Help, Please

[louherz]

Hello All,

I had a coral that is looking really bad. I have a 62 Gallon (Tall) Reef/Fish tank.
My tank has been set up for about 15 months
All fish look good and are eating fine
My PH is at 8.4, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Salinity is 1.025, but my Nitrate is 15ppm.

My I have an under tank sealife premier series filter with a protein skimmer. I did a 25 gallon water change about 2 weeks ago. All was good until this morning. I noticed that my colt coral was slumped over. I thought that it would stand up when the lights came on, but it did not.

I got home today and did a water test. Everything looked good except the Nitrate. I use a saltwater master liquid test kit. What could be making my nitrate spike and how can I fix it. I took the bio balls out of my filter about 8 months ago to prevent this.

I have some Seachem Prime which is supposed to remove Chlorine, Chloamine and ammonia and detoxify Nitrite and Nitrate. Should I put some in my tank?

The water I used for the water change was premixed and I got some fresh from the lfs.

Can anyone help?????

Thanks,

Louis

 

[steve-s]

Sounds like the coral is sloughing, where the coral goes dormant and sheds itself of impurities. It can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. You will know when it's coming out of it once it starts peeling thing sheets of film from the outer layer. You may need to help it along by gentley blowing some of the excess off. The slough could be a reaction to a nitrate increase but unless it's showing signs of necrosis, it shouldn't concern you. It is mainly a reaction to an irritant such as water quality, coral warfare, predacean or simpley a natural occurance.

As for the levels of nitrate, do additional water changes to bring that down. Unless there is a means of NNR in the tank, dilution is the best route. Be sure you test your source water as a possible cause. Any change in feeding habits, animal losses or additions/changes to the tank other than the bioball removal?

Cheers
Steve

 

[louherz]

Thanks

Hello, Thanks for the information. I will go out and do a change today. I will test the water. The only change that has happened recently was: I started to feed a smaller portions. I was getting a red algae and posted on here a couple months back. I was told that I was probably over feeding. I now feed a small piece of seaweed once every 3 days and I alternate frozen foods ( omega 3 brine shrimp, Mysis shrimp and cyclopese) one day after I give them the seaweed. I haven't had any other losses in the past 4 months. Thanks again.

Louis