't understand why this is happening though, if I'm correct, that is.

Thanx.. This is starting to frustrate me terrible.. "i dont want to believe" they are dying... But my digitata from first post. Lost its brown/tan and seems to be still growing tho. Has very small white fuzz which I asume is the polyps.. my blue monti cap seems to be good. But now looks orange under white lights.. And purple with yellow around they're mouths under blue lights.

could nitrates in the 5<20ppm cause death so quickly... ?

 

[mr_X]

I don't think so. Brown them out, maybe, but kill them practically overnight, doubtful.

 

[CaliO]

I don't think so. Brown them out, maybe, but kill them practically overnight, doubtful.

Would this be concidered dead?




This was another "over night" bleach out. Started blue I believe and flaked off in 3days then was bone white a week or two and then took on the brown you see now. Fraged 3/18/12 from a mh tank.

 

[Sniperhank]

Yeah, that is not alive. Being white for a week especially. When you see white, you are actually seeing the skeleton. It would be just like a deer rotting in the woods. Flesh flakes off, then you have white bone, followed by discoloring of the bone.

 

[mr_X]

I can't tell from the pic. Are there any polyps you can see? I do agree though that if you see nothing but skeleton for a week, the odds of new tissue developing on that coral are slim at best.

 

[CaliO]

@Mr.X - no polyps on the pic above...


I need a PAR meter like a fat kid needs Jenny craig!!! Finding one to rent is nearly impossible. Unless I put up $500 deposit... The best LFS I have, said "we plan to buy a $700 one" but that is just a plan. I'm going to suggest they buy the cheapo $140 one and I'll give them they're first deposit.. (doubt they'll go for it tho)


I don't have any reefer friends and no local reef clubs (or at least I can't find them)


I understand the trust needed for such a "borrow" but I'm going to start a thread anyhow, maybe someone will be willing to take a leap of faith for me...

Without the PAR known this is becoming a BIG WASTE.. Over $200 lost so far!!! Just in coral..over the past month

 

[mr_X]

Where are you located?
Forget PAR. You are not going to kill something in a couple days by not having enough PAR. What do you think happens in the ocean when it's covered for a week with thick storm clouds? It's not lighting.

 

[CaliO]

Where are you located?
Forget PAR. You are not going to kill something in a couple days by not having enough PAR. What do you think happens in the ocean when it's covered for a week with thick storm clouds? It's not lighting.

13032 Syracuse, NY

Any suggests to what it could be then.. I research "reefing" all day long, it has become an obsession, and still can't find the answer.. I have forum threads all over the web, go to LFS's almost daily trying to figure out why I can't keep corals.. I did the same thing a year ago, when I couldn't keep soft corals.. I finally gave up after 4 months and decided it was improper lighting and the tank not being mature enough.,, So I walked away form it for months. Aug. 2011 - Jan. 2012 to let nature take it's course... And upgraded my light to current leds...

Grrrrr.... Seems that I know more than LFS's now.. Pisses me off met a LFS worker with a great reef tank and doesn't even know how to test calcium or anything.. And never has!!!!!!!


Just for sh!ts and giggles I will test for copper again!! Doubt it cause inverts are fine. But IDK...

I just want to start buying sps's already................ I mean watching $10 frags die is fun in all but ****.......

Here's a pic of my wifes 10g...2/14/12 She won't test parameters, starting water came from my DT and has [2] 65w pc's... Aglae like a mother!! And yet her carpet anemone looks to love it... WTF

 

[CaliO]

Ok so I'm just going to throw a bunch of pics your way and see what comes out.. I will label each pic, when replying please include which pic your talking about...

The point is to see what your experience has to say... I'm starting to consider the possibility that I have a pest infestation but after much research I can't identify any and most are which so small... (bad eye sight) can't see.

#1. "Blue Plating Montipora" Day 1 - 4/11/12 Notice white dot in mid/right?

#2 "__" 4/17/12 Sorry Pic quality is the best I can do. Notice more white spots?

#3 "__"Close up of Spots

#4 Green/Orange Zoa Colony 3/11/12

#5 "___" 4/17/12

If it is a pest. What to do next? Where do I stand...
What would you do??

 

[Sniperhank]

Well...there might be something nasty in there. I'm nowhere close to a pest expert... Do you run any carbon or anything?

 

[CaliO]

Well...there might be something nasty in there. I'm nowhere close to a pest expert... Do you run any carbon or anything?

Nope this is everything.. No Dosing.. Just LR and WC's.

Tank Specs: 5/2/11 - current
60g Corner Bow + 10g Sump
Modified Seaclone 150 Protein Skimmer
[2] JBJ 500gph waver maker [10secs-6mins Random 24/7]
[1] 350gph powerhead
Mag 7 return pump [4.5' head] est. 250-280gph]
DT 60lbs LR + sump 5lbs LR Honestly there maybe more..
Ground Probe



Oh and good news I finally got my POS SEACrap Skimmer to acually skim something worth dumping... Had to hook monster duel air pump into one hose straight down the center tube to the bottom.. Pulling like a real skimmer now... Woot Woot.... Want to upgrade but expensive for what they are...



I don't see what running carbon can hurt. But how would you suggest doing it? How often? HOB? Canister filter? Or possibly have the overflow drop into a carbon basket before sump or in sump?(dumpable)

 

[Sniperhank]

Well, a cheap HOB filter or a carbon basket would be the easiest way to do it. I run it in a HOB filter atm, but once I upgrade my tank I'm plumbing in a BRS dual reactor which is a much more effective way of running carbon and gfo.

 

[mr_X]

A pest wouldn't wipe out frags overnight. That chalice (pic 1 and 2) is bleaching. I would say the white coming out of the mouths is it's own guts. A sign of it's objection to something.
I'm thinking those zoas are melting due to the light. What fixture are you running again?

 

[CaliO]

A pest wouldn't wipe out frags overnight. That chalice (pic 1 and 2) is bleaching. I would say the white coming out of the mouths is it's own guts. A sign of it's objection to something.
I'm thinking those zoas are melting due to the light. What fixture are you running again?

Thats what I thought after looking at it a couple times.. The white dots keep moving... Like from different mouths....

Light.. 14"-16" above water surface. Chalice 24"-26" from light..
http://www.aquastyleonline.com/products/36--LEDs--DIY-Dimmable-Kit.htmlDIY Bridgelux leds [38] 3w [16]Royal Blue [2]UV !2hrs @ 40% // [16]10,000k [4]6500k 4-5hrs 35% Meanwell drivers LPF-60D-48 http://www.aquastyleonline.com/products/MeanWell-LPF%2d60D%2d48.html


I recently (4/15/12) raised the fixture up from 12"-14" over the water surface and raised the dimming from 25% on both.

Turn them back down???

 

[mr_X]

Crank the LEDs way down and see what happens.

 

[CaliO]

Ok so made a noob mistake and broke the chalice and went to glue it down. Then used the wrong glue (liquid) which in short ruined the chalice and desided to not risk putting the liquid super glue in my system, so just threw the chalice out.

I have my water about to be tested by a lab. They test for over 500 things. And hopefully the test will come back with something because this is more than just my light..

Seems to effect hard (sps) corals faster.

 

[Sniperhank]

Sounds like overkill. It has to be either lighting or water quality isnt good enough. Id still put my money on lighting if i remember this thread correctly.