Coral skeletons showing

[seand]

I attached pics of a variety, but others have been doing the same things. I have only been in the coral game for a little over a year and still have much to learn. I have a 120 gallon tank (48x24x30) with Eshopps ADV-300 sump so around 150 total gallons, salinity 1.025-1.026, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, phosphate 0, alk hovers around 10, calcium hovers around 480 (using kalk reactor) I realize on paper that it looks like my water is about perfect but suddenly I'm having issues. I added 2 things recently (in the last 3 months) I added 4-T5 retrofits to my 2 G3 Radion pros (which I have quit using until I find problem-last 3 weeks) and I added biopellet reactor. Some of the coral in my pictures are from the beginning of my having coral and I never had an issue with them. I'm really at a loss and need help. I have moved several corals to my new frag tank so I can feed them without the shrimp stealing it. I guess my overall question is did I kill them with the light or are they starving due to biopellets or did I do something else wrong? In the frag tank I seen an immediate improvement in some, my scoly's plumped up right away and looked healthier.

Please help

Sean

 

[frag freak]

What is in the reactor? There is a possibility you have added to much media at once to the system. I would start by simply pulling the reactor off and see how they look in few days.

I shoot for 8.5 alk but that's just me.

Try a water change after pulling the reactor and let us know how it looks in a week.

 

[ff337]

Alk is high for biopellets. I think 8 is best. You might if starved them by stripping nutrients.

 

[seand]

Thanks for the information, I have cut off the biopellets at the manifold to see if it helps. Might be time to remove the Kalk reactor, I have had issues with it from day 1

 

[seand]

Do you think the light was too much or could I still run the T5s for a few hours a day?

 

[brandonmason]

SeanDorsey;1100366 wrote: Do you think the light was too much or could I still run the T5s for a few hours a day?

It's more likely the biopellet and alk that caused necrosis. Lighting would have been slower in killing if it was to much. And depending on the percentage you're running the radion, the leds are more detrimental than the t5s.

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[seand]

Thanks Brandon

 

[snowmansnow]

Only a few things come to mind from reading the post..
1st your parameters ARE within acceptable ranges. 10 alk is on the upper end a bit, but it isn't pushing any limits imo, ESPECIALLY if the alk has been stable for the year you've been reefing.
You did the right thing in thinking of what you've added since you've seen the problem.
How long are you running the t5s and what lamps are they? Photoshock is a possibility. People underestimate those little tubes. Also, have you changed up the lighting with the Radions since adding them.
My other thought is that 0 NO3 could be a long term problem, especially if you aren't feeding your corals (some will disagree with me, and thats cool, but I've changed my perspective on running with 0 NO3 lately).

 

[seand]

Ok more info, I was trying to make a "stable low maintenance tank" and hopefully take the human out of the equation. So I have decided to hit reset. The lighting was changed at one time. I went from 2 china black box Led and one current marine orbit to 2 Radion G3 Pro and a T5 retro kit (4 bulb purchased from snow has been turned off) Bulbs are 1-54w ati aquablue special 1-54w aquablue azure, 1-54w powerchrome purple and 1-54w powerchrome actinic. I was also running a kalkwaser reactor and I just removed it after burning up the secondpump in 3-4 months. I have 2 part solution so im going to go back to that. Maybe add a dosing pump. So why does the lower alk help with biopellets?

 

[brandonmason]

SeanDorsey;1100486 wrote: Ok more info, I was trying to make a "stable low maintenance tank" and hopefully take the human out of the equation. So I have decided to hit reset. The lighting was changed at one time. I went from 2 china black box Led and one current marine orbit to 2 Radion G3 Pro and a T5 retro kit (4 bulb purchased from snow has been turned off) Bulbs are 1-54w ati aquablue special 1-54w aquablue azure, 1-54w powerchrome purple and 1-54w powerchrome actinic. I was also running a kalkwaser reactor and I just removed it after burning up the secondpump in 3-4 months. I have 2 part solution so im going to go back to that. Maybe add a dosing pump. So why does the lower alk help with biopellets?

Alk works with a few things to create a "perfect system" so let's try to explain this the easiest way. We can take 2 tanks side by side. Tank A running a "lazy" method. So with this method you run an alk of 9 or 10 with calcium at 450 and mag at 1250. (Just an example) ok if we were to keep phosphates at 0 and nitrates at 0 the corals would react differently than if we let the nitrates go up to 5. At 5 (no more if it can be helped) the corals would be eating well and have plenty to grow with the levels stated above. Tank A method works great but will need to be monitored and requires more "in tank cleaning" To combat that we will take the same parameters and put in tank B. Except we will run bio pellets to make sure our nitrates don't get above 0 and phosphates stay 0. This will strip all nutrients when ran properly. How the corals respond this time is because it's not getting enough nutrients it will then receive "alk burns" or bleach in color. If you lower the alk and keep a steady calcium as well then it will get great colors (in some cases really depends on the coral)

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[jennm]

I think some of your frags may be being stung by one another.

In the second image, you have an SPS that is dead on the 'back' side (right side of the picture) and in the far right of the photo I see the edge of what may be a Loboyphyllia or similar. That Lobo (or Symphillia or whatever it is) can put out sweepers that can sting. Even if it cannot touch the neighbouring coral, it can send out 'chemical warfare', and in my experience, the LPS corals always win over the SPS.

In the first image, the Acan (?) seems to have what could be a Scolymia or Cynarina nearby too (I can only see an edge of that.) Same story - those jokers puff up at night and they have sweepers that you'd never think were there and put a whammy on stuff.

I can't tell much from the other photos, and that may not be the only thing going on but that's what jumped out at me from the pictures.

Jenn

 

[seand]

Thanks Jenn, you are correct on those and I really appreciate the information. The reason they are close together is I moved my "sickly" corals to my frag tank so I can feed them without the shrimp stealing all the food. I wish I would have known how bad these guys would be.

 

[seand]

I will move the "sweepers" to give them more room. Does anyone have any input on the lighting? Is it too much for my size tank?

 

[ricky5415]

Havd u checked the par level?

 

[frag freak]

If phosphate level is 0, all of the corals will die. There must be some phosphate or calcification can not occur.

Shoot for an alkalinity of around 8.5, remove the kalk and biopellet reactor and slow down.


It seems to mee if you have had kalk issues from the beginning (which was unmentioned in the beginning) you might want to iron out one thing at a time.

If you want to keep it simple my opinion is you are going about it the wrong way. Adding new lighting, reactors etc on top of having other equipment that might be a pre-existing issue already is a sure fire way to create more problems like you are experiencing that ultimately makes it harder to pinpoint where your setup is stuttering.


Get back to what was working for you before and start eliminating the possibility of problems one by one.


I hope this makes sense and I am helping.

 

[seand]

It makes a lot of sense, thanks. I have removed both reactors completely, unplugged the T5s and dialed down the Radions to let things catch back up.

 

[seand]

Just wanted to give an update and once again thank everyone for your advice and knowledge on the problems. Ok I removed both reactors and put the "human" in the system again Alk has come down to about 9 and calc has shot up close to 600. From what I have read I assume this isn't a problem but im monitoring it.

Everything has "livened up" things look great and fluffy, I see the feelers out in the dark so I feel like the coral is on the road to recovery.

I did lose a couple pieces since the initial birds nest, one sps (unknown) and one 24kt encrusting (not sure the actual name)

Overall Im happy everything is getting better. Once again thanks to all of you.

 

[jennm]

:up:

Putting the human touch back in usually works, IMO.

Jenn