Question Corals not growing/dieing What to do?

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Still waiting on the ICP test results. Meanwhile lost the last piece of a torch. 1/2 the zoas are not opening. This is just awesome. Liking waiting for the ending of a trainwreck.

 

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Got the results and besides low iodine I am not sure it’s that bad

 

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Ro/di has elevated silicon

 

[Geraud]

Do you have diatoms issues? Silicon being the main component of silicates...

 

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

No nuisance algae except some bubble algae in the overflow.

Coraline has covered all the rock and allot on the back glass.

Yet corals don’t last. My guess it’s the lights. Gonna drop the radions down to 40% and switch to los template which is mostly the blues leds only.

 

[Geraud]

Yes if you have coralline usually that means everything is in order.

If you cannot rent a PAR meter, Apogee makes a USB one for around $250.

 

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Will keep looking. Would you think of corals fading away and shrinking that the lights are turned up too much? These are Radion blues. Not the pros. Going through the standard aqueon glass tops.

 

[jackson6745]

Will keep looking. Would you think of corals fading away and shrinking that the lights are turned up too much? These are Radion blues. Not the pros. Going through the standard aqueon glass tops.

What percentage were you running the lights?

 

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Had the lights running the AB+ template (all channels 100, intensity 100 but the overall schedule was 70-85 over months of trying. I never went lower.

 

[jackson6745]

Had the lights running the AB+ template (all channels 100, intensity 100 but the overall schedule was 70-85 over months of trying. I never went lower.

That could definitely do it. I think you’re on the money about too much light for the corals. Keep us posted!

 

[Geraud]

I don't think 2 XR-15 are much on a tank this size. On my 25 I was using 1 XR-30 Pro Gen 4 at 75%...

Something I noticed though: you are using a glass top? How is your tank temperature like?

 

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Temperature is 77-78.

 

[Geraud]

Something to think about as well: how is the air quality around your tank?

I thought about it when I read this: https://reefbuilders.com/2024/05/10/are-air-fresheners-good-or-bad-for-the-home-aquarium/

 

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Interesting read. We don’t use any air freshens.

 

[kidninja]

i read recently that a reefer was loosing a bunch of corals and found out that his water contained high levels of chlorine which can't be removed via rodi. he only found out because his area was fixing street plumbing in the neighborhood

 

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

i read recently that a reefer was loosing a bunch of corals and found out that his water contained high levels of chlorine which can't be removed via rodi. he only found out because his area was fixing street plumbing in the neighborhood

That would have been picked up in the ICP test - correct?

 

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

No change in corals. Still monitoring

 

[Harif87]

Didn't see it mentioned on the thread - what livestock do you have in the tank? Have you noticed any flatworms or inverts you don't recognize come out (especially at night)? I would suggest looking at the tank an hour or so after lights out.

I know it's unlikely, but have you ever kept a sea cuc or anemone that died in your tank? About 10 years ago I had a tiger tail that died that took down my whole tank (had the cuc for 2 years before that).

Have you ever used copper additives (or any additives for that matter) in the system?

Also, have you done a WC since the original post? If so, what percentage? I notice nitrates are down from 25, so assuming something was done.

Stability of parameters is key, but if you have reasonable suspicion that there is a toxin in the water affecting the corals that resulted from an isolated incident then I would suggest going for the large WC of 30 - 40% and then maybe doing another one again in 2 weeks time if your softies dont perk up. Will your LPS and SPS back track? Absolutely. But it is temporary and they'll eventually readjust after a few weeks.

A while ago I ran into a similar situation, corals were healthy and then one day everything (even my xenia and GSP) was shriveled up for about 2 weeks until I realized the day the tank started to decline my kid accidentally threw a puzzle piece that landed in the tank and only found it about a half hour after it happened. I did a 40%WC and that literally brought everything back to life after a few days. There must have been some sort of chemical in the adhesive on the puzzle piece or something.

Also, I've heard from another reefer that has a tank full of show pieces that after 12 months his tank unexpectedly crashed but eventually got over the hill and has been running a beautiful tank filled with hard to care SPS since. He mentioned hearing the same happen to others.

I will say that with torches/hammers there is a point of no return that once they cross there's no saving them. It could be conditions are improving even though the torches are dying.

Stay strong. We've all been there.

 

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

No additives other than ca, all, mag. No cucs. I have not seen worms in the tank.

Did a 30g water change last week no change in response so far. One colony of Zoas is open. The colony next to it won’t open anymore. Get other colonies barely open.

1 hammer single head. Opens but no growth in months. I have a devils hand that opens but has not grown in a year. 2 mushrooms that don’t grow/split.

All other hammers, torches, frogspawns are gone.

Snails, crabs fish appear ok.

Changing the lights to a bluer setting has not change anything in the tank. I know things take time but I don’t see any change.

If the ICP test shows nothing. Coraline algae has covered everything. Fish live. I guess it can only be the lighting. Either I spend $600 on a PAR meter or maybe replace the lights. Or figure out how to tune them.

I would love for a fellow reefer in the area to come by and give me their thoughts or what I am missing here.

 

[Rob_Reef_Keeper]

Leaning towards tearing it down and selling off the gear.

One other possibility is selling the lights, and making it a fish only. Not sure what other filtration would be needed or just the skimmer and rock. Maybe a UV sterilizer.