Help please!!

[revoran]

So about two weeks ago I found one of my (at the time) 5 blue reef chromis stuck to my powerhead I thought nothing of it. I figured I would chalk it up to damsels being damsels and let it go. At this point in time everything else is good. Well 1 week ago all my zoas decided to curl up.. there not dead, but they have been closed a good week now only every now and then does one or 2 polyps open up.

I do have some watermelon zoas open with 4 of the 5 heads. anyways 3 days ago my blonde naso died. he wasnt dead long maybe 2 hours before we got him out. I did an immediate water test and everything came out fine. I did a 25 gallon water change last saturday. (my tank is 120) the naso was eating fine except the day before he died he didnt eat. all the other fish are still eating, but some of my corals look fine some aint opening up.

Should I be worried? Params are still great.. but something fishy is going on here!

 

[revoran]

Frogspawn hasnt been out either...all curled up

 

[william1]

We need a list of your parameters PH/ALK/ECT.....

 

[revoran]

Salinity 1.26
ammona 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 10
ph 8.09
temp 76ish flucuates between 76-78

 

[revoran]

ph is 8.0

 

[ichthyoid]

1) how long has your tank been running?
2) what has changed in your tank in the last 2-3 weeks?

I personally like speficic gravity to be lower, 1.023. The reason for this is that the higher it goes, the more energy the organism expends pumping out salt. If the specimens are dealing with another issue as well, higher s.g. will only make it more difficult for them to deal with. If you decide to lower the s.g., do so 'slowly'.

 

[ichthyoid]

revoran;412717 wrote: Salinity 1.26
ammona 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 10
ph 8.09
temp 76ish flucuates between 76-78

What is your Mg and Alk? Have you measured them?

 

[ichthyoid]

revoran;412717 wrote: Salinity 1.26
ammona 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 10
ph 8.09
temp 76ish flucuates between 76-78

Surely you mean 1.026 and not 1.26 on that s.g., correct?

 

[revoran]

ermm yeah 1.026 my bad....also no on the other measurements only the standard.....my tank has been up for about 6 or 7 months now.. with no casualties infact very happy everything except lately. nothing that i know of has changed in the last few weeks

 

[spike]

Might not be anything wrong. Naso's can be hard to keep, I know someone who went through three. Two were eating everything at LFS, then eating when he put them in his tank, but later died. Zoas close up for no particular reason after being happy for months. Your tank is still relatively new and will have issues. I would let LFS also do water tests just to have a second opinion.

 

[ichthyoid]

ramone;412864 wrote: Might not be anything wrong. Naso's can be hard to keep, I know someone who went through three. Two were eating everything at LFS, then eating when he put them in his tank, but later died. Zoas close up for no particular reason after being happy for months. Your tank is still relatively new and will have issues. I would let LFS also do water tests just to have a second opinion.

Agreed.

 

[ichthyoid]

If you want to keep those nitrates low you can build a DIY denitrification filter, or for something a little different...

http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/breefcase/kalkwasser.html">http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/breefcase/kalkwasser.html</a>

Pay special attention to the part about mixing Kalk in vinegar BEFORE diluting it.

 

[skriz]

ichthyoid;412885 wrote: If you want to keep those nitrates low you can build a DIY denitrification filter, or for something a little different...

http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/breefcase/kalkwasser.html">http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/breefcase/kalkwasser.html</a>

Pay special attention to the part about mixing Kalk in vinegar BEFORE diluting it.[/QUOTE]

I would advise heavier skimming and larger/more frequent water changes before adding a denitrator or kalk. Your tank is not mature yet; give it time and add slowly and you'll be fine. And remember, water changes don't hurt.

 

[revoran]

I use API test kit..... Hmmm I suppose it might could be the heaters....... With it being winter I had to turn them up just a little to offset the temp change from summer, but temps stayed the same......... I appreciate everyones help...

As for the second opinion I did get a second one.... everything was good to go.

 

[jennm]

I've never seen corals react to current, but I have seen fish react to current.

Also check phosphate - it can be a marker for other stuff like toxins.

A few here make fun of me about toxins, but I've seen too many people wipe out their tanks with the likes of Febreeze, scented oil air fresheners etc. Most of that type of stuff contains phosphate - so if you previously had low to no detectable phosphate, and it suddenly goes way up - that can be a signal that something like an air freshener or other chemical has got into the tank.

Usually fish feel that first too - but you may have more than one thing going on.

I'd make sure to check alk too because low alk can make corals unhappy (not fish per se).

Jenn