I think I'm crashing

[johnr2604]

So I got home today and noticed my tank was cloudy. I took a look and noticed my Blue Xenia was melting away. I also noticed my blue tip acro was loosing the color in its tips. All my zoas are closed and I have a Kenya tree that is shrivelled up. All my other corals such as candycane, millipora, and ricordeas all look fine.

O.K then I thought to myself and ran some test.
<ul>
<li>ammonia 0</li>
<li>ph 8.3</li>
<li>nitrates 0</li>
<li>nitrites 0</li>
<li>calcium 400</li>
<li>alk 10dkh</li>
<li>salinity 1.024</li>
</ul> I cant figure it out:unsure: . everything is testing fine. I did do a water change yesterday with LFS R/O saltwater and added a koralia 1. I'm wondering if my tank was contaminated some how? I am going to do a 50% waterchange and add a bunch of carbon to see if that helps. This really sucks.

This is in a biocube 29 with a 70w hqi added. It has a refugium with chaeto and liverock. I currently run a protien skimmer, carbon and purigen. Any Sudgestions on what else to try or look for.

 

[purplegorilla]

That sux...yeah a 50% water change would be good. You didn't say what was your temp. How much does temp fluctuate during the day.

 

[wbholwell]

If you have a polyfilter on hand, run that too.

Sounds wierd. Maybe you got some bad water. ?? Personally, I never trust anyone else's water- make my own RO/DI water, test the tds, then add salt.

Is the Koralia kicking up sand (i.e. disturbing the sandbed)?

 

[markl]

mine did that once but my temp was way to high.

 

[johnr2604]

Temps are good, fluctuate between 79-80 that was actually the first thing I checked. I just did the water change. The xenia looks bad but may be perking up, we will see. I will be mixing my own water from now on just in case that is the problem. Looks like all I may loose is the Xenia if anything so that is good if anything good can come of this. Sucks though because it was big, blue and not cheap.

Its weird because my rics, candycane and millepora were all opened up but the Xenia is toast and the acro, blastomussa, zoanthids and kenya all seamed stressed. I wish I had a more definative answer I guess it was just Aliens. I am going to throw a great big bag of carbon in and do another hefty water change tomorrow night.

For me I think I am going to start dosing a few beers and try to forget how crappy my evening has been.

 

[johnr2604]

OK here is an update. I think I averted tragedy:yay:. The only thing that looks like it permantly affected was is the xenia but I am holding out hopes its going to recover. I still have no idea what caused this. Even the people I talked to seam perplexed other than the fact that it seams to happen with xenia sometimes.

I think I will start mixing my own water for this tank again. I am not sure thats what caused it but I guess better safe than sorry. I guess its just easy to get complacent with these small tanks because of the small water change volume.

these are some pics before and after. Keep in mind that this thing shriveled up to 1/5 the size in less than 24 hours.
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[liverock27]

Glad the tank is recovering nicely.