fluidimagery
09/21/2007, 07:54 PM
I'm notoriuos for being way too descriptive but for about a month I've been having some strange issues with some coral in my tank.
Going back about a month I was at the LFS and saw a beautiful potter's angel that I had to have. Already knowing the risk of angels I decided to try it anyway. Sure enough, I was the lucky one and found the angel nipping at my pocillipora in the tank after about 4 days of being the tank. First I tried moving the 2 colonies higher up in the tank since the angel only seemed to swim around the mid - bottom of the tank. 2 days later he found the colonies and began nipping again. I went online and ordered a trap and was able to catch him pretty quick. About 2 days after that one of the colonies was pretty much bleached out (RTN?) from either the stress or the move in the tank. Then my beloved other colony of the poci. started bleaching too... I moved the colony back to the original (pre-angel) position and it has been fine since. The position I had moved it had less light and was against the back wall... (that could've had something to do with it since only that 1/2 of it start to go??)
Since that whole fiasco with the angel I replaced that fish with a small regal tang who has been good.
Right after I moved the potters out I noticed a few of my other SPS not looking so hot (green stag, small frag of blue acro) got looking a little more into it and found my ALK being higher than normal (around 11dkh) and the calcium being low (around 400). My aquamedic 2 part doser got out of whack and was dosing more alk than calc. Also looked into my phosphates and measured (.1) at the tank (hanna meter) switched out my phosban and within a few days the P04 was down to .04. I also started testing my make up water since I was wondering where the PO4 was coming from as I don't feel I overfeed but I do have a heavily stocked tank. Source water (RODI) with tropic marin was coming out at .14 (found my source and posted a whole thread about it) RODI was measuring .03 on avg so it was definately the salt.
SO! Here I am thinking I figured out most of my problem. Tank has really started to look much better over the past month, levels seem to be good. But over the past few days I've been seeing a few oddities which brings me to my latest dilema.
What is going on?? I've been seing a few white areas on my Monti. Digitata (uneffected until now) and some flesh missing on a few of my candy canes!!?? what the hell is going on now?
Pics:
http://scott.fluidimagery.com/fish/95/problem-9-21-07/3.jpg
http://scott.fluidimagery.com/fish/95/problem-9-21-07/4.jpg
http://scott.fluidimagery.com/fish/95/problem-9-21-07/5.jpg
http://scott.fluidimagery.com/fish/95/problem-9-21-07/6.jpg
FTS Shots:
http://scott.fluidimagery.com/fish/95/problem-9-21-07/1.jpg
http://scott.fluidimagery.com/fish/95/problem-9-21-07/2.jpg
Tank:
140g system
MRC-MR2 Skimmer
Phosban Reactor1 - phosban
Phosban Reactor2 - hydrocarbon
Salt: Tropic Marin (regular)
Age: 7 Months
Fish:
1 3" False Perc
1 3/4" False Perc
1 Pair of Green Mandarins
1 2" Regal Tang
1 3.5" Solar Wrasse
1 2.5" Chalk Bass
1 3.5" Purple Firefish
1 4" Midas Blenny
4 ~2" Green Chromis
2 Emerald Crabs (Maybe biting coral?)
2 Cleaner Shrimp
Paramters:
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 81 - 82
PH: 8.1 - 8.3
Calc: 460
Alk: 9 dkh
NO3: 1ppm with Salifert
P04: .04 with Hanna Meter
Haven't test ammonia or nitrite
Things to note:
About a month ago we hired a cleaning lady who cleans while we're not here. I've told her to stay away from the tank. But just found her needing some more freebreeze air freshener which I didn't realize she was using. I have fans in my canopy blowing air through and am wondering if some may have gotten sucked in while she was cleaning?? I would think more things would be harmed though... fish and inverts all 100%
I also added about 5 new fish over the past 2 months (bio load?)
(midas blenny, regal tang, 3/4" false perc, firefish, solar wrasse)
I haven't done my usual 25g weekly water change since I tested the high phosphates over a week ago. My new Red Sea Coral Pro salt just came today as well as another phosban reactor to put in the makeup water so I can use the rest of the tropic marin.
We also got hardwood floors put in on our 2nd floor about 2 months ago which I'm sure created some dust (doubtful)
I hope that covers it... thanks for reading and hopefully shedding some light... it's heartbreaking to see these corals I've had for 3 years start dieing.
