I got a Issue, and Need a Tissue!

[Shawnts106]

Ok, so There is something really odd going on in my tank right now... For the past few days I have noticed that some of my acros, NOT ALL are looking bad.... as well as one of my montis

I have an encusting Monti (sp) superman morph, not mollis.
that is looking ROUGH!... you can see that the polyps are not extending all the way and the tissues appear to be receeding into the skeleton a little... it just looks Rough... no I do NOT HAVE MONTI NUDIS I KNOW FOR SURE...
I was thinking maybe too much flow or an Alk burn?... but its also turning brown! :( rrrrrrr!!!!!

The acro frags are looking like the are expelling their "guts".. hardly any polyp extension and they look like they are digesting themselves!.... you know how that looks...

I do not know WHAT is up!
But its pi$$ing me off!

Please help me brainstorm and think of what this could be.

[bluetmax]

What are your tank parameters?

[chromafi]

It could be the WQ
It could be your bulbs
It could be reduced current
It could be dissolved oxygen
It could be trace elements / amino acids
It could be parasites

[chromafi]

Just a few things, definetly not all

[CAreefer]

Check for a cracked bulb. IME, they will most of the symptoms you are describing. UV burn at it's finest.

CAReefer

[bluetmax]

I would also do a water change and run some carbon just to be on the safe side...That's usually the first best course of action any time I see a problem, IME. Anyone else?

[ScallopKing]

Sounds like Alk.

[reefkoi]

Did you start Prodibio yet?

[Oldude]

Perhaps it's a nitrate issue.

[Nuuze]

My two rainbow monti's turn brown a bit with the "rough" look after I moved them from the upper half of my tank to the sandbed. I thougt they wern't going to make it at first. But I guess I updet them moving them. Since them polyp extension is back to normal but the roughness is slowly going away. HTH.

[SPStoner]

How about water temp? Double check your thermometer...I've seen them go bad and give false readings.

[Shawnts106]

Okkkkk.....
What are your tank parameters?
Tank Parameters are as follows:
Ammonia = 0ppm
Nitrite = 0ppm
Nitrate = Undetectable
Phophates = not sure yet, Salifert test kit on its way
Temp = MAX82*F
Salinity = 1.028
Bulbs: (2) T5 48" [460nm] by ATI on Icecap
(2) 250watt XM20K on magnetics


I have noticed that my Poweder brown tang looks HORIBLE since the move... he has had a sudden case of what appears to be head and lateral line problems, so has my royal gramma, my blue reef chromis has lost his tail...and my purple tang looks rough...
before the move they were in perfect condition not a problem at all!

Im useing SeaChems Matrix Carbon...
Running Phosban in a phosban reactor - new media when I moved
ASM g2 skimmer
75gallon aquarium with overflow built in.
Good flow provided by a Mag 7 return, Maxijet 1200 and a Seio 1500.. my stuff is wipping..

Keep in mind this is a new problem... I had no issues before I moved!

Check for a cracked bulb. IME, they will most of the symptoms you are describing. UV burn at it's finest.
I was afraid of that... I will check, but other corals and soft corals like my zoas and shrooms are great...

Sounds like Alk.
Thought so too... Would too low alk do this.. the other day I tested and it was 2.5/~6dkh Salifert.. Ill check again.. Ca was at 420ppm also Salifert

Did you start Prodibio yet?
Not yet, still researching.

I think that covers this part of it...
Let me know what you guys think, esspecially the fish going bad like that!

[bluetmax]

Hasn't stray voltage been thought to be linked to head/lateral line?

[CAreefer]

Couple things I picked up in the params provided.

Sg is too high- IMHO 1.026 is max. With an alk of 6 dKH and sg of 1.028 it tells me your elemental balance is pretty jacked up. Low alk will affect your corals, especially if it changed dramatically in a short time. I'm no fish expert, but I don't think the low alk would effect the fish nearly as severely as the high salinity would. They drink via osmosis through their skin. If the sg is off, they are probably getting dehydrated and suffering because of it. Again, pure speculation based on my limited knowledge of fish.

Several 15-20% water changes with proper sg and parameters are in order IMHO.

CAReefer

[Shawnts106]

I disagree about the Sg, Look at the red sea... I believe the SG there is ~1.029? I may be incorrect...

Doesnt matter though, my tank has been setup using this SG for over 3 years... with NO PROBLEMS...
This is a sudden change...


I have discovered A LOT OF CARBON DUST deposited behind the liverock..

Could Carbon dust affect these things?

[fishman2006]

Check for stray voltage in the tank. You could have a heater cracked or a powerhead going out or something. Stray voltage is thought to cause HLLE in fish and it could be affecting your corals.

[Philwd]

Check for low Mg. It will definitely cause what you are seeing. Don't think it's what is affecting your fish.

[Shawnts106]

I am possitive I have found the reason why!

I discovered all this derbis behind my Liverock, it was black powder that had settled...

Not thinking much of it, I ignored it..
I noticed the other day that I had a bit of this strange black buildup in my sump, and on the inside of my skimmer reaction chaimber... I also noticed that my once White filter media in the sump for microbubble minimization was covered in this black shtuff!...

I then decided to clean out my skimmer sponge on my ASMg2 ... I went to the sink and started cleaning and the water comming out of it was PITCH BLACK!... like the movie!... I mean DEAD BLACK!... I have NEEEVVVVVERRRRRR had this happen!
I then tried another small sponge in the sump, it too did the same thing.. the blackest water I have EVVVVERRRR SEEN in 8 years of this hobby!!!

I then realized that it is my CARBON! I had changed over to SeaChems Matrix Carbon just recently!.. and when I opened the trays to my Tidepool sump! OMG!... You wouldnt believe it... there was sooooooo much carbon dust buildup it was UNREAL!... It had covered the white trays and turned them pitch black, it has gotten into my Biowheel, and turned it, once white, not any more!... it is EVERYYYWHERE!!!

I have heard that Carbon in reef tanks can caused HLLD... I BELIEVE NOW that LOW QUALITY CARBON CAN!
I put about a pound of carbon in those trays because I had treated my tank for Red Bugs about a month or so ago!..
This is the ONLY thing that I had changed!.. So I am confident that this is the problem!

I have removed ALLLLL carbon in the system and have turned up the skimmer full blast and did a ~30gallon waterchange today on my tank...

I also found something else unexpected in the trays...
A snail eatting flatworm!... quite large, about the size of a silver dollar, which explains why I can NOT keep snails at all!

I will get pictures of that one ASAP and post them on the appropriate thread....

GEEZE!.... I have kept my tank running for YEARS using the same thing, I move it and the only thing I change is my brand of carbon and look what happens!!!!
BEWARE of this carbon!

I suppose my Phosban in the reactor has all been used up battling the phosphorous put out my this carbon... which also explains the increase in algae... My tank never has algae.. suddenly I have noticed more green on the glass and more diatoms on the sandbed..... hum...
I also syphoned about an inch of sand out of my tank to help reduce nutrients...
I have a SSB anyway, now its REALLY SHALLOW!

We will see if things improve and I will post my findings, but I am sure this is it!

Check for low Mg. It will definitely cause what you are seeing. Don't think it's what is affecting your fish.
Its not a Mg Issue, the fish and corals did this at the same time... these two events are tied together.