Is this coral bleaching - Page 2

CuzzA · 05/27/2015, 06:10 AM

Looks good. On a tank this size you may want to consider a couple more powerheads if you have a lot of dead spots where detritus is settling. Also, I would consider adding a couple reactors. One for GFO to remove phosphates and one for carbon to remove contaminants. Especially if you're using NSW.

KenDM · 05/27/2015, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CuzzA

Looks good. On a tank this size you may want to consider a couple more powerheads if you have a lot of dead spots where detritus is settling. Also, I would consider adding a couple reactors. One for GFO to remove phosphates and one for carbon to remove contaminants. Especially if you're using NSW.

ok thank you for all the help and info. I will look into that.

brittonv · 05/27/2015, 08:28 AM

Regarding Black sand, have you tested ammonia?

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2071648

KenDM · 05/27/2015, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CuzzA

Filtered natural seawater is always the preferred source whenever possible. Relying on someone else to do the collecting and filtering is the issue. And in this case it looks like they collected next to a BP oil rig.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-03/rs/feature/

Can you post a full tank shot to see the extent of this Black Plague. I would not add anything else until that stuff is identified and removed. I would start by siphoning it out of the sand bed and brushing your rocks (out of the tank in a bucket of saltwater if possible). Run a low micron filter sock on your drain to catch whatever gets turned up from the removal. Ask a local university to help you ID it. They love this stuff and will likely be glad to take a look at it.

Here is a before and after picture

KenDM · 05/27/2015, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brittonv

Regarding Black sand, have you tested ammonia?

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2071648

Sand isn't really black, it is brown. It looks darker in the picture but it is actually brown. Nevertheless, I haven't tested for ammonia yet. Will do that asap.

JammyBirch · 05/27/2015, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenDM

Here is a before and after picture

Luckily you have a relatively bare rockscape i would do as recommended above...

Vacuum the sand until that stuff is gone and remove the rocks to brush them out in a bucket. This would be nearly impossible if you had corals all over the place.

CuzzA · 05/27/2015, 01:25 PM

Since your fish seem unaffected ammonia is an unlikely suspect. I suspect you have an abundance of nutrients, including silicates. Maybe a mixture of diatoms and Cyanobacteria. Just a guess though. More flow, GFO, carbon, manual removal, water changes.

KenDM · 05/27/2015, 11:38 PM

Ok, I feel kinda stupid now.
Just got the results back of the water test and the problem is the phosphate level. It's not 0.09 but 2.9!!.
I used a Hanna pocket meter and I must have been doing something very wrong.
I checked the test routine, watched some instructions on youtube and tried again. Now it reads 0.00 all the time (tried 3 times)?

Will do some manual removal, water change and install a phosphate killer.

CuzzA · 05/28/2015, 04:42 AM

Wow. Get a phosban reactor and run GFO. You'll need to figure out what's going on with your phosphate test as it's important to test this daily with that high of PO4. The GFO is going to be exhausted very fast and the only way to determine if it's been exhausted is by testing. Unless you just plan on blindly replacing it every few days. GFO is expensive though, so I'd rather test and not waste the media.

Davileet · 05/31/2015, 07:43 PM

What kind of sand do you have in your tank?

I would bet you need more flow, or at least put more flow towards the sand bed. Siphon that black **** out along with siphoning as much sand as you can, and do a 95% water change. This will start your tanks water column over, and the corals will appreciate it more than adding GFO and experimenting with ridding this disease.

Turning the lights off for three days would help kill off anything left on rocks and such after scrubbing them, however if the corals are already sickly, this may kill them off.

KenDM · 06/01/2015, 02:07 AM

I use caribsea live sand.

Visited the fish store this weekend and guess what.... they made a mistake when they tested the phospahte level. They tested everything again when I was there and it's not 2.9 but 0.05.

I siphoned that black ****, gave the corals a coral dip with Coral RX Pro, cleaned the rocks and turned of the lights. The brown hasn't returned yet, I hope it stays like this.

Davileet · 06/01/2015, 04:21 PM

Turn your whites down to 20% or below if I were you. Most Led whites are too yellow and grow algae.

05/27/2015, 08:28 AM	#28
brittonv Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 227	Regarding Black sand, have you tested ammonia? http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2071648 __________________ Current Tank Info: 65 Gallon with Corner Overflow \| EShopps R110 Reefugium running Chaeto and Miracle Mud Apex Neptune Controller with WXM Module \| Echotech XR30 & XR15 Pros with Dual MP10

05/27/2015, 06:10 AM	#26
CuzzA Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Palm Harbor, FL Posts: 2,997	Looks good. On a tank this size you may want to consider a couple more powerheads if you have a lot of dead spots where detritus is settling. Also, I would consider adding a couple reactors. One for GFO to remove phosphates and one for carbon to remove contaminants. Especially if you're using NSW.

05/27/2015, 01:25 PM	#32
CuzzA Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Palm Harbor, FL Posts: 2,997	Since your fish seem unaffected ammonia is an unlikely suspect. I suspect you have an abundance of nutrients, including silicates. Maybe a mixture of diatoms and Cyanobacteria. Just a guess though. More flow, GFO, carbon, manual removal, water changes.

05/27/2015, 11:38 PM	#33
KenDM Registered Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Belgium Posts: 18	Ok, I feel kinda stupid now. Just got the results back of the water test and the problem is the phosphate level. It's not 0.09 but 2.9!!. I used a Hanna pocket meter and I must have been doing something very wrong. I checked the test routine, watched some instructions on youtube and tried again. Now it reads 0.00 all the time (tried 3 times)? Will do some manual removal, water change and install a phosphate killer.

05/28/2015, 04:42 AM	#34
CuzzA Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Palm Harbor, FL Posts: 2,997	Wow. Get a phosban reactor and run GFO. You'll need to figure out what's going on with your phosphate test as it's important to test this daily with that high of PO4. The GFO is going to be exhausted very fast and the only way to determine if it's been exhausted is by testing. Unless you just plan on blindly replacing it every few days. GFO is expensive though, so I'd rather test and not waste the media.

05/31/2015, 07:43 PM	#35
Davileet Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Harrisonburg, VA Posts: 107	What kind of sand do you have in your tank? I would bet you need more flow, or at least put more flow towards the sand bed. Siphon that black **** out along with siphoning as much sand as you can, and do a 95% water change. This will start your tanks water column over, and the corals will appreciate it more than adding GFO and experimenting with ridding this disease. Turning the lights off for three days would help kill off anything left on rocks and such after scrubbing them, however if the corals are already sickly, this may kill them off.

06/01/2015, 02:07 AM	#36
KenDM Registered Member Join Date: May 2015 Location: Belgium Posts: 18	I use caribsea live sand. Visited the fish store this weekend and guess what.... they made a mistake when they tested the phospahte level. They tested everything again when I was there and it's not 2.9 but 0.05. I siphoned that black ****, gave the corals a coral dip with Coral RX Pro, cleaned the rocks and turned of the lights. The brown hasn't returned yet, I hope it stays like this.

06/01/2015, 04:21 PM	#37
Davileet Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Harrisonburg, VA Posts: 107	Turn your whites down to 20% or below if I were you. Most Led whites are too yellow and grow algae.