Going back about a month I was at the LFS and saw a beautiful potter's angel that I had to have. Already knowing the risk of angels I decided to try it anyway. Sure enough, I was the lucky one and found the angel nipping at my pocillipora in the tank after about 4 days of being the tank. First I tried moving the 2 colonies higher up in the tank since the angel only seemed to swim around the mid - bottom of the tank. 2 days later he found the colonies and began nipping again. I went online and ordered a trap and was able to catch him pretty quick. About 2 days after that one of the colonies was pretty much bleached out (RTN?) from either the stress or the move in the tank. Then my beloved other colony of the poci. started bleaching too... I moved the colony back to the original (pre-angel) position and it has been fine since. The position I had moved it had less light and was against the back wall... (that could've had something to do with it since only that 1/2 of it start to go??)
Since that whole fiasco with the angel I replaced that fish with a small regal tang who has been good.
Right after I moved the potters out I noticed a few of my other SPS not looking so hot (green stag, small frag of blue acro) got looking a little more into it and found my ALK being higher than normal (around 11dkh) and the calcium being low (around 400). My aquamedic 2 part doser got out of whack and was dosing more alk than calc. Also looked into my phosphates and measured (.1) at the tank (hanna meter) switched out my phosban and within a few days the P04 was down to .04. I also started testing my make up water since I was wondering where the PO4 was coming from as I don't feel I overfeed but I do have a heavily stocked tank. Source water (RODI) with tropic marin was coming out at .14 (found my source and posted a whole thread about it) RODI was measuring .03 on avg so it was definately the salt.
SO! Here I am thinking I figured out most of my problem. Tank has really started to look much better over the past month, levels seem to be good. But over the past few days I've been seeing a few oddities which brings me to my latest dilema.
What is going on?? I've been seing a few white areas on my Monti. Digitata (uneffected until now) and some flesh missing on a few of my candy canes!!?? what the hell is going on now?
Pics:
http://scott.fluidimagery.com/fish/95/problem-9-21-07/3.jpg
http://scott.fluidimagery.com/fish/95/problem-9-21-07/4.jpg
http://scott.fluidimagery.com/fish/95/problem-9-21-07/5.jpg
http://scott.fluidimagery.com/fish/95/problem-9-21-07/6.jpg
FTS Shots:
http://scott.fluidimagery.com/fish/95/problem-9-21-07/1.jpg
http://scott.fluidimagery.com/fish/95/problem-9-21-07/2.jpg
Tank:
140g system
MRC-MR2 Skimmer
Phosban Reactor1 - phosban
Phosban Reactor2 - hydrocarbon
Salt: Tropic Marin (regular)
Age: 7 Months
Fish:
1 3" False Perc
1 3/4" False Perc
1 Pair of Green Mandarins
1 2" Regal Tang
1 3.5" Solar Wrasse
1 2.5" Chalk Bass
1 3.5" Purple Firefish
1 4" Midas Blenny
4 ~2" Green Chromis
2 Emerald Crabs (Maybe biting coral?)
2 Cleaner Shrimp
Paramters:
Salinity: 1.025
Temp: 81 - 82
PH: 8.1 - 8.3
Calc: 460
Alk: 9 dkh
NO3: 1ppm with Salifert
P04: .04 with Hanna Meter
Haven't test ammonia or nitrite
Things to note:
About a month ago we hired a cleaning lady who cleans while we're not here. I've told her to stay away from the tank. But just found her needing some more freebreeze air freshener which I didn't realize she was using. I have fans in my canopy blowing air through and am wondering if some may have gotten sucked in while she was cleaning?? I would think more things would be harmed though... fish and inverts all 100%
I also added about 5 new fish over the past 2 months (bio load?)
(midas blenny, regal tang, 3/4" false perc, firefish, solar wrasse)
I haven't done my usual 25g weekly water change since I tested the high phosphates over a week ago. My new Red Sea Coral Pro salt just came today as well as another phosban reactor to put in the makeup water so I can use the rest of the tropic marin.
We also got hardwood floors put in on our 2nd floor about 2 months ago which I'm sure created some dust (doubtful)
I hope that covers it... thanks for reading and hopefully shedding some light... it's heartbreaking to see these corals I've had for 3 years start dieing